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Desert Voyagers Guided Rafting Tours |
800-222-7238 |
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Far Flung Adventures |
800-359-4138 |
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Wilderness Aware Rafting |
800-462-7238 |
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Mild to Wild Rafting |
800-567-6745 |
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Sun Country Rafting |
800-477-7238 |
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Blue Sky Whitewater |
800-425-5253 |
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| Section |
Fort
Apache Indian Reservation to Roosevelt Lake |
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Location |
Gila
County, northeast of Phoenix, east-central Arizona |
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Driving Time |
Phoenix—2
hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
III-IV |
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Trip Length |
54
miles (86 km) or less |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft, oar raft, inflatable kayak; one to five days |
|
Season |
February-May |
The Salt River is born at
the confluence of the White and Black rivers, below their headwaters
in Arizona's White Mountains. West of U.S. Highway 60 and north of
Globe, the upper Salt carves a tumbling 54-mile (86 km) course
through the granite gorges of the pristine Sonoran desert. The
multiday raft adventure includes the  Fort Apache Indian Reservation,
Tonto National Forest, and the Salt River Canyon Wilderness before
reaching the quiet waters behind Theodore Roosevelt Dam. With the
passage of the Arizona Wilderness Act in 1984, approximately 35
miles (56 km) of the upper Salt, between Gleason Flat and the mouth
of Pinal Creek, was incorporated into the Salt River Wilderness
Canyon.
During early-spring runoff the upper Salt
is more than just a scenic desert canyon river; Granite Gorge has
several excellent Class III-IV+ rapids, including the exciting Eye
of the Needle, Black Rock, Maze, and Quartzite Falls—a river wide
ledge that often requires lining or portaging. One- to five-day raft
trips are run in the spring when the wildflowers of the Sonoran
Desert are at their best.
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