What to Expect: White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon

September 2023

What to Expect: White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon

One of the bucket list adventures in the world ranked with activities such as visiting Antarctica, seeing Petra in Jordan, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, climbing Kilimanjaro safari, is White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world that receives 5 million visitors a year. Yet only a fraction of those visitors – somewhere near 0.4% – get to actually complete the bucket list adventure of rafting and camping in the Grand Canyon.

I have never camped before in my life and we were diving head first into a multi-day adventure. We did book this trip with a company so we would not be navigating this solo and they provided guides, gear, and food. I was hoping this trip could be as zen for me as storm chasing but I have to say, as it got closer, my nerves continued to climb. I had no idea what to expect – I knew we were sleeping outside and that bathroom situation would be different, but I had no idea what the day to day would look like which while that is an exciting prospect for others, that is not me. Being disconnected from the whole for five days is truly the best way to be on vacation but once we left, there was no turning back! This is the blog post I wish I had to prepare for my trip. If you are considering a trip like this or going on a white water rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, this post is going to help you know what to expect.

Companies and Types of Trips

While there are many reasons the number of people that get to experience this specific adventure is so small, the main reason is that there is a limit to only one visits per person per year to preserve the National Park. There is a lottery system that is extremely competitive for folks that want to paddle on their own. Then there are the tour companies of which there are very few that only operate a handful of tours each year that take about 20 people on average. So overall, when you are down there, you really are alone away from the masses that visit the grand canyon.

There are a few different ways to experience the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon for you to consider when booking this adventure. They are not all the same so you will need to do a bit of research ahead of committing. There are rafting trips that are manual requiring rowing and then rafting trips that are motorized. The manual rafting trips are typically longer in length than the motorized ones. For us, picking the motorized raft was an easy decision for the experience we wanted. Between the motorized rafting companies, they all have the same strokes so the decision will come down to a few factors.

• Dates the tours are offered and how it fits into your vacation schedule
• How long the trips offered are in length
• How does the itinerary start and end
• How are you meant to get to the starting or ending point – hiking or other wise

There are mixes and matches of combinations for how things are depending on the company and adventure you book. For our trip, we booked with Wilderness River Adventures because of their great ratings, and itinerary that worked for our group, and we ultimately pulled the trigger when they were having a flash sale of 30% off. We booked the 4.5 day Lower Grand Canyon Rafting Trip which included exploring over 100 miles of the Colorado River. Our tour required us to hike down into the canyon to the boat launch point via the Bright Angel Trail – 12 miles and 7000 ft elevation change. The end of the trip included a helicopter ride out of the canyon to return to the rim.

When to Visit

Rafting trips like this take place between May and September. We ended up booking the last trip of the year in mid September and while I may be biased, I think it ended up being perfect. In spring, it could still be a bit cold and in the summer months it can be over 100 degrees during the day and stay hot at night. The water stays the same temperature all year round and surprisingly, despite the hot conditions, the water stays a crisp 50 degrees. You want to pray for no rain though as that has a possibility of making the trip less enjoyable. Before we arrived, the trip three days leading up to ours had rain each day and we lucked out by avoiding rain for our entire trip. Note that temperatures at the rim and the bottom of the canyon are very different with the bottom being 20 degrees warmer than the rim. We tried looking up temperatures before we left and got nervous seeing that at the rim it was dropping into the 40s at night but that was definitely not the case on our trip and caused quite a bit of over packing from me.

How to Get There

There are a few different ways to get there and much of it will depend on the trip you booked. These rafting trips are typically one way so where you start is not where you will end so this will impact your travel plans – starting and ending points are variable depending on your itinerary. Most of the time, the companies will provide some guidance in order to arrange for transportation. 

Our trip had a starting point of Bright Angel Lodge along the South Rim at the Grand Canyon Village. We were instructed to arrive the day before our departure as day one starts at 6AM. For us, we arrived through Las Vegas airport. From there, we had three options – rent a car (which was not really an option cause there is no where to drop off the car), take a shuttle which ends up being a 4 hour drive from Vegas, or taking a plane – which while it was the most expensive option, it was not much more expensive that the shuttle, it was faster, and much more scenic. Since the plane ride was only a twice a day occurrence, we had to make sure we arrived in Vegas well ahead of time. We arrived in Vegas at 9AM, then found the shuttle bus to the Boulder City Airport which was a 30 minute drive. The flight from Boulder City to the South Rim Village was an hour so we got our final destination around lunch time which gave us plenty of time to explore the Village, get food and snacks for the next day, and relax. If your trip is starting at the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, I highly recommend adding some time to explore – it is really a neat location and has beautiful views of the Grand Canyon.

