Meeting Place
Address:
The OARS Warehouse
2540 S HWY 191
Moab, Utah
2-3 Days from $499
View Dates & Prices
Overview
Highlights
- Thrilling Class III-IV Utah whitewater rafting on the Colorado River
- Tackle Funnel Falls, Skull Rapid and Sock-it-to-Me
- Hike to petroglyphs, a prospector’s cabin or Butch Cassidy's hideout
- Camp on big sandy beaches beneath the stars on 2- or 3-day Westwater Canyon rafting trips
- View abundant wildlife and dramatic canyon scenery
Adventure Overview
Named “The West’s Best Short Whitewater Trip” by National Geographic, Westwater Canyon rafting trips take you down an exciting stretch of the Colorado River that includes numerous Class III and IV rapids. Experience the thrilling adventure of Little Dolores, Funnel Falls, the infamous Skull Rapid and ever-popular Sock-It-To-Me. Traveling through this canyon’s towering walls offers incredible views of a Precambrian time-capsule with geologic formations of nearly two-billion year old black Vishnu Schist and pink Zoroaster Granite topped by red-gold sandstone. Spacious sandy beach campsites welcome guests for evenings of delicious guide-prepared meals, camaraderie and relaxation before retiring for the night under a blanket of a million stars.
Our 3-day Westwater Canyon rafting adventure begins further upstream in the tranquil waters of picturesque Ruby Horsethief Canyon. The calmer river flows through this section of the river canyon allowing for the use of fun inflatable kayaks (IKs) and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs). An abundance of wildlife, including great blue herons, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep add additional interest to the stunning desert scenery. Ruby Horsethief also offers some fantastic hiking to natural arches in the Entrada Sandstone and Mee Canyon in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area.
Photos & Videos
Itinerary & Map
Itinerary & Map
- Gather for a pre-trip meeting in Moab
- Scenic drive to the put-in on the Colorado River at the Westwater Ranger Station or Loma Boat Ramp for 3-day Westwater Canyon rafting trips
- Paddle a SUP or inflatable kayak through serene Ruby Horsethief Canyon and explore Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area, renowned for its high concentration of natural arches and beautiful Mee Canyon (3-day trips only)
- 2-day rafting trips begin with dramatic desert scenery and splashy, fun warm-up riffles in Westwater Canyon
- In camp, lounge on a big beach, swim and enjoy a guide-prepared dinner before dozing off beneath a million stars
- Continue downstream and view the Triassic Chinle Formation at the “greater” unconformity where 1.5-billion years of the Earth’s geologic record is missing
- Raft exciting whitewater through Funnel Falls, Skull Rapid and Sock-it-to-Me
- Hike to ancient petroglyphs, an old prospector’s cabin, or Butch Cassidy’s hideout
- Return to Moab
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Destination River -
Meeting Parking -
Rapid -
Point of interest -
Camp -
Put-In -
Take Out
Dates & Prices
2021 Prices:
2 Days
Adult: $549
Youth: $499
3 Days
Adult: $825
Youth: $749
Deposit: $250
Additional Costs:
- $10 BLM use fee
- Sleep Kit $25 | Tent included
2021 Departure Dates:
2 Days
- June 23
- July 5
- August 22, 25, 29
- September 1
3 Days
- March 23, 29
- April 6, 12, 20, 27
- May 4
- July 8, 18
- August 5
- September 7, 14, 21, 28
O.A.R.S. Canyonlands, Inc. operates in Westwater Canyon as a permitted outfitter of the Bureau of Land Management
Ancestral Lands Acknowledgement
We respect and recognize that many of the river canyons, national forests, BLM and state lands, as well as national parks where we operate are the ancestral homes of many indigenous communities. In Utah, we acknowledge various bands of the Ute, as well as the Eastern Shoshone, Diné, Pueblos, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, and Southern Paiute whose traditional territories include stretches of the San Juan, Colorado, Green and Yampa Rivers where we operate.
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Press & Blog
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Before You Go
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