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Holiday River Expeditions
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800-624-6323
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801-266-2087
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For 35 years Holiday Expeditions has been providing trips to the most spectacular landscapes. The experienced outfitter for whitewater rafting in Utah, Colorado and Idaho; or Utah mountain biking.
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Adventure/Discovery Tours |
800-774-1926 |
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Arizona Raft Adventures |
800-786-7238 |
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Wild Rivers Expeditions |
800-422-7654 |
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O.A.R.S. |
800-346-6277 |
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Four Corners School of Outdoor Education |
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| Section |
Bluff
to Lake Powell |
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Location |
San Juan County Utah near
Bluff and Mexican Hat, southeast Utah |
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Driving Time |
Albuquerque—3.5
hours; Grand Junction—4 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
I-III |
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Trip Length |
84
miles (134 km) or less |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft, oar raft, inflatable kayak; one, two, three, four, and five
days |
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Season |
April-September |
 The San Juan River, a
major tributary of the Colorado, has some of the Southwest's most
unusual and beautiful geologic formations and some of its best
Indian rock art and ruins. Its entire meandering course from Bluff
to Lake Powell parallels the northern boundary of the huge Navajo
Indian Reservation.
The
first day or two of the four-to-five-day San Juan trips are spent
leisurely floating through the inspiring the river's upper section
between Bluff and Mexican Hat. After Mexican Hat, the lower San Juan
passes through the incredible Goosenecks, a deep, narrow canyon with
towering walls of limestone, shale, and colorful sandstone.
Many
veteran river runners claim that mile for mile the San Juan has more
geologic diversity, more Indian rock art, ancient ruins, and fossil
outcrops than any other river in the West. The river's banks and
side canyons have long been popular gathering place for
anthropologists, archaeologists, geologists, photographers, and
canyon lovers.
The
San Juan's whitewater is fun, but not difficult. While paddle and
oar rafts have long been the standard conveyance, many outfitters
now encourage customers to navigate the river independently with
inflatable kayaks and Sportyaks.
San
Juan rafting usually runs from April until September or early
October. In addition to the full Bluff to Lake Powell trip,
outfitters also offer one- and two-day upper canyon trips from Bluff
to Mexican Hat, and three- to five-day trips from Mexican Hat to
Lake Powell.
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