This trip then required us to hike down into the Canyon via Bright Angel Trail. Depending on the trip you booked, you may hike down at the beginning of your trip as we did or you may be required to hike out at the end of the trip on this same trail. Know that this trail is not easy and I can’t imagine having done the hike the reverse- going down 7000 ft it took us 6 hours to complete the 12 miles. There are options for those that can’t or would like to not hike – some tours will do pick up and drop off in accessible places but the trip is longer in length (one week or longer) or you can arrange for a mule or in some situations, a helicopter transport. This is certainly an aspect you would keep in mind when you are looking to book with a company – what options they have for getting down from the rim and back up to the rim at the end of the trip. If you are able to experience it, the Bright Angel Trail was really awesome to complete.

What to Pack

The rafting companies all provide a thorough list of what to pack sine this is a fairly unique trip. Since we had to hike our stuff down into the canyon, keeping it light was essential.  I only had a 30L backpack and I still over packed for this trip and now that I have done the trip, this post is a far better representation of what you actually need – and it is very little. The list may seem extremely light but trust me, this was really all you need. You can certainly pack more, but it will likely go unused. The company provides dry bags so you do not need to pack those or ensure your pack is waterproof. Here is my Ultimate Packing List for White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon.

Rafting

The boats are 35ft motorized rafts and it is impressive how much stuff can fit on these boats. Spending most of our hours on the rafts, they were really comfortable and there are many different places to sit on the boat depending on how wet you would like to get. Sitting in the very front – known as the bathtub – guarantees a wet ride but also gives you the most unobstructed views. The seats next to the front are known as the shower since they are also bound to get wet. Don’t want to spend the entire day soaked? There are also the chicken seats which are in the back and elevated where you do not get wet. And do not worry, there is no judgement or pressure to sit in any seat – if you do not want to get wet, go sit in the chicken. I expected to want to sit in the chicken seat the entire trip and I ended up not sitting there at all. Remember, it is hot during the day and while the water is cold, it is super refreshing and you dry very fast. Going through rapids on these rafts was exhilarating and while many rapids got us wet, several engulfed the entire raft leaving us soaked and in hysterical laughter after.

If you are familiar with white water rafting, each rapid is given a number or rating that communicates how difficult that rapid is. The international system rates rapids I through IV and Colorado River Rapids have their own rating system, 1 through 10. Class 10 rapids on the Colorado River and equivalent to IV+ rapids on the international system scale, of which there are several on the Colorado River. The Colorado River is mostly flat water but when the rapids hit, some can be as big as 30 ft drop over a few hundred yards.

Camp Life

This was the question I had the most ahead of the trip and there was little information around it. Each day, you will camp at a different site along the Colorado River. Sites may vary from trip to trip depending on if another group is camped at a destination first. There was only one time when we went to a camp and it was already taken which required us to float a few more miles to the next one which was fortunately available – and also ended up being our favorite campsite. 

I am sure it is similar between different rafting companies – for Wilderness, we were given two large 24 x 24 dry bags. One was for our sleeping bag, sheet, and tarp that was provided, the second was for the items we packed. These two bags are not accessible during the day and only available when camped. We were also given a dry bag that is used during the day for items you want to easily access – such as sunscreen – and an ammo can for anything that may be squished which is accessible most of the day. We did not put anything in the ammo can and instead just used the day dry bag, carabiner’ed to the boat and then had easy access all day. 

In addition to the dry bags, you are given a camp chair and a cot. The chair is great for meals – our group set up the chairs each night near the kitchen where we had our breakfast and dinners together. The cot is for sleeping and other than the sleeping bag and sheet, that is about it. There is no tent so you are really sleep in in the elements. This was a tough one for our group and most of us did not sleep great until the third night. The sky is surprisingly bright from all the stars and while we did not have a moon, I think it would have been even more disruptive due to the brightness. There are also many critters and animals – bugs, bats, mice, scorpions, snakes – that can make sleeping challenging. If it rains, you pull out the tarp and drap it over your cot. So tents are a luxury you will not find. I will say, the river acts as a great white noise machine but packing an eye mask was one of my essentials I was happy I packed. 

