BIPOC Westwater Canyon Rafting Trip

This 3-day voyage into the heart of the Colorado Plateau is the perfect backdrop for our second black indigenous & people of color affinity group trip. Last year Holiday convened a circle of BIPOC identified facilitators, outdoor adventurers & friends, to co-create this affinity trip. This year we are exited to be in partnership with Utah Outdoor Afro, Color the Wasatch and Diversify Whitewater!

Cutting through traditional Ute Lands, the Colorado River through Westwater Canyon provides two days of calm water & smaller riffles allow you to sink into the slow-time of a river trip. At Holiday, we believe the fastest way to connect to nature is to slow down. But don’t worry, once you have gotten your literal feet wet, day three will thrill you with a slew of world-class whitewater, navigated by your skilled guide team. Bond with new life-long friends, reconnect with old ones, & most importantly allow yourself to truly relax into the refuge only found in affinity group spaces in the natural world. Join us on this second season of a BIPOC Westwater Canyon Rafting Trip.

Can’t afford to come? Contact Lauren about potential scholarship and any other questions about the trip! (801) 266-2087

Want to know all the details? Check out our Insider’s Guide to Rafting the Colorado River through Westwater Canyon.

Green River, Utah: Things to Do and Places to Explore

Acknowledging the traditional inhabitants of this land: in a gesture of respect and appreciation for the Indigenous people who have lived on and cared for the rivers and canyons where we play, Holiday wishes to acknowledge that Westwater Canyon is the traditional homeland of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) people. Read more about our land acknowledgments here.

Book This Trip

Trip Overview

Type:
Rafting
Location:
Colorado River - Westwater Canyon
Length:
3 Days
Dates:
August 1-3
Meet at:
Green River, Utah @ 8:00 am
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Min. Age:
18
Deposit:
400

Highlights

Exciting Class III & IV whitewater rapids
Enjoy stand-up paddleboards & inflatable kayaks before the big rapids
Sink into the comfort & transformation BIPOC affinity spaces create
Breathtaking wilderness in a 1.7 billion year old black rock canyon
See bald eagles, coyotes & beavers

Getting Here Before You Go Packing List FAQs

Rates & Dates

3 Day

Adult:
$785
Youth:
18 and under
NA
Senior:
65 and older
$785
Group:
10 or more
$785

Book This Trip
Check Availability

2023

August
1-3

Can’t afford to come? Contact Lauren at our administrative office for potential scholarship information! (801) 266-2087

*Rate does not include the $16 land use fee.

Itinerary

The Colorado River slips over the Utah-Colorado border just west of the Colorado National Monument. Three-day rafting trips begin in Loma, Colorado, and float through the sherbet-colored sandstones of Ruby Canyon before entering the black schist of Westwater itself. The trip ends in Cisco, Utah, a ghost-town turned artist colony.

Sample Itinerary

3-DAY WESTWATER/RUBY CANYON RAFTING TRIP

Day 1:

Meet at our headquarters in Green River, Utah, at 8:00 a.m., Mountain Time We’ll distribute your waterproof bags and give you ample time to pack them. You can buy any last minute items from our store at this time (see our packing checklist for a list of items we stock). When everyone is prepared we’ll load up into our vans for the two hour ride east to the put-in at Loma, Colorado. Our first day is in Ruby Canyon, characterized by smooth sandstone walls and unique pillars. The water is calm at first, with a few small rapids, perfect for playing around with inflatable kayaks or stand-up paddle boards. Begin sinking into slow-time with new and old friends alike on our comfortable oar rafts. Camp at Black Rocks, where 1.7 billion-year-old black schist provides the backdrop.

Day 2:

Enjoy a peaceful morning and possibly a silent float before reaching the Westwater Ranger Station. From there, the river enters the narrow, black rock canyon of Westwater itself. Rapids begin to get bigger, which means more fun in the inflatable kayaks! Camp just upstream of the biggest rapids, deep within Westwater and savor a steak or salmon dinner while watching the stars come out.

Day 3:

After a delicious breakfast it’s to get ready for rapids! One right after another: Big Hummer, Funnel Falls, Surprise, and the narrowest point of the Colorado River, Skull Rapid. Once we’ve made it through the whitewater, sit back and be present with all the sights, sounds, & feeling of this unforgettable canyon. We try to be at the Cisco boat ramp by 2:00, assuming mother nature cooperates. After loading boats and gear, we’ll make the 45-minute drive back to Green River. We usually return between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.

As mentioned earlier, this is a sample itinerary and should not be thought of as the exact trip you will experience. It is intended to give an idea of what the trip will be like, and could also be exactly what you do. Keep an open mind, be flexible, go with the flow, and enjoy!

One of the advantages of a river trip is the flexibility of the daily itinerary. It can vary widely from one trip to the next based on group desires, assigned campsites, weather, and other unpredictable elements. Embrace the adventure and go with the flow!

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Holiday River Expeditions

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1 reviews

Vince & Sally Hill Reiman

Aug 22, 2022

by Vince & Sally Hill Reiman

I had an amazing experience with Holiday and will return. Guides took care of us on everything. The right mix of relaxation and trust we were in the hands of experts in case of emergency.