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Trips

Cataract Canyon

The Cataract Canyon Experience

2 Day: Cataract Canyon by Motorized Jrig

Dates & Rates

2025 Dates
  • May 16, 23, 30
  • June 6, 13, 20, 27
  • July 4
2025 Trip Rates

Adult………………..$1,499

 

Youth………………..$1,499

 

Includes scenic Canyonlands flight!

What This Rate Includes
More Information
    • Trip Deposit: $300 per person deposit required upon reservation. Full balance due 45 days prior to departure.
    • Trip Cancellation Insurance
    • Minimum Age: 12 years old
    • Trip Deposit: $300 per person deposit required upon reservation. Full balance due 45 days prior to departure.
    • Trip Cancellation Insurance
    • Minimum Age: 12 years old
What Is Not Included in Trip Fares
    • Guide Gratuities by no means required but always appreciated by our guides. We recommend 10-20% of the cost of the river portion of the trip.
    • Transportation to Moab Utah.
    • Lodging and meals prior to or following your expedition (except where noted.) Click to see list of quality places to stay in Moab Utah.
    • Government user fees and taxes (about 9% of trip cost.)

Itinerary

Day 1 - Cataract Canyon Rafting: Getting to the Rapids

This morning you will be transported from the Sheri Griffith Expeditions office to the Potash Boat Ramp on the Colorado River. You may catch a glimpse of petroglyphs on the cliff walls, dinosaur tracks on some of the roadside boulders or fossils in the rocks surrounding the boat ramp.

 

We settle into the Jetboat and speed downstream through the heart of Canyonlands National Park. We will also pass Tex’s Grotto, where a Grand Piano is set up for concerts during the Moab Music Festival, and Dead Horse Point, where the movies Mission Impossible 2 and Thelma and Louise were filmed. We will pass Lockhart Canyon, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid used to hide their stolen cattle until they could move them to market. We will also see ancestral dwellings at Lathrup Canyon.

 

You will meet the rafts when we reach the Confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. We now enter the true heart of Canyonlands National Park as we near the Confluence. If it has rained recently, the mixing of the rivers will be defined in brilliant swirls of red and green. Enjoy a delicious lunch riverside on one of the may beautiful beaches. The canyon walls are a beautiful, deep red which contrasts beautifully with the pristine blue sky that will be your ceiling for the night.

 

We will pull off the river to camp for the night. After setting up your tent, you can sit back and relax or hike the canyons while the guides set up chairs and the kitchen. Swimming is also an option. Dinner is prepared for you by your river guides. Meals are wonderful combinations that fit well into the atmosphere of your canyon dining room. Vegetarian options are available with advance notice.

 

Note: Meals are served from a set daily menu, but you are welcome to request, in advance, special dishes or tell us if there are particular things you would prefer not to have.

Day 2 - Cataract Canyon Rafting: Whitewater Day and Final Day

Wake to the smells of fresh coffee and a delicious breakfast cooking in the morning. After you eat, we will assist you in taking down your tent and in preparing for the day’s journey. Breakfast offerings will vary throughout your rafting expedition. Hot coffee, tea and chocolate are always available, as are juices and fresh fruit.

 

This morning’s fare is complimented by the sound of rushing water and the anticipation of a great day of running the famous rapids of Cataract Canyon. We will load everything back onto the boats and prepare ourselves for the exciting day at hand.

 

This morning we will experience the first of the Cataract Canyon rapids, numbers 1 through 10. Everyone will be thoroughly soaked as we take a break at midday for lunch and to catch our breath.

 

Stop for Lunch and for some “Land Time”. While the guides prepare lunch, you are welcome to explore the canyon a bit or watch as others run the big rapids you have just been through. Once we have finished with lunch, we get back on the boats and head into the big whitewater. This afternoon we will navigate through more intimidating rapids, including Big Drop 3, Satan’s Gut and Little Niagara.

 

We’ll climb back aboard the boats and follow the Colorado River as it pushes its way into the calm waters of Lake Powell. Here we’ll be in the deepest part of the canyon, surrounded by nearly 2,000 foot cliffs. We’ll see the Dirty Devil River and Piano Leg Arch.

 

As you take this scenic flight, watch for the Henry Mountains, the White Rim, the Abajo Mountains, the La Sal Mountains and nearly the entire Colorado Plateau. You will be met at the Moab airport and transferred back to Moab and the Sheri Griffith Expeditions office where your journey ends.

Maps

Maps of Cataract Canyon Rafting

The Cataract Canyon trip starts outside of Moab in Southeastern Utah. The rapids in Cataract Canyon are formed from the meeting of the Green River and the Colorado River in the heart of Canyonlands National Park.The end location is 4 hours from Moab at Hite Marina on Lake Powell.

Cataract Canyon Information
    • River: The Colorado River
    • Rapid Rating: Class III-V (depending on Water Levels)
    • Put in: Potash Boat Ramp
    • Take-out location: Hite, on Lake Powell
    • River Miles: 96
    • Number of rapids: 31
    • First to run Cataract Canyon: John Wesley Powell

Resources

Required Forms

Please print, sign and return the required forms (for each person in your party) to our office by email, fax or mail at least 45 days prior to your trip.

  • Trip Risk Forms
Trip Document in PDF's
Helpful Links

Canyonlands National Park: Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries.

Sheri Griffith Expeditions is an Authorized Concessioner of Canyonlands National Park.

