Grand Canyon - Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch
Raft 19 major rapids and explore Marble Canyon’s limestone cliffs, hike to Native American ruins, and hunt for fossils, stop at Redwall Cavern and swim in the turquoise waters of the Little Colorado. Hike out of the canyon on Bright Angel Trail.
This 87-mile section of the Colorado River is an excellent introduction to the Grand Canyon as the rapids progress from moderate to extra large and the cliffs and rock layers rise higher and higher.
We see some of the most striking and vibrantly colored limestone cliffs as we pass Arizona's Marble Canyon.
Our Grand Canyon adventure includes visits to Native American ruins, the fern-fringed spring of Vasey’s Paradise, the cool recess of Redwall Cavern, ancient fossils and a swim in the turquoise blue Little Colorado. At the end of the week of floating, hiking and camping in the Grand Canyon's majesty, we arrive at the boat beach near Phantom Ranch, deep in the Granite Gorge.
After a final night in the canyon, this Grand Canyon rafting trip concludes with a dramatic 9.7 mile hike up to the South Rim the following morning.
O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc. is an authorized concessioner of Grand Canyon National Park.
This 87-mile section of the Colorado River is an excellent introduction to the Grand Canyon as the rapids progress from moderate to extra large and the cliffs and rock layers rise higher and higher.
We see some of the most striking and vibrantly colored limestone cliffs as we pass Arizona's Marble Canyon.
Our Grand Canyon adventure includes visits to Native American ruins, the fern-fringed spring of Vasey’s Paradise, the cool recess of Redwall Cavern, ancient fossils and a swim in the turquoise blue Little Colorado. At the end of the week of floating, hiking and camping in the Grand Canyon's majesty, we arrive at the boat beach near Phantom Ranch, deep in the Granite Gorge.
After a final night in the canyon, this Grand Canyon rafting trip concludes with a dramatic 9.7 mile hike up to the South Rim the following morning.
O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc. is an authorized concessioner of Grand Canyon National Park.
1-209-736-4677 |
Itinerary / Highlights
The Day Before Your Trip. . .• We’ll meet at 7:00 PM at the Radisson Woodlands Hotel in Flagstaff for a pre-trip meeting. This is an
opportunity to meet your fellow travelers and guides and ask any last-minute questions. Your guides
will give you a thorough trip orientation and then pass out your waterproof river bags so that you can
pack your belongings that evening.
Your Trip Begins. . .
• At 7:00 AM you'll board our van at the Radisson Woodlands Hotel. By this time your waterproof bags
should be packed, luggage stored, cars parked, breakfast eaten and room keys turned in. Our van will
drive you to Lees Ferry (2½-hour drive) where we'll load the rafts, give a river safety talk and fit you with a personal flotation device (PFD) before putting on the river. Our apprehensions are quickly converted to exhilaration as we splash through Badger & Soap Creek Rapids. The desert’s warmth quickly dries us again before we reach camp. After a delicious dinner we stretch out in our sleeping bags to drift off to sleep under a starry sky.
The Adventure Continues. . .
• The river twists between rising cliffs, offering new vistas at every bend. At North Canyon we walk
across folded layers of sedimentary rock which leads to a pool trickling down from the polished,
funneled canyon. Our afternoon of lazy drifting is enlivened by the rapids of the “Roaring Twenties.”
• Vibrant colored walls of Marble Canyon tower overhead as we continue our float past the fern-fringed
springs of Vasey’s Paradise for a stop at Redwell Cavern. This vast half-circular chamber, carved out
by the river, offers a cool recess to rest. A few miles down river we scramble over short, steep rock
formations into Nautiloid Canyon where we find a unique display of fossils exposed in the smooth rock
canyon floor.
• Relaxed drifting occupies much of this day interspersed by a few good rapids. A stop at Nankoweap
Canyon gives us an opportunity to climb to the Anasazi Indian granaries that rest high on the cliff
overlooking the Colorado River for a spectacular view of the river and vibrant canyon hues below. We
continue downstream. If we are lucky, the Little Colorado will be flowing with opaque turquoise (instead
of muddy brown) water, which will invite us to stop for a swim.
• For a few miles the canyon opens up before we head into the Granite Gorge. We then go through a
series of challenging rapids. We’re drenched in turn by the big waves of Unkar, Nevills, Hance,
Sockdolager and Grapevine rapids. After lunch, we arrive at the beach near Phantom Ranch
approximately 12:00 noon where our river adventure ends. Overnight at Phantom Ranch.
The Last Day of Your Trip
• You'll rise early (just before first light) so you can get an early start on the trail. After eating breakfast
and dropping off your duffel for the mules, most people are on the trail by 5:30 AM. The hike to the rim
generally takes about 6-9 hours. Once at the rim you will need to retrieve your duffel from the Livery
Barn (see Duffel Pick-up below).
Duffel Pick-up at the South Rim
• Once you have completed your hike and have reached the Bright Angel Trailhead, turn left (heading
east) and continue walking along the Rim Trail. Pass the Kolb and Lookout Studios. A little farther
along the rim you will see the Bright Angel Lodge on the right hand side. Walk through the Bright Angel
Lodge and exit out the other side. Looking straight out, across the railroad tracks, you will see a very
large barn and corral with mules. This is the Livery Barn where your duffels can be picked up between
2:30 and 4:00 PM.
![[Full Size]](http://www.adventuresportsholidays.com/images/uploaded/Whitewater_Rafting_Flagstaff_27936_1.jpg){kind=link}