Food and Drinks

Food and drinks are included in the price of the rafting trip and I have to say, I am not sure what I expected going in but the meals definitely exceeded expectations. We were cooked hot meals each morning for breakfast and full meals at dinner that even included vegetables. Breakfasts we had included eggs, hash browns, and pancakes. Dinners had multiple items to choose from which a protein like pork, burgers, or chicken, side dish like mac and cheese or rice, and vegetable. Lunch was typically lunch meat sandwiches or salad wraps which were very satisfying with all the fixings and snacks like chips and cookies. Soft drinks were included and water was always available.

Water is also always available on the boat and we are encouraged frequently to stay hydrated. Coffee was also served each morning and various soft drinks were also offered throughout. When it comes to alcohol, the rafting company has an arrangement with a local liquor store. You have to complete the order at least a week ahead of your trip in order to get the alcohol delivered on time. The company also advises to be reasonable with your order since your group is not the only one with an order and there is limited space on the boat. You are allowed to drink on the boat and for what we observed, it was typically just beers being consumed during the day. For our group of four, we ordered two cases of beer (cans only) (two of four consumed the beer over the 5 days) and a bottle of tequila and pineapple juice to make mixed drinks in the evening which lasted us two evenings.

Of note, cleanliness and hand washing is taken very seriously here. The hand washing station was a pump system where the bottom bucket has treated river water and the top bucket was empty and filled with the used hand washing water. This was essential to avoid having germs pass through the camp. 

Bathing and Bathroom

This was certainly the area we had the most questions and the group talked about the most – probably because this set up was new for everyone. Let’s start with the easy one – bathing. You spend most of the day getting wet on the boat so depending on your situation when you arrive at your camp site, you may not may not feel compelled to wash up. Some people washed up every day, some did periodic. I was a periodic kinda gal. Washing up meant using the river and biodegradable soap. Since the river was cold, I only got the courage to do a proper wash once when we arrived to camp and the sun was still out so it was hot and the river ended up being refreshing. I ended up packing body wipes and these were wonderful for the other days to feel refreshed. And as for laundry, just simply dunking the clothes in the river with a bit of bar soap did the trick and everything always dried by morning. 

Ok, now for the bathroom conversation and one that I continue to have to communicate how wild this trip was. If you had to go #1 liquid, this was done in the river. Everyone quickly acclaimed to urinating in wide open spaces in the river and you would too if you go on this trip. It is no secret when someone is peeing. In the evening, there were two “bathroom” set ups at camp. The indication on where the bathrooms were started with a hand washing station. Then a few feet away, a lid would be placed to direct you along the trail to the “bathroom”. Then set up in a semi-discrete location and typically with a nice view was a “bathroom”. The “bathroom” consisted of a yellow bucket with a seat lid for #1 and a silver box with a seat lid for #2, solids, and toilet paper. The guides are adamant at following these rules since they are the ones that have to deal with it – no toilet paper in the yellow bucket, and only solids go in the silver box. The toilet is referred to as Oscar by Wilderness but historically, it is called the Groover – the rectangle shaped ammo can did not have a seat so when people sat on it, the box left “grooves” on their booty, hence calling it the Groover. The yellow bucket got tossed into the river each morning before it was backed up on the boat – hence the need to not throw anything solid like toilet paper in there. The silver poo container gets packed up onto the boat and taken to the next camp spot. I am not sure what the protocol is if you have to go #2 during the day since the Groover/Oscar is only set up at camp but I am sure an arrangement is made – luckily it did not happen during our five days there. 

I was honestly convinced that I would not poop for five days on this trip. Obviously that did not happen and it really was not as bad or hard as I expected. It really was just like a port-a-potty set up. The guides do a great job setting it up in a discrete spot and having two “bathrooms” takes the pressure off of having a line or needing to be quick. I was impressed that we had a legit toilet seat so it at least felt familiar. The best thing I packed was a scented packet to avoid the smell of the collective poo. So I packed a few of these packets of lavender that smelled wonderful and packed them under a buff so it covered my face without me holding it. This blocked out the potential fowl smells that may deter a longer visit to the bathroom and it was honestly a life saver. 