 

Arches National Park: Arches National Park preserves over two thousand natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.

 

Moab Travel Council: A great resource on Moab area trails, hotels, and other great things to do in Moab.

 

River rafting is a lot of fun, but like most outdoor adventure activities, there are also potential hazards. Click here for more information about possible hazards you might experience while whitewater rafting in our beautiful canyons.

Area Information
Questions about the trip
Cancellation Policy and Trip Insurance

Sheri Griffith Expeditions has a NO REFUND policy. Since you have reserved space for which we have a limited number of seats, our non-refundable policy applies in every instance. There are no exceptions for any reason, so we highly recommend that you purchase Travel Insurance to protect your vacation investment. For more information about travel insurance, click here.

How to book a trip

There are several easy ways to make a reservation. Easiest is to click on the “book online” button on your trip or at the top of the screen. You can always give us a call at 800-332-2439.

Deposits and Reservations

For 1 day trips full payment is required at time of booking. For multiday trips a non-refundable $300/person deposit is required at the time of reservation. The balance is due 45 days prior to departure. After making your reservation you will receive a reservation packet that will include a packing list, helpful travel hints, travel insurance information, a beverage request form, and a guest registration form. Please fill out the guest registration form and send or fax back quickly. If you find you are unable to participate in the trip that you booked, but would like to transfer your trip to the following year, there will be a charge of $300 per participant if the change is made at least 3 weeks prior to your departure date.

Non-Performance

We make every effort to follow through on our plans. However, we reserve the right to make changes in the itinerary or possibly cancel a trip if necessary including but not limited to weather conditions, water fluctuations, insufficient reservations, changes in international relations, or other factors beyond our control. If cancellation is necessary, your money will be refunded. Our financial liability shall be limited to the amount actually paid and shall not be extended to cover any other costs incurred by the trip member.

Orientation

The evening before the trip we meet at our office (2231 South Highway 191) at 5 pm (MDT) in Moab for a trip orientation. Here you will learn what to expect and prepare for, receive your dry bags, sign the Assumption of Risk forms, and get a chance to ask any last questions. If you are not going to be able to make this please let us know ahead of time.

Beverages

If you would like any personal beverages while on the river, i.e., sodas, beer, wine, etc., you can bring them with you the morning of departure and we will place them in iced coolers. We provide some sodas, water, lemonade and Gatorade mixes and tea, juice and coffee in the mornings.

Tipping

Guests often ask whether gratuities are appropriate, and in what amount. If you feel your guides have provided a very special trip for you, a gratuity may be left with the trip leader and will be shared among the crew. Entirely discretionary, anything between 15% and 20% of the trip cost is a general tipping guideline. If you plan to tip, remember to bring a personal check or cash—ATM’s are hard to find in the backcountry! PLEASE, do not make out checks to Sheri Griffith Expeditions. If you are writing check please make it out to the Trip Leader. NOTE: we cannot take credit card gratuities.

Hiking and Physical Requirements

If you are of an adventurous spirit and in reasonably good health, you should have no problem enjoying any of our trips. It’s not necessary to be an athlete to participate in a river expedition. However, It is several hours to the nearest medical center. If you take medication you should bring a good supply and inform your guide of all medication that you are taking. When you meet your guide, you should discretely explain any medical conditions you may have or be concerned about including allergies to bee stings, etc. Each guide carries a first aid kit and will need to know if specific medicines should be stored. It’s also helpful to know about other health issues when planning activities for the day. Pregnant women and anyone with heart trouble should have their physician’s approval before taking a river trip.

Safety, and Assumption of Risk

We maintain an excellent safety record, since 1971. However, all outdoor experiences involve risk and we all must recognize that accidents or illnesses may occur. We cannot guarantee your safety. We place final responsibility for your safety firmly on your shoulders where it belongs. You have to pay attention to what you are doing. Mother Nature controls the water level, the weather and the elements, so there is a risk involved in rafting and camping. Before your trip departs, you will be asked to sign an Assumption of Risk and Release Form. We assume no responsibility for injury to trip members, their personal belongings or, for time and expense incurred. We strongly recommend Travel Insurance, which covers vacation losses and accidents and provides a refund if you have to cancel your trip.

Parking, luggage and valuables

We have a gated parking lot at our office for your vehicles while you are on the river. We also have a safe room for luggage and valuables while you are on the river.

FAQs

"We were in Eric's boat and found him to be courteous and knowledgeable, always on the lookout for points of interest, and he got us through the rapids in a way that was fun and exciting but safe too. We really enjoyed our time with him; he's an asset to your company. The meals were outstanding, all the guides very polite and accommodating to all, knowledge of area history, geology and water use issues was very interesting, great job on keeping everyone safe."

David and Kathy Fine, El Cahone CA

Location: Colorado River, UT
Highlights: Whitewater, Time Sensitive Trip, Canyonlands National Park, Motorized Jig, 2,000ft. Redrock Walls, Scenic Return Flight
Adults: $1,499 (Includes scenic flight. Does not include taxes & government user fees)
Youth: $1,499 (Includes scenic flight. Does not include taxes & government user fees)
Trip Length: 2 Days / 1 Night
Host City: Moab, Utah
Min. Age: 12 Years Old
Rapids: III–V (Depending on Water Levels)
2025 Dates: May 16, 23, 30 | Jun 6, 13, 20, 27 | July 4
Boats: Motorized Jrigs