I read through the materials, watched the informational videos, and talked with others who had been on any rafting trip. And yet, there were things that I didn’t expect about a Grand Canyon rafting trip. For my first ever multi-day river rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, I opted for a 5-day motor trip with a hiking focus with Grand Canyon Whitewater. Check out this other post for a thorough breakdown of the journey. The company did a great job at preparing everyone for the trip, but as with every nature trip, there are some things you must learn as you go. This post will discuss some misconceptions about a river trip and other things that simply didn’t cross my mind. Let’s get into it!
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Arizona – 8 Things I Didn’t Expect About a Grand Canyon Rafting Trip
1. Lack of Privacy (and Specifically Where to Pee)
Whew, this was surprising, but not at all a deal-breaker. The first of the things that I didn’t expect about a Grand Canyon rafting trip was that there is simply no privacy in the Canyon. I don’t think I’ll ever forget what our trip leader said, “In the Canyon, you do not get privacy. You give it.” And that was what happened. When you see someone changing, peeing, bathing, etc., you look away. Yes, this requires trust in your fellow rafters, but we are all dealing with it simultaneously, so we treated each other with respect. Our group opted to set up a communal tent at each camp to change in. Both men and women utilized it.
The lack of privacy came into play the most while peeing in the river. To maintain the quality of the beaches in the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service requires everyone to pee in the river. Do not pee in side streams and tributaries. At most camps and stops, it was essentially public peeing. In the beginning, we would designate areas for men and women, but that practice dissolved as we learned how to look away. A handy tip for the ladies: when peeing publicly, face directly at the group when squatting. This way, your shorts cover you, and no one is catching a glimpse of a full moon.
In a way, the lack of privacy caused the ladies to bond almost instantly. I distinctly remember introducing myself with the follow-up question being whether someone wanted to go pee together. Women’s bathroom at a bar vibes. This leads me to my second point…
2. How Quickly You Bond with Others
Although I only spent 4-nights with my group, we bonded quickly. Although I may not know all of the details of someone’s life, the personalities emerged almost instantly. We were all experiencing the canyon together – the rapids, the hikes, and semi-awkward lack of privacy. It didn’t matter if you’ve never done it before or did it five times. Although I became close with a handful of people, I had a fondness for everyone on the trip. A testament to this was after the beefy hike to the South Rim on the Bright Angel trail; our group ended up congregating together for the better part of 4 hours while waiting for the bus.
Rafting through the majesty of the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring experience. Especially if you love the outdoors, it is not something you will forget in your lifetime. To be rafting with others who feel the same way will have you bonded in no time at all.
3. The River Fashion
River fashion is less about looks and more about function. When you’re white-knuckling through the rapids with buckets of icy water giving you a nasal douche, who cares what you’re wearing. When you lay back admiring the Redwall Limestone that reaches hundreds of feet above, who cares what you look like. Here’s the thing, it’s more important to regulate your internal temperature using clothes than be fashionable. You’ll swing from hot to cold like a pendulum a couple of dozen times throughout the day, and you will use your clothes to help the transition. Raincoats when riding the rapids, hiking boots for the hikes, bandanas, and sarongs to dunk in the water and wear, etc.
Read through my packing and preparation blog post to get and idea of the essentials as well as what your tour operator provides for specifics for your kind of trip. Layers are also great for sun protection – rain jacket, long sleeves, gloves, wide-brimmed hats, and more. I had all the gear; I just didn’t expect to be wearing it all at once. With that, I hereby encourage you to wear whatever you need at that moment – that’s proper river fashion.
4. The Physicality of the Trip
The rafting trip I went on was a hiker’s special with hiking every day. Even outside this, a rafting trip is very physical. There is the obvious physical effort of getting on and off the boat. But there is a fair amount of lifting to do, including loading and unloading the raft each day. We lined up to pass cots and chairs (light), kitchen gear (light to medium), and our overnight bags (medium to HEAVY). I definitely could have done a little bit more upper body workouts to prepare for this! Not to mention being outside in the elements each day. At the end of each day, I ready to retire as soon as it got darkish. I don’t think anyone in my group stayed up much past 9 pm each night, and if they did, they were super quiet.
5. Sleeping Outside Is Incredible
Even in early April, the temperature was pleasant enough to sleep out every night without a tent. And there was something magical about this experience. The cots we had were delightfully comfortable, and each night, I watched more and more stars appear between the dark silhouettes of the canyon walls. At some camps, I could hear the river water moving. At other camps, I listened to the wind through the tamarisk trees. It was peaceful.
A couple of mornings, I woke up extra early. I watched the magic show in reverse. The stars began to disappear, the color would slowly return to the sky, and features would appear on the canyon walls. I knew it would be amazing to sleep in the Grand Canyon, and I just didn’t expect it to be this incredible.
Since I am a cold sleeper, I brought a couple extra things to ensure I was warm enough, like a sleeping bag liner, base layer tights, a sleeping fleece, beanie, and warm socks. For more recommendations, head over to the packing post.
