Bacause of the Glen Canyon Dam upriver, the Colorado no longer flows like it used to. It ceased to be a wild river in 1963 when the dam gates were closed to form Lake Powell. Today, the Colorado is a shadow of its former self, when John Wesley Powell tackled it with one arm and wooden boats.

Before Powell, some say that Jim White was the first man to tackle Grand Canyon rafting and live to tell about it. He used an actual raft, and claimed he found the lost Zuni gold. But Powell is still the officially recognized Colorado River pioneer. At least he had intended to travel through the canyon! White was driven there by circumstance.

Most Grand Canyon rafting trips leave from Lee's Ferry. It's above the park and you can drive right down to the Colorado River. Some rafting trips use Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon as the starting or ending point for trips. You have to hike in (or out), but if you plan early enough, you can ride a mule (or you can just pay to have your pack taken out on a mule to save your back).

The shortest ride is a 1 day Grand Canyon rafting trip that takes you for a 15 1/2 mile tour of the Canyon. Some companies even offer the full Grand Canyon trip (from Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead) which can take over 2 weeks!

Rafters can depart from Lee's Ferry and take a helicopter out of the Canyon at the end of the trip, allowing the rafting companies to tailor trips to many different time frames.

Papillon Airways has a nice selection of Grand Canyon rafting trips. Check 'em out.

1 Day Whitewater Rafting Grand Canyon
Spend a day rafting the Colorado with the Hualapai.

Compare Grand Canyon River Rafting
Descriptions of Grand Canyon river rafting with boat and trip styles.

Experience Grand Canyon White Water Rafting
Grand Canyon white water rafting and pulse-pounding action, feel the spray!

Travel the Grand Canyon by River Trip
Maybe the best way to see the Grand Canyon