3 days of thrills! Embark on a 46-mile odyssey through ancient canyons. Navigate thrilling rapids, camp on desert beaches, and explore hidden oases. Book your Salt River 3-Day Expedition—where adventure stands still in time!
Our 3-day Salt River multi-day rafting trip embarks on a riveting 46-mile journey through White Rock, Granite, and Jumpoff Canyons in the remote Upper Canyon of the Salt River Wilderness. Delve into an ancient landscape, navigating through the oldest exposed rocks on earth.
Encounter exhilarating white water rapids like Corkscrew and Quartzite Falls in the Middle Canyon, where boats maneuver through staircase drops, promising adrenaline-fueled thrills. Nights bring serenity on deserted desert beaches, framed by towering saguaro cacti.
The Salt River, a southern edge gem of the Colorado Plateau, remains a wild and free-flowing river. Its canyons teem with diverse plant, animal, and bird life. Explore narrow side canyons leading to oasis-like habitats, a unique chance to connect with nature.
A perfect family and friends adventure, this 3-day journey unveils the essence of the Salt River Wilderness. Join us for a timeless exploration, where every rapid conquered and every canyon corner turned becomes a chapter in your extraordinary wilderness tale. Experience the best backcountry Arizona has to offer on a Salt River multi-day trip.
Price listed includes transfers back to your vehicle, wetsuits, water shoes and splash jackets when necessary. Price listed does not include land and water access fees (9%) or Apache Permit Fee ($60/person).
We will provide all meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day.
We do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions. We just ask that you give us at least 3 days’ notice to prepare for them. Noting dietary restrictions and allergies at the time of booking is preferred.
It depends on the weather! All cold water gear is included in the cost of the trip, so you can make a decision based on your guides’ recommendations when you check in.
Rent a tent for $20 per trip, sleeping bag and ground pad for $20 per trip, or opt for the ground pad only at $10 per trip.
We provide a splash jacket, wetsuit, wetsuit booties, a professional guide in every raft, lifejacket, helmet, paddle transportation back to your car at the end of the trip, meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day, lemonade and water with meals and hot drinks in camp, personal waterproof storage bags (3.2 cubic feet), all kitchen and cooking equipment, and portable chemical toilets.
We recommend bringing a warm sleeping bag and ground pad (available for rent), tent (available for rent), warm jacket, rain jacket or poncho, dry shoes, change of clothes with a small towel, toiletries, headlamp or flashlight, a small plastic bag for wet clothes, insect repellant, your favorite beverage (no glass), and a favorite book or toy.
Your trip will meet in the Salt River Canyon at the junction of Highway 60 and the river between Highway Mile Markers 292 and 293.
We recommend bringing a swimming suit and/or shorts, sunglasses with a securing strap, a fleece jacket or synthetic insulating layer for colder days, a hat or visor (to be worn under your helmet), waterproof sunscreen, lip balm with SPF 15+, suitable footwear like tennis shoes, water shoes, or secure sandals (no flip-flops or Crocs), cash for souvenirs and tipping your guide, a water bottle, and a change of clothes with a towel for after the trip.
Pro tip: Do NOT wear cotton on the river— it can make you colder!
Cancellation Policy (NON-discounted reservations): If your group or any person in your group cancels more than 14 days before the trip’s check-in time, a full refund will be provided. If cancellations are made within 14 days, no refund will be provided for any reason.
Cancellation Policy (DISCOUNTED reservations): If your reservation has a discount applied and you wish to cancel, you will not receive a refund. You may reschedule or receive a trip credit (digital gift card code).
Multi-Day Cancellation Insurance: Cancellation Insurance is available for 7.5% of the trip cost. Insurance purchased for individuals is non-transferable. If purchased, a refund would be provided, minus an additional 7.5% cancellation fee up to 5 days prior to check-in time. Anything called off less than 5 days, but at least 72 hours in advance would receive a non-refundable gift certificate, valid for one calendar year from the date of cancellation, Cancellations made within 72 hours are not eligible for a refund for any reason. This includes, but is not limited to road construction, undesirable weather, poor road conditions, COVID or other illnesses
Rescheduling Policy: Guests are able to reschedule up to 14 days before their trip if necessary. If insurance is purchased, day trips can be rescheduled with 24 hours’ notice and multi-days with 5 days’ notice. Trips can only be rescheduled one time. Once rescheduled, the trip becomes non-refundable.
Water Policy: Arizona Rafting reserves the right to modify or cancel your trip due to extremely high or low water conditions. We will give you as much notice as possible of conditions that may affect your scheduled trip. If Arizona Rafting cancels your trip, a full refund will be provided.
It is your responsibility to arrive for your trip on time—typically 30-60 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. To provide our guests with the best possible customer service, we attempt to launch our trips on time. We operate in a remote location with a small staff. If you are late, it is possible that your trip will have launched and no one will be in the office. We will not wait for late arrivals.
Due to the extraordinary logistics and limited seating on our trips, we cannot offer full or partial refunds for any reason. Please plan your travel times accordingly.
Arizona Rafting trips run rain or shine. Daytime highs in the Sonoran Desert are typically mild with highs ranging from 65 to 90 degrees. Chances of rain or late season cold front necessitate planning for a full range of weather conditions. We will not cancel or cut trips short due to rain and/or thunderstorm conditions (including lightning). Wetsuits are available when you check in if the weather is cool or the water levels are high.
Drugs or alcohol are not to be consumed before or during your trip. This includes marijuana. Marijuana remains illegal on White Mountain Apache Tribal Lands and US Forest Service Federal Land. No refund will be given to those drinking alcohol or using drugs prior to the trip. On multi-day camping and rafting trips, alcohol may be consumed while at camp. Please remember that rafting trips operate in a very remote area with difficult access for emergencies. Try to avoid glass containers.
We do not allow guests who are pregnant to participate in rafting. The safety of you and your bun in the oven is our top priority.
Prior to boarding your raft, you will receive a complete safety orientation.
Tipping is appropriate, particularly if you have received exceptional customer service. Our guides are high quality service workers. A tip of 10 – 15 percent per guest is customary. You will have the opportunity to tip your guide directly at the conclusion of your trip.
We always appreciate hearing from you so that we can recognize extraordinary customer service, and we also appreciate hearing from you if you feel that there are areas that we can improve upon. We strive to exceed your expectations!
Many of our participants cannot swim. We provide U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type V personal flotation devices designed to float you face-up in whitewater. Personal flotation devices are required to be worn at all times.
To get an idea of how long the drive takes, click here to see the distance to Arizona Rafting from cities in Arizona. Please visit our directions page for additional information and your trip’s meeting point.
Each trip on the Salt River has slightly different meeting times and equipment needs. Below are links to pre-trip information, including packing lists, for each of the trips we offer on the Salt River. These pages also have maps to help guide you to the meeting point.
Choose from half-day and full-day trips white water rafting in Arizona on the Salt River. We offer trips up to five days long. Here’s what you could be missing out on:
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