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Whitewater rafting in Arizona? Yes! And not just in the Grand Canyon. We got to experience whitewater rafting on the Salt River (outside of Globe, AZ) and it was AMAZING! We partnered with Wilderness Aware Rafting a fantastic company out of Colorado for our family adventure and loved the experience so much that I wanted to share a bit about booking a whitewater rafting trip in Arizona with them if you’re thinking about scheduling a trip! If you haven’t read through our experience from start to finish – check that out here.
When Can You Raft the Salt River In Arizona?
The water is changing all the time. The great flow comes from the White Mountains in Eastern Arizona. Rafting season is happening NOW through May 5th, 2019 this year. The scenery is absolutely stunning and it’s such a great time to explore this amazingly gorgeous part of Arizona.
You can book 1/2, full day or choose to camp out in the Salt River Wilderness for 2, 3, 4, or even 5 days during this time period. I love that there is a variety of options depending on your needs and to work around everyone’s schedules. Some of the short trips can take kids ages 8 and up and the longer trips can accommodate families with kids ages 10 and up (this was the biggest question you all had).
Why Choose Wilderness Aware Rafting?
Even though we partnered with them this trip, as always, I did my research! There are other companies and private tours that raft the Salt River as well. We loved ALL the info we got, questions that were answered, detailed itinerary, how they took care of everything, the quality of the gear they used, their safety practices… I could go on and on!
One of the biggest things we loved learning about the company is how they train their new employees, the knowledge and love for rafting they had, and just how happy everyone was working for Wilderness Aware. We had so much fun chatting with them during meals (that were provided on our 2-day expedition), and at night around the campfire.
They have great reviews online for a reason! You can read more about them here.
Tips for Whitewater Rafting on the Salt River in AZ
This trip was our very first experience ever whitewater rafting so we devoured their packing lists and FAQs. They covered almost everything! Here are some tips I have to share from my experience:
- Don’t forget the sunscreen, sunscreen lip balm and when you apply – don’t forget your hands!
- Wear a hat. You can have it on under your helmet and it helps so much keeping the sun out of your eyes (along with your sunglasses) so you can enjoy the scenery even more.
- Bring a waterproof camera on a strap. Whether it’s your phone in a case or a camera you’ll definitely want to take pictures on the river when you’re in between rapids. You can definitely bring an action camera too!
- Listen to the safety talk and pay attention. Make sure the kids are listening too. They’ll tell you everything you need to know to be safe just in case.
- When you’re in the boat ready to raft – all you have to do is listen to your guide and do exactly as they say. This is the best part. You don’t have to worry about steering or anything like that – just paddling the way your guide tells you too. It makes rafting so simple and so much fun.
We had a BLAST with Wilderness Aware Rafting. So much so that I wanted to write all this out in a separate post! We’ve already recommended them to our own friends and family. Let me know if you have any questions at all and if you book a trip, tag me in the photos so I can see how much fun you’re having!
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