Wanna raft the Grand Canyon in a day? All by yourselves... no touristy guides, or crowds ? You have hit the Jackpot! Read below and you will find the most underrated adventure in the Grand Circle. We'll get you there and provide as much information as you like, you can make the memories alone or with friends!
Start your journey at the Lee's Ferry Boat Ramp, the start of the Grand Canyon National Park. Meet the Kayak the Colorado Captains, a fun bunch of Canyon lovers, for a backhaul boat taxi up to the Petroglyph beach at 10 mile for a 4-6 hour kayak journey around the Horseshoe Bend. After arriving at the Petroglyph beach there is a short hike up to some highly protected 4,000 year old petroglyphs. Wonder at the artwork of another age and culture. Protect this place, keep your distance behind the barrier, and report any one near the precious artwork, for it takes a village to look after the Wilderness. Leave No Trace, only footprints.
After the short Petroglyph hike, Walk Back to the hardshell kayaks waiting for you at the beach and push off to float through the 1,000 foot deep gorge of the Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area. Rounding Horseshoe Bend in a kayak is an amazing awe inspiring place to find your Zen. Just Breathe for awhile and let the 3 mph current do the work. Watch the Great Blue Herons standing studiously as they patiently stalk one of the 10,000 fish/mile in this stretch.
If you are lucky enough to start at 6am you may catch the busy beaver doing the last of his nightly duties before he retires for the day. Or catch a big horn sheep at the waters edge quenching his cotton mouth. Listen intently to the scream of the Peregrine falcons nesting high in the cliffs. Why are they making such a ruckus? breakfast duck?
“Believe me my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” So says Ratty to Mole in Kenneth Grahame's classic novel 'The Wind in the Willows'
Kayak the Colorado has boats, every style you can imagine! Although it would be much easier to pigeon hole everyone into one simple watercraft, KTC goes the extra mile to give you choices. Canoes for easy sitting and gear. Kayaks for speed, and exploration. Inflatables for beginners safety and stability. Tandems for love and cooperation. I can paddle and you fish :). Stand Up Paddle boards for the athletic challenge, and even a drift boat for a surreal fishing row, so many choices.
So many choices, what should I pick? Have you felt a hardshell kayak under your seat before? If you have and you had a fun time, and it doesn't make you nervous, pick a Sit In Kayak, or a Sit on Kayak. The water is easy and flat, and moves along at a perfect little 3 mph drift. Fastest of all the craft the hardshell will open up exploration.
The reflections will blow your mind.
Like to fish ? The Colorado River is the premier tailwater fishing ground in Arizona. 10,000 rainbow trout/mile. 5,000 total brown trout with a bounty on them. It's easy to get a fishing license and check the regulations online at https://license.azgfd.com/. Buy a
Inflatable kayaks work great for fishing and camping. You can even stand up in them if you are on the fly. If you would like to procure a fishing guide for the first half of the day and then kayak the second, try these guys!
Hike a slot canyon from the river. Down at the end of this beautiful straight away lies lower WaterHoles canyon just 4 miles from Lee's Ferry. Always open to exploration, no permits necessary, you really get to see the erosive qualities of water and gravity as you hike up the soft sandy wash of the waterholes canyon. The sweetest pink sugar washed in from above to fill the river with precious sediment for which to build the beautiful beaches. From above Waterholes canyon resembles that of Antelope Canyon but without all of the crowds.
If you want to see the beautiful fluted slot canyon of Waterholes up above the rim near page, click on the All Native Waterholes Canyon Tours.
Raft around the Horseshoe Bend, through the gorge of the Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area back to the start of Grand Canyon with Kayak the Colorado.
Distances from:
Marble Canyon to Lee's Ferry 15 min
Page, AZ to to Lee's Ferry 1 hr
North Rim to to Lee's Ferry 1 1/2 hr
Kanab to Lee's Ferry 1 1/2 hr
St George to Lee's Ferry 2 hr
South Rim to Lee's Ferry 2 1/2 hr
Flagstaff to Lee's Ferry 2 hr
Phoenix to Lees Ferry 4 1/2 hr
Vegas to Lees Ferry 5 hr
Nearest lodging to the river.
We here at Kayak the Colorado and Lees Ferry Lodge at the Vermilion Cliffs are a small bunch of adventure fun hogs. We are not a corporation, we are not a resort. We are an Adventure Outpost for folks looking to experience a long gone era of history, positive and peaceful fun. You can find a lifetime worth of adventure everyday right here. Slot canyons, kayaking, canyoneering, hiking, biking, etc.
