Guided San Juan River Rafting Trips
THE SAN JUAN RIVER
~The Archaeological Gem of the Southwest~
This lovely river slowly makes its way out of the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado, and crosses the Four Corners Region before flowing into Lake Powell. She was the focus of settlement for the Anasazi Indians for hundreds of years. They farmed along her banks and left abundant remains of their civilization such as chips of stone and pottery, ancient homes and ceremonial rooms, and pictures carved into the walls of the canyons or painted on the roofs of overhanging rock shelters. Some of the finest rock art in the southwest can be seen just steps from the river’s edge!
Near Bluff, Utah, the San Juan River meanders lazily past groves of cottonwood trees and braids across sandbars in a wide valley bounded by low sandstone cliffs. Within a few short miles, the river begins to cut directly into the heart of a great bulge in the layers of the earth’s crust, the Monument Upwarp. As she carves into layers of rock, she forms a limestone canyon whose walls climb 1,300 feet above the river.
The San Juan is a living classroom for the region’s history, geology, and archaeology, abundant with petroglyphs and sacred ancestral Puebloan ruins – here, the learning is easy and fun! Hikers can climb to the tops of the canyon walls for a spectacular view; retrace the old Mormon wagon route up “San Juan Hill,” or splash in the river on a hot summer day. The river itself flows swiftly, but does not form huge rapids. Although the river has a steeper average gradient than the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, we raft her Class I, II, and III rapids which are fun and bouncy and offer plenty of challenges. For this trip, we would take a Paddle Raft or Oar Raft (depending on if anyone in your group wants to paddle or not). The San Juan River is magical…a favorite of many river runners in the southwest, one that inspires love and loyalty, as it meanders through hallowed ground, and to which they eagerly return.
We offer three different San Juan River Rafting Tours:
- Sand Island to Mexican Hat (Upper San Juan River: 27 river miles)
- Mexican Hat to Clay Hills Crossing (Lower San Juan River: 57 river miles)
- Sand Island to Clay Hills Crossing (Full Trip, Upper and Lower San Juan River: 84 river miles)
SAND ISLAND TO MEXICAN HAT ITINERARY:
FIRST DAY: We will meet you at 10:00 am MDT at the Sand Island Boat Ramp in Bluff, Utah the morning of your trip. You will get your dry bag to pack that morning. When at the river, you will load your gear, have a safety talk, and launch on the river. We will stop on the river for lunch and a hike.
MIDDLE DAY(S): We will continue our travels down river, enjoying some hikes along the way. Each evening at camp, surrounded by the towering red cliffs, you will enjoy delicious gourmet style meals while sharing your day’s adventures with the rest of the group.
LAST DAY: On our final day, we will paddle to the take-out at Mexican Hat and be shuttled back to Sand Island in Bluff, returning there at approximately 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm MDT.
ITINERARIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO LOCAL CONDITIONS OR THE DISCRETION OF TRIP LEADERS.
*We strongly advise against traveling to and from Bluff (or Mexican Hat) on your put-in and take-out dates.
All times are approximate, in the best of conditions. We will do everything in our power to reach your group on the scheduled take-out time and day, however, in the remote backcountry, forces beyond our control can happen both with weather and road conditions. We drive rough, rugged, unpaved roads (often in extreme temperatures) that can flatten tires, damage vehicles, and foil put-in and take-out plans.
Custom Guided San Juan River Rafting Trip Cost Estimates:
You must have a minimum of 6 in your group (or a payment for 6) to launch a Private, Customized Guided Trip and we can provide a tour specific to your group’s wants (ie. lots of hiking, more leisure time, or mainly floating, dietary needs, likes/dislikes, etc.). We do not have an unwavering itinerary or group you together with 25 strangers!
- 4-day (Sand Island to Mexican Hat, 27 river miles): $1,249 per person
- 5-day (Sand Island to Mexican Hat, 27 river miles): $1,399 per person
- 6-day (Mexican Hat to Clay Hills, 57 river miles): $2,099 per person
- 7-day Full Trip (Sand Island to Clay Hills, 84 river miles): $2,249 per person
- 8-day Full Trip (Sand Island to Clay Hills, 84 river miles): $2,349 per person
- 10-day Full Trip (Sand Island to Clay Hills, 84 river miles): $2,699 per person
+ Tax and government usage fees ($10-30 per person, depending on section, for 2023. Expected increases from the govt. coming in 2024.)
