Specialty River Rafting Trips in UT & CO

Pick from a variety of specialty river rafting trips designed to elevate your river experience! Why not learn something new about the world or yourself while having the vacation of a lifetime? Are you active, creative, meditative, adventurous, or just plain curious? Holiday River Expeditions has a specialty trip for everyone. Each trip features a special guest facilitator who is an expert in their field.

Whether you want to experience the pristine dark skies of Utah and Colorado on our dark sky stargazing trips or learn to roll a kayak and paddle your own way through rapids in our whitewater kayaking workshop, there’s a trip for you!

Looking for daily gentle movement? Our Balance and Flow Wellness series incorporates trips dedicated to yoga and stand-up paddle boarding. Or, if hiking’s your thing, sign up for our fall extended hiking trip through Labyrinth and Cataract canyons. Alternatively, Author and river historian, Roy Webb, provides a historical interpretation of all things river and river culture on our retro Desolation Canyon trip.
Add a little extra magic to your river trip by joining one of our specialty rafting and music trips.
Experience rafting and the outdoors in an open and brave space on one of our LGTBQIA+ or BIPOC affinity trips!

If you don’t see just the right specialty river rafting trip for you, reach out to us to organize a custom charter trip for your own private group of friends or family! Custom trips are perfect for employee outings, celebrations with friends, family reunions, or any other reason to get out on the river!

Fly fishing from camp
Retro River Holiday Guides

Retro River Rafting in Desolation Canyon with Roy Webb

May 29-June 2, 2023 (5 days): Relive the golden years of rafting on the Green River running through Desolation Canyon. Sierra cups, Chuck Taylors, cut-off jean shorts: all quirky items reminiscent of the years when Holiday River Expedition’s founder Dee Holladay started his business. We’ve changed some things for the better but we figured some of those vintage touches would be fun to bring back for just one trip. Take a journey back through time with us on the glorious Green River and find a taste of what boating was like back in the 70s. To top it all off, Roy Webb—the authority on river history—will be joining us to bring the past back to life.

Desolation Canyon Kayak Jack Rock On

Whitewater Kayaking Workshop in Desolation Canyon

July 31-Aug 5, 2023 (6 days): Experience the Green River through Desolation Canyon from river level! Holiday is proud to partner with Rapid Progression Kayak School to offer this six-day specialty rafting and kayaking trip. This trip is the perfect fit for those who have some serious energy, a sense of thrill, and the desire to add a new adventure skill set to their quiver. Beginners welcome, although attending a kayak swimming pool class ahead of time is recommended to help you get the most out of your time on the river.

Ruby Horsethief Canyon Sunrise against Black Rocks and Canyon Walls

Protect Our Winters Fundraising Trip - Westwater Canyon

Aug 22-24, 2023 (3 days): Take 3-days to get the best of the Colorado River - serene flatwater canyons and fun, splashy whitewater! Spend time connecting with Dr. Andrew Schwartz, the lead scientist and station manager at the University of California, Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, and a science alliance member. Dr. Schwartz will make snow pack science come alive before you! Learn about the impacts of wildfire and rain-on-snow events on snowpack energy balance and water storage - certainly relevant to water concerns for the Colorado River Basin. We can't wait to share this information with you while also supporting the important work POW is doing to protect our planet.

Native Voices Flat Canyon

Native Voices - Desolation Canyon

Aug 28- Sep 2 (6-day): Close out your summer with one of the regions most esteemed Indigenous historians, Forrest Cuch, on this deep dive into Desolation Canyon. This 6 day trip will unwind your understanding of wilderness, policy & ways of knowing with the deep wisdom of our friend and Ute Elder, ceremonial leader, and advocate for Mother Earth. This trip will also include all you have come to love about a Holiday River Trip, complete with the guides, rapids & meals of any 5-star backcountry trip we run!

watercolor painting of river canyon

Watercolor Workshop through the Gates of Lodore

Aug 29- Sep 1, 2023 (4 days): En Pleine Aire watercolor expert, Michal Onyon, partners up with the Holiday Team once again to bring you an extra special trip through the Gates of Lodore! With its famously clear, green water, white sandy beaches, and exhilarating rapids, any trip down Lodore is one to be remembered. Michal encourages you to come as you are - no previous artistic experience needed. Enjoy relaxing afternoons at camp, and paint snippets of your river life to keep as mementos.

Cataract Canyon Camp Circle Gary Interp

Labyrinth & Cataract Canyon 12-Day Raft & Hike Trip

Sep 18-29, 2023 (12 days): Join us for an extra-special extended Canyonlands trip that combines the quiet grandeur of Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River with the wild, crumbling majesty of Cataract Canyon on the Colorado. Twelve days allows for unparalleled exploration and an incomparable feeling of getting away from it all. Float through towering red mesas, hike to prehistoric structures and up intricate side canyons, visit the Doll House, and then run the legendary rapids of Cataract Canyon. It's rare to be able to spend this kind of time exploring in the river canyon. Cooler days and longer nights provide the perfect setting for hiking, rafting and stargazing.

Labyrinth Canyon Boating Flat Water

Labyrinth Canyon Fall Hiking Special

Sep 18-22 (5 days): Fall days spent whiling your way through Labyrinth Canyons are about as good as it gets. Fall brings cooler temperatures, and lower water, which means there's plenty of stunning sandy beaches for river front camping. Trace the history of previous inhabitants, and legendary river runners as you explore the side canyons of this gorgeous canyon.