White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon with Wilderness River Adventures – Mile 93.9 Granite Rapid to Mile 127 127 Mile Rapid

September 2023

White Water Rafting and Camping in the Grand Canyon with Wilderness River Adventures – Mile 93.9 Granite Rapid to Mile 127 127 Mile Rapid

Read about Mile 88.1 Phantom Ranch Boat Beach to Mile 93.9 Granite Rapid here!

Day 2

As the stars began to fade and the sky became a little brighter, the 530AM coffee call was announced as our alarm clock. The camp site began to stir and the sounds of breakfast began to sizzle. We started getting ready for the day – changing into our boat clothes, packing up our things into the dry bags and breaking down the cots. Breakfast was ready around 6AM and we were treated to an egg hash, leftover bratwurst cut up, and toast – very delicious. While the crew packed up the kitchen, we finished backing up our things and brought them to the rafts for a bag line to get everything back on the raft. We were loaded onto the boat and pushing away from our campsite around 8AM.

Before departing, our guides told us it was going to be a big rapid day – some big in size, others difficult and challenging to maneuver through. And the first rapid right out the gate was one of those. Since the sun was not yet high enough over the canyon walls, they told us to wear our rain gear to help keep ourselves warmer and dry until the later in the day. We were ready to hold on tight and be wet.

Within a few yards of the camp was our first rapid – Granite Class 8 rapid. Granite rapid is one of the most difficult rapids in the canyon and is two rapids in the Grand Canyon referred to as falls due to the huge drop and waves that form off the canyon wall. Our driver Kody navigated the rapid beautifully all while optimizing waves onto the boat.

Immediately after Granite was another difficult rapid – Hermit Rapid. In the right conditions, Hermit Rapid can have the strongest and biggest waves in the canyon that is known to flip rafts especially in the summer months. We made it through the rapid just fine, laughing on the other side from the amount of water that splashed over the raft.

The most well known rapid in the Grand Canyon is Crystal Rapid and while we got an overview of the previous rapids before entering them, this one had a different tone – we would talk about it after we made it through safely. Named after a rock that is perched in the distance like a crystal ball, Crystal Rapid is a very challenging rapid as it is a long rapid with a rock garden at the bottom of the rapid in the middle of the river. While flipping the raft in other rafts would be undesirable, it would still be relatively safe whereas flipping here would be dangerous given the rock garden. Through the difficult rapids, Kody focused on the rapids while Holly’s eyes continuously did a head count of everyone on the boat to ensure no one fell off as we went through the rapid. 

Crystal Rapid starts a series of rapids known as “The Gems” – Sapphire Rapid, Emerald Rapid, Ruby Rapid, Serpentine Rapid – as we entered the deepest part of the Grand Canyon. When the granite layer is exposed along the river, it was an indicator that the rocks would create some wild rapids. These rapids were very fun with Serpentine Rapid being especially wicked at these low water levels.

After a stop for lunch (lunch meat sandwiches), we floated on to Blacktail Canyon. It was a short walk from the river to reach this well known slot canyon. Gazing up at the layers of earth above us, the rocks formed the most beautiful carvings. We could feel how special this spot is. While we were wandering the slot canyon, there was a group of researchers there (Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center – GCMRC). Our guide Holly brought her guitar and one of the researchers happened to have his banjo – we learned this is a popular spot to play music so we had an impromptu concert. In these moments, time stood still. Our minds cleared of everything else to be present in this moment. We were in a slot canyon along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. We were listening to a beautiful duet that at points moved the entire group to tears. It was magical and it was healing, and it was one of the most memorable parts of our river running adventure.

Songs Holly performed:

• Tom Waitts – Long Way Home
• Pat Maloney – Pretty Little Mountain
• Bonnie Raitt/John Prine – Angel from Montgomery
• Holly’s original song – East
• Harry McClintock – Big Rock Candy Mountain
• Jack Johnson – Home

We could have stayed at Blacktail Canyon the rest of the trip and I think everyone would have been happy. There are some superstitions about saying past dark though and we still had more miles on the river before we found a camp site. We really did rapid all day with a total of 30 rapids conquered. We also saw a ton of wildlife including a hawk, big horned sheep and more great blue herons than I could count, which was so exciting. The rapids were fun and thrilling and then simply floating along the river was peaceful and relaxing.