6. Alcohol is Chill
Coming from a backpacking mentality, where I can not be bothered to carry any additional ounces, I didn’t think about bringing alcohol. However, this is not backpacking; it’s rafting. And having a cold one in hand while appreciating nature is the language of the river.
Each raft had a durable bag filled with beverages that would drag in the water. Our guides let us know it would take exactly 7 minutes to chill a beverage in the water. There were a couple of afternoons I definitely could have gone for a cold cider. And although people drank while on the trip, we were all in bed by 8:30 or 9 pm each night. If people stayed up later than that, they were so quiet that I didn’t notice. Don’t expect a party boat, but instead, think of a bit of vacation indulgence to pair with the scenery. Tour operators do not typically provide alcohol, but you can usually bring your own. Check with your tour operator.
7. How easily you can adapt to river life
Perhaps it is a testament to the hardworking guides/volunteers and organization of the company that I felt physically comfortable throughout the trip. I might even say pampered, compared to my backpacking adventures. Having fresh, delicious meals cooked by someone else every day was a dream. By the second night, it seemed like the group slipped into the rhythm of river life. There were certain things that we knew to expect – coffee call first, packing up, breakfast, loading the boats, exciting exploration, stopping for lunch, more exciting exploration, getting to camp, unloading the rafts, setting up camp, and eating dinner. There is a lot more to it, but the common rhythm allowed the mundane tasks to become automatic and more time focused on the exciting exploration.
My perspective is filtered through my backpacking experiences. The things that Grand Canyon Whitewater provided made it more comfortable. For example, a cot?! Omg, wow, luxury. However, if you’ve never been camping before, this adaptation might be a little more clunky and uncomfortable. That’s normal! Bring a few creature comforts on the trip and give it a whirl.
8. How much I would enjoy a motor trip
Before the trip, I was telling anyone that would listen about the adventure. Friends and family would ask about what kind of raft/boat I was going on. When I responded with “motorboat,” I got mixed reactions. One person even said they would never go on a motorboat. I understand where this is coming from – when in nature, you want to be doing it yourself. But limiting yourself to only having one “right way” to experience nature is just that – limiting and judgmental. On the 5-day motor trip that I went on, I had a blast. An absolute ball. And having this option available got me to experience the bottom of the Grand Canyon in a way that I never thought possible.
There are various types of Grand Canyon rafting trips, and I was totally overwhelmed with what to choose. Now that I’ve been on a rafting trip, I’ve realized there is no wrong answer. Each option has benefits and drawbacks. On the motorboat, we were able to move quickly through the river and spend more time hiking. Our boatmen would stop the motor when describing things and enjoy areas with glassy water. I feel we got the best of both worlds, but we did have a “big” group of 28 or 30 people. I would jump at the chance to explore the second half of the Grand Canyon on a motorboat and be open to the different types of watercraft.
Make the Most a Multi-Day Grand Canyon Rafting Trip
Even though there were things that I didn’t expect about a Grand Canyon rafting trip, Grand Canyon Whitewater did a phenomenal job of preparing guests for departure. I also did my best to prepare for the trip. If you decide to take this tour, here are my tips for making the most of the tour:
- Read through all the materials Grand Canyon Whitewater provides. They provide a ton of information – about what to pack, training for the trip, and what to expect. Understand what the tour operator includes and what they do not before you head to Flagstaff.
- Train! Even if you are rafting the entire trip! This trip was very physical with the loading and unloading of the boat and all of the side hikes. The more you physically prepare for the journey, the more you will enjoy yourself.
- Bring the things you need to be comfortable. Take a moment to think about where you might feel the most discomfort and prepare accordingly. For example, sleep is super important to me, and I know that I am a cold sleeper. To account for this, I brought a beanie, warm socks, warm sleeping clothes that included layers, and even a sleeping bag liner for extra warmth. Read through my “Packing and Preparation for a Grand Canyon Rafting Adventure” blog post for ideas.
- Go with the flow.
- Ask the river guides questions as you think of them. Don’t be afraid to speak up. There were so many times when someone else asked a question that I ended up learning something super interesting.
Overall Thoughts: Things I Didn’t Expect About a Grand Canyon Rafting Trip
As you can see, most things that I didn’t expect were very positive. Before the trip, I just didn’t have a gauge on how much I would enjoy it. I knew it was right up my alley – hiking, nature, history, geology, rapids, adventure, oh my! But it still surprised me in the ways that I ended up loving it. So if you’ve read through this post and are interested in those same things, I bet you will also love it. And don’t be afraid to go solo. I went solo and had 20+ new friends after day two. Reach out to Grand Canyon Whitewater or another tour operator with your concerns, and they will recommend the best trip for you.
Don’t forget to check out my other blog posts about Grand Canyon River Rafting:
- An entire breakdown of the 5-Day Hiker’s Special
- Pack and Preparation for a Grand Canyon Rafting Trip
Have you gone on a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon? If so, what were the most unexpected things that you experienced? I’d love to hear about it – let me know in the comments below!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