How do you know if someone is in the “bathroom”? By the hand washing station, a bag with toilet paper is placed. If the bag is gone, that means someone is using the bathroom. It ends up acting as a key. So even if you do not expect to use the toilet paper, you need to take it to avoid an unwanted visitor. 

Daily Routine 

In the morning, we would get a coffee call at 530AM and for those that drank coffee, they were very pleased with the quality of the coffee served. Coffee was also available for refills on the boat during the day. We then started to get ready for the day and pack up our camp stuff. Learning how to roll up your dray bags was key to ensuring your stuff stayed dry during the day’s rapids. Shortly after the coffee call, there was a beer call to get the alcohol you wanted during the day on the boat since the bulk of it is stored deep in the boat. Then around 6-630AM, breakfast would be called. The crew asked that when breakfast was called that we get our food shortly after so they could clean up and pack up the kitchen since it takes time. 

Before you can approach the food, you must first hand wash. There were three hand washing stations at each camp – one by the food station, and one by each “bathroom”. The hand washing station was a pump system where the bottom bucket has treated river water and the top bucket was empty and filled with the used hand washing water. This was essential to avoid having germs pass through the camp. 

And breakfast, each person washed their own dishes and silverware. The dish washing station was a series of a trash can and four buckets – the trash can was for any leftover food, then there were different buckets that cleaned and then disinfected as you progressed down the buckets. 

After that, it is time to pack up your bags, cot, and chair then bring them to the boat where the group forms a “bag line” to pass all the items onto the boat. This is quicker and more efficient that everyone individually brining their stuff back and forth. 

Once the boat is packed up, you board the boat with your ammo can and day bag, secure them to the boat, and then drive off for the day. The days vary depending on which part of the canyon you are exploring that day but for the most part, assume lots of hours on the boat, some fun rapids, and beautiful scenery. Sometimes, there are excursions off the boat such as for waterfalls or a short hike. This is definitely the highlight of the trip. Expect to be wet most of the day due to the rapids and while the river water is cold at 50 degrees, the days are hot so the water feels refreshing and due to low humidity, you also dry extremely fast.

Every day, the group will stop at an area for lunch before continuing on the river. Then in the evening, the boats would dock at a campsite. While the crew got the boats secured, we were instructed to go find a campsite. We learned after the first day how essential finding a good campsite was – and more importantly, what makes a good campsite. Since we were a group of four, we needed a larger area. So we split up and send two people to find a campsite immediately after docking and the other two stayed back to collect all the water bottles, day bags, and ammo cans. The guides tell you where the kitchen will be set up as well as the two “bathrooms” so you do not set up your camp at those locations.

How to pick a good campsite:

• Find somewhere near the water – less hot, less bugs, less critters 
• Find somewhere with some brush for privacy and a place to hang your clothes to dry over night 
• Find somewhere that is no too far from the boat – have to drag all your stuff back and forth – but not too close to the kitchen in the event you have a rowdy group that stays up later than you would like

It took us two nights to master this and we felt we had the perfect spot at our third camp site and we slept so much better. 

After you pick your camp site, you immediately return back to the boats to start the “bag line” to get everyone’s bags and kitchen stuff off the boat and set up. Then there was typically a little down time to set up your camp site – but not your sleeping bag as that should be set out right before you sleep to avoid critters and bugs from wandering in. This was also a good time to wash up and change into camp clothes. 

Then, hand washing call was announced, dinner was served, and the campsite relaxed together. We were lucky have such a chill group of travelers but this type of activity typically attracts similar people. Dishes were washed up in the same way as breakfast. I learned half way through the trip that there was typically dessert each night but we were so tired plus the two hour time difference that typically when straight to bed after dinner. 

After rolling out the sleeping bag, the stars put on a show as I tried to make out a familiar constellation among the millions of stars. The space station would also make an appearance and shooting stars would zoom by so fast it would make you question if you actually saw it. 

If you are the right person for this trip or someone that wants to really get out of their comfort zone, this really is an incredible adventure. I had to be very detailed in this post as this was the information I wanted ahead of our trip and I could not find it – I feel like I would have been more prepared on what to expect and would have had an easier time adjusting to the routine if I had known all this information. I hope this post helps you determine if you want to go on this white water rafting and camping adventure or help you plan for your booked trip!

Here is the Ultimate Packing List for White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon

Read all the details of our adventure exploring the Grand Canyon here!

Read all blog posts for this Grand Canyon adventure here!