Day 2 rapids conquered: 

• Mile 93.9 – Granite Rapid (Class 7-8 Rapid)
• Mile 95.5 – Hermit Rapid (Class 7–10 Rapid)
• Mile 97.1 – Boucher Rapid (Class 4 Rapid)
• Mile 98.2 – Crystal Rapid (Class 8 Rapid)
• Mile 99.7 – Tuna Creek Rapid (Class 6 Rapid)
• Mile 100.0 – Lower Tuna (Willie’s Necktie) Rapid (Class 4 Rapid)
• Mile 100.4 – Nixon Rock Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 101.1 – Agate Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 101.8 – Sapphire Rapid (Class 7 Rapid)
• Mile 102.6 – Turquoise Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 104.5 – Emerald Rapid (Class 5 Rapid)
• Mile 105.2 – Ruby Rapid (Class 5 Rapid)
• Mile 106.5 – Serpentine Rapid (Class 7 Rapid)
• Mile 108.3 – Beach South Bass Trailhead
• Mile 108.4 – Bass Rapid (Class 4 Rapid)
• Mile 109.3 – Shinumo Rapid (Class 4 Rapid)
• Mile 109.6 – 109 Mile Rapid (Class 2 Rapid)
• Mile 110.0 – 110 Mile Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 111.4 – Hakatai Rapid (Class 4 Rapid)
• Mile 112.8 – Walthenberg Rapid (Class 6 Rapid)
• Mile 113.6 – 113 Mile Rock (Class 2 Rapid)
• Mile 117.2 – Elves Chasm
• Mile 119.3 – 119 Mile Rapid (Class 2 Rapid)
• Mile 120.6 – Blacktail Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 122.2 – Mile 122 Rapid (Class 4 Rapid)
• Mile 123.3 – Forster Rapid (Class 5 Rapid)
• Mile 124.1 – 124.1 Mile Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 125.0 – 125 Mile Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)
• Mile 125.5 – Fossil Rapid (Class 5 Rapid)
• Mile 126.4 – 126.4 Mile Rapid (Class 3 Rapid)

Our camp for the night was at Mile 127 camp which was a great, expansive camp site. Since it was night two, we knew the rhythm of the routine a bit better than the first night. We picked a spot up the hill which in retrospective proved to be a poor decision.

• It was still close to the rocks where all the heat remained and critters lived
• It was far from the raft which meant having to drag all our stuff back and forth over multiple trips
• Don’t worry, by night three we mastered the camp site location selection

We unloaded the boat and settled into our campsite. The sun was still high so it was still very hot. I got brave enough to take a bath in the river before we lost the sunlight to dry me off. I already had my bathing suit on from the boat ride so I just grabbed a bar of Lush shampoo and took a refreshing dip. And I have to say, it worked quite well. and I loved the familiar smell of honey that reminds me of traveling since we only use this soap bar on vacation. This was after all, a vacation.

Dinner tonight was absolutely delicious – fire grilled pork chops, baked beans, broccoli, and wild rice. I do not typically like pork chops but this was the best pork chop I have ever had – and it was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It was charred so nicely which gave it great flavor and it was so juicy and moist – not at all dry. This was a favorite among the group for sure. We also treated ourselves to the tequila we ordered and my cousin mixed it with some club and pineapple juice for a refreshing cocktail – not too shabby!

We turned in after dinner – exhausted from the little sleep the night before and a long day on the river. As we tucked in, my cousin spotted multiple spiders encroaching on her cot. After two instances of too many spiders, we moved ourselves away from the rock a few feet in hopes that would help. We noted that we were also in the path of harvest ants but they “go to sleep” at night so we felt in the clear from that problem. As we resettled in, my cousin’s husband exclaimed, “oh look, a scorpion”. None of us were in the mood for a joke but unfortunately, this was no joke. As I turned over, his headlight showed a small scorpion. How were we going to sleep tonight?

The answer to that was not well. The sky was much bigger at this camp spot so I took the opportunity to try and snap a few photos – they will never do it justice but there are just an insurmountable amount of stars in the sky that forever keeps me in awe.

Read about Mile 127 127 Mile Rapid to Mile 168.6 Fern Glen Rapid here!

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!

Thinking of going on a trip like this? Read What to Expect white water rafting and camping through the Grand Canyon here!

Read all blog posts for this Grand Canyon adventure here!