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Wilderness River Adventures offers backhauling on the Colorado River, letting you paddle 15 miles downstream at your own pace through Glen Canyon’s spectacular canyonlands. Discover how this service helps craft personalized river trips for experienced paddlers.
Wilderness River Adventures offers backhauling on the Colorado River, letting you paddle 15 miles downstream at your own pace through Glen Canyon’s spectacular canyonlands. Discover how this service helps craft personalized river trips for experienced paddlers.
Book with Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting · Page, Arizona
Set against the rugged backdrop of Glen Canyon’s towering sandstone walls, Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting offers a unique way to tackle the Colorado River’s iconic waters with their Backhauling Services. Situated near Page, Arizona, this experience is tailored for paddlers equipped with their own kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, shuttling gear 15 miles upstream from Lees Ferry to Glen Canyon Dam. This service frees you to chart a self-directed journey downriver, allowing you to move at your own pace and soak in the dramatically sculpted canyon landscape.
The Colorado River here cuts through the Navajo Sandstone, revealing layers that chronicle millions of years of Earth’s history. As you paddle downstream, expect sights like red rock cliff faces, hidden alcoves, and tranquil side coves where you can camp alongside quiet riverbanks. Wildlife sightings might include bighorn sheep clinging to cliffs, peregrine falcons soaring overhead, and waterfowl skimming the river’s surface. By managing your own timing and distance each day, you create a personalized adventure, whether it's a day trip or multi-night river expedition.
Wilderness River Adventures plays a critical role in supporting this stretch of the Colorado River, offering backhaul logistics that eliminate the challenge of paddling upriver against a strong current or arranging complicated shuttle services. This enables paddlers to fully immerse themselves in the remote Glen Canyon environment while enjoying the convenience and safety of knowing their craft will be picked up and transported.
While the service does not provide watercraft rentals, it opens possibilities for experienced paddlers who already own their gear. With the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s blend of breathtaking scenery and geological significance, Wilderness River Adventures’ backhauling service transforms the classic river run into an accessible, flexible adventure in the heart of the Southwest.
moderate.
varies—self-paced over several hours to multiple days.
Moderate fitness needed to paddle and carry light camping gear while managing changing river conditions.
No, Wilderness River Adventures does not rent watercraft; this service is for those with their own kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards.
Your craft is loaded onto a raft at Lees Ferry and transported 15 miles upriver to Glen Canyon Dam, allowing you to paddle downstream at your own pace.
No, the backhauling service supports self-guided trips only; you manage your own river navigation and campsites.
The backhaul service accepts kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards up to 16 feet in length.
Yes, basic paddling skills and river safety knowledge are important for this self-paced trip through Glen Canyon.
Yes, multiple scenic riverside campsites are available for overnight camping, offering quiet spots set against the canyon walls.
Lees Ferry historic significance as the only safe Colorado River crossing for hundreds of miles has made it a hub for river trips since the mid-20th century.
Wilderness River Adventures emphasizes Leave No Trace principles, coordinating with Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to minimize environmental impact on fragile desert river habitats.
Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting operates from Page, Arizona, offering river transport and float options on the Colorado River through Glen Canyon. The business provides two primary trip formats: backhauling services that transport kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards 15 miles upriver for self-paced paddling and riverside camping, and a Half-Day Rafting Trip that covers 10 miles of Colorado River with views of Petroglyph Beach and the cliffs at Horseshoe Bