TUCSON, ARIZONA
WHITE WATER RAFTING TUCSON
Discover the Top Tucson Outdoor Activities
Tucson, Arizona is a wonderful place to visit in the spring. The weather is great, exciting whitewater rafting is just a short drive away, and a variety of other outdoor activities guarantee you’ll never be bored!
No vacation is complete without experiencing whitewater rafting in Arizona. Our Salt River rafting trips take you through some of the most beautiful landscapes Arizona has to offer. You won’t find a better whitewater rafting outfitter than Arizona Rafting!
At Arizona Rafting, Tucson, Arizona visitors are some of the best repeat customers we have. They continue to come back year after year to enjoy the area and the beautiful Salt River Canyon. With so many things to do, whitewater rafting is only one of the many activities you can experience.
The Best White Water Rafting Tucson Has To Offer Is on the Salt River!

Sprint
Get all the thrilling rapids of the popular Full-Day trip with a later start time and on-boat snack. This trip offers the perfect mix of adventure, desert scenery, and exciting whitewater at an exhilarating pace. Enjoy 10 miles of exciting Class III and IV rapids of the Upper Salt River Canyon.
2-Day
Tackle the entire Salt River Wilderness on our fast-paced 2-Day Salt River Expedition trip! Requiring intense paddling and teamwork, this trip travels 42 miles through the extremely remote Salt River Wilderness. View giant saguaro cacti and hillsides blanketed with colorful desert wildflowers.
4-Day
Get away in the remote and stunning Salt River Wilderness, tackle white knuckling whitewater, and enjoy the desert's beauty on this 51 mile, 4-Day journey. Each day, explore new and challenging rapids and side hikes to remote Indian ruins or lush canyons. This is our most popular wilderness trip!About Tucson
Explore Ancient History
The history of Tucson, Arizona begins around 12,000 years ago when the Paleo-Indians were said to have created a settlement alongside the Santa Cruz River. Archaeologist excavations have located village sites dating back about 4,000 years. The floodplain of the Santa Cruz River was extensively farmed for almost two thousand years. These people constructed irrigation canals and grew corn, beans, and other crops while gathering wild plants and hunting animals. The Hohokam people, the same culture that settled in the Phoenix area, thrived along the Santa Cruz River until long periods of drought forced them to abandon the area around 1450.
In 1692, a Jesuit missionary named Eusebio Francisco Kino arrived in the Santa Cruz River Valley and Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1700. The Spanish established a fort in 1775, and the town came to be called “Tucson,” meaning “at the base of the black hill.” Tucson became a part of Mexico when it gained independence from Spain in 1821. In 1853, it became part of the United States of America as part of the New Mexico Territory. The Arizona Territory was formed in 1863, and Tucson held the title as capital from 1867-1879. The University of Arizona was founded in 1885.
By 1900, around 7,500 people had taken up residence in Tucson. A Veterans Hospital was built right around the same time, and many World War I veterans who had been gassed sought treatment for their respiratory difficulties because of the clean, dry air. The population of the city gradually increased and was larger than Phoenix until around 1930, when the larger state capital outgrew Tucson.
Today, Tucson still remains a thriving metropolitan area with about 550,000 people. With the variety and availability of activities in the area, it enjoys about 3.5 million visitors annually. The city and the surrounding area are the perfect choice for the ideal Arizona vacation—one you’ll remember forever.
For help planning your Tucson, AZ vacation, check out the following informative links:
Lodging
Find the ideal accommodations. There are a variety of choices in the area.
Restaurants
Tucson is known for its Mexican and southwestern cuisine, but there is so much more.
Activities
Make your vacation one you’ll never forget. Rafting near Tucson is just one of the activities you can spend your day enjoying. Try horseback riding in the Sonoran desert or hiking in the Coronado National Forest.
Parks, Canyons, Caves, and Culture
Tucson is a great choice for your next Arizona vacation. There are so many great things to enjoy, many of which are just a short distance away. Hike or take a whitewater rafting trip through the Salt River Canyon or visit Saguaro National Park, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Kartchner Caverns State Park, or Biosphere 2. You can also venture out to Mission San Xavier del Bac, a historic Spanish Catholic mission built from 1783-1797.
Don’t forget to visit many other vacation towns and destinations on your Tucson, AZ vacation, including Phoenix, Globe, Tombstone, and Casa Grande.