Book your Moab rafting trip.
The short answer
We do not take bookings. We list every outfitter running each trip and send you straight to them. You book at their own price, on their terms, with no fee added by us.
Find your trip below, then pick an operator. Where several run the same stretch they are all listed, in no particular order, so you can compare on price, dates and boat type yourself.
Pick the day, then pick the boat.
Ordered by how much of your day it takes. Everyone listed under a trip runs that trip, in an order we do not control. Links open in a new tab.
Class I–II
Half day on the Colorado
The Moab Daily and the Fisher Towers stretch. Gentle water, swim stops, red rock the whole way. More outfitters run this than anything else here, so it is the one you can still get in August.
8 outfitters run this
Class I–III
Full day on the Colorado
The same river with roughly twice the water time and a proper riverside lunch. It costs well under double the half day, which makes it the cheapest hour you will spend on the water.
5 outfitters run this
Class III–IV
Westwater in a day
The hardest whitewater you can do in a day here, through a black granite gorge past Skull. Minimum ages are higher, they differ between operators, and they rise again at spring flows.
4 outfitters run this
Nights on the river.
Federal launch permits cap all of these, so the good weeks go months ahead. Where an operator runs several lengths of one canyon, the link lands on their canyon page rather than a single departure.
Class III–V
Cataract Canyon
The Big Drops, biggest from early May to late June and a milder, beachier river by September. Run it as one long day or as an expedition of two to six.
8 outfitters run this
Class II–III
Desolation Canyon
Eighty four miles of Green River, dozens of small rapids, and side canyons worth walking up. Once you launch there is no road out until Swasey’s, five days later.
5 outfitters run this
Class III–IV
Westwater overnight
The same canyon as the day trip, without the drive out and back in one go. You camp below the gorge and take the rapids unhurried.
3 outfitters run this
Class III–IV
Lodore and the Yampa
Lodore runs on a dam regulated Green and holds its season. The Yampa has no dam, so when the snowmelt goes the trip goes with it, usually by the second week of July.
4 outfitters run this
Class I
Labyrinth by canoe
Deep, quiet canyon and not one rapid. What limits this trip is midsummer heat, not the water, which is why spring and autumn suit it best.
3 outfitters and shuttles
Start here
New to all of this?
Motor or oar, two days or six, whitewater or flat — multi day trips differ far more than day trips do. These three pages narrow it down faster than any operator’s website.
Three pages that help
No guide, no problem. Sometimes.
Renting costs less and suits anyone with river time behind them. The line between sensible and stupid sits closer than most visitors expect, so it is worth knowing where it is.
Class I–II
Rent it and run it yourself
On the calm stretches you can rent, shuttle and float at your own pace for less than a guided trip costs. The shuttle is the part people forget: without one you need two vehicles.
4 places to rent and shuttle
Know this
When to hire a guide instead
Self guided means nobody reading the water for you and nobody holding a throw bag if it goes wrong. Westwater and Cataract need real whitewater experience and a private permit, which is a separate application entirely.
Read before you commit
Six answers that speed this up.
Lead with these and an outfitter can tell you in one call whether a trip suits your group. Without them the conversation goes in circles, and it matters most on the phone.
| Group size and ages | Especially the youngest. Age limits decide which trips are even open to you, they differ between operators on the same water, and they climb in spring |
|---|---|
| Your dates, with flexibility | Offer a range rather than a single date. On Westwater and Cataract that is worth more than anything else you can say |
| Swimming ability | Say it plainly. Nobody is turned away for it, but guides seat weaker swimmers where they can reach them |
| Medical conditions | Heart conditions, recent surgery, pregnancy, mobility limits, anything affecting heat tolerance. It weighs heavier the longer the trip |
| Dietary requirements | For any trip with a meal. Give the whole list when you book, not on the beach at eight in the morning |
| What you actually want | Whitewater or scenery. They pull in opposite directions, and a good outfitter will steer you right if you say which one you came for |
Read the cancellation terms before you pay. They differ a lot between operators and tighten for multi day trips and groups. Our policies page explains how they usually work, and what to bring covers the morning itself.
Booking FAQs.
Do you take the booking or does the outfitter?
The outfitter. We do not process reservations or handle payment. Every link on this page sends you to an operator who runs that trip, where you book at their own price. Your contract, your cancellation terms and your money are all with them.
Do you add a booking fee?
No. There is no fee, markup or surcharge for using this site. You pay the outfitter's published price exactly as if you had found them yourself. See the disclosure page for how the site is funded.
Why do you list several outfitters for the same trip?
Because they are genuinely different. On the same stretch of river, operators differ on departure times, minimum ages, group sizes, boat type and price. Listing one would be a recommendation we cannot justify, so we list everyone we can confirm runs the trip and leave the choice to you. They appear in no particular order.
How do I choose between them?
Start with the constraint you cannot move. If you have a young child, minimum age decides it. If your dates are fixed, availability decides it. If neither, ask about boat type: a paddle raft means you participate, an oar rig or motor rig means you ride, and on the same river those are different days.
Are these all the outfitters in Moab?
No. Several more hold permits on these rivers and we intend to expand the list. These are the ones we could confirm run each specific trip. If you run an outfit and would like to be included, get in touch.
What if the trip I want is sold out?
Try another operator on the same tile first, since availability is not shared between them. Then ask to go on a waiting list, particularly on multi day trips where cancellations happen. Then widen your dates. On permit capped runs, flexibility on dates is worth more than anything else you can offer.
What is the minimum age for rafting near Moab?
It depends on the trip and the operator, which is why we do not print a single figure. On the calm half day floats some outfitters take children from about age three to five. On Westwater the minimum is higher and differs between operators, and several raise it further during spring high water. Confirm against your own dates rather than a general figure.
Can I book a private or group trip?
Yes. Most operators run private charters and some publish a flat charter rate for half day trips. Group rates generally start somewhere around 8 to 12 guests. See group and private trips for what to ask.
Still choosing?
Booking the wrong difficulty is the most common way a rafting day goes badly. The comparison takes two minutes and is worth it.