The San Juan River is a highly regulated and permit-approved river. Campsites are on a reservation basis, so the sooner you book your trip, the better! The dates above are our commercially permitted Sand Island launch dates (this does not necessarily mean that we have trips launching these dates). If you are interested in a launch date not listed or from Mexican Hat, please contact us with your request and we will do everything in our power to try to acquire it. Launch date availability may change depending on reservations booked throughout the year.
What Moab Rafting and Canoe Company brings:
• We, at Moab Rafting and Canoe Company, provide specialized tours and serve our guests top notch cuisine. Breakfasts may include juice and hot beverages, fresh fruit, bagels & cream cheese, hot & cold cereal, eggs, and French Toast with pure maple syrup and morning sausage. Lunches are buffet style with bread & only the best, most delicious Boar’s Head meat, plus selections of fresh veggies, cheese, cookies, and chips. Peanut butter and jelly is an additional option for the simpler palate. For dinner, we present fresh salad or vegetables to go along with hearty gourmet entrees featuring the highest quality and richest flavor of meat and seafood purchased from our local butcher, Ye Ol’ Geezer Meat Shop. Don’t forget to save room for dessert!
Also, we will bring things like…
• Drinking and cooking water (must be carried in) – 1 gallon per person per day, along with 1 gallon per day for cooking
• Camp gear, Kitchen commissary, Staples, Coolers, Stove, Ice, and Food
TRIP COST INCLUDES:
-Meals from lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day
-One large dry bag per person
-Guide(s)
-Group boating and camping equipment, camp chairs, and the river toilet system
TRIP COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
–Transportation to and from Bluff, Utah, or to and from Moab, Utah
-Personal camping equipment such as tents, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags (You can rent these from us.)
-Gratuities for the guide(s)
-Alcoholic beverages or soda. Utah Commercial Outfitters are prohibited from providing alcohol, however, you are welcome to bring your own for camp.
-Tax and government usage fees
We are a small company that books up throughout the season because of our service, expertise, and dedication in offering our specialized trips. All prices are fixed, so please, no discounts or haggling.
*By state law, all who go out on the river must be a minimum of 40 pounds in weight. Additionally, children 12 years and younger must always wear a PFD on all Utah State waters.
Please visit Packing List for a list of suggested gear to bring.
RESERVATIONS:
Feel free to call or email us for date availability. At this point, we will email a trip packet with more information, including Client Registration and Acknowledgement of Risk Forms. We will ask for credit card to process the reservation. RESERVATIONS ARE NOT BOOKED UNLESS WE HAVE A VISA OR MASTERCARD ONLY ON FILE. We DO NOT ACCEPT CHECKS.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
A $250 non-refundable per person deposit is required to secure your trip date. Please contact us as early as possible if you need to make any changes. The full amount of your trip is due and will be charged to your Visa or Mastercard only given 60 days from the date of your trip. CANCELLATIONS WITHIN 60 DAYS OF YOUR RESERVATION WILL NOT RECEIVE A REFUND. Regarding the possibility of having to cancel, we strongly suggest you purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance to protect your vacation investment, as there are NO EXCEPTIONS OUTSIDE THE CANCELLATION POLICY. It is our policy to reserve the right to cancel any trip at the last minute for any reason. Should this occur, no money will be exchanged. If conditions allow, we will postpone for a few hours or to the next day.
**ALL MULTI-DAY TRIPS GO OUT in wind, rain, snow, sleet, shine or extreme heat! This is not Disneyland! We are in the high desert and our weather is extreme! There are inherent risks and dangers to any river trip, even calm, flat-water, and those are magnified by taking a trip in the backcountry. YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED for rainstorms, wind, blazing sun, intense heat and cold, etc.**
Again, over the years of booking trips, we have to say that we know the river. But, every trip is different. The time of season, water levels, and much more, make the river fun all of the time! Give us a call and we will be happy to see what kind of trip we can create for you!
It is our policy to reserve the right to cancel any trip at the last minute for any reason. Should this occur, no money will be exchanged. If conditions allow, we can/will postpone for a few hours or to the next day.
**MRCC’S Policy: BE NICE OR LEAVE…River trips are supposed to be fun, right?! We go out of our way to be exceedingly nice and, therefore, reserve the right to refuse service and trips (now AND in the future) to those who do not follow our policies and who are rude, disrespectful or abusive to our staff, company, and/or equipment.
We reserve the right at any time to change prices, products, policies, and services without prior notice.
Moab Rafting and Canoe Company is licensed in the State of Utah as a River Outfitter and Livery Company.