Grand Canyon Raft Trips Are Already Sold Out for 2019. Here’s a Better Alternative.

Ready to explore some ancient dinosaur habitats?

November 7, 2018 9:00 am EST

17 million years old, and the Grand Canyon’s still selling out like a young rockstar. 

Western River Expeditions recently announced that all of its rafting slots for 2019 have been claimed. Hamstrung by limited permits and high demand, the guides unfortunately have to cap their list of bookings extremely early. 

Fortunately for us, though, they’ve imparted some insider info on how to secure a worthy alternative. 

western (3 images)

Western Expeditions offers Grand Canyon-like adventures in  Cataract Canyon and Desolation Canyon. Located just south of Moab, Cataract covers four days and 100 miles through Canyonlands National Park. Expect Class III-V whitewater, a Native American ruin or two and literally the same water (it’s the Colorado River) that you’d encounter a state farther south. Desolation, meanwhile, offers 88 miles of Class II-III rapids in Moab, with a heavy sideshow of ancient dinosaur habitats. If either of those does it for you, you’d be wise to jump on bookings now. 

And if your heart is dead set on rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, make sure to hound Western River’s website at 10AM EST, November 15th, when slots for the 2020 season will be made available. 

FYI: cancellations for the 2019 Grand Canyon season could happen — make sure to follow Western on social here

All images from Western Expeditions

Meet your guide

Tanner Garrity

Tanner Garrity

Tanner Garrity is a senior editor at InsideHook. Since joining the publication in 2017, he’s covered wellness, travel, sports and pop culture. He currently writes InsideHook’s wellness newsletter The Charge. Outside of the office, he enjoys running, skating, reading, writing fiction and playing sports with friends. He graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in English. Previously, he worked for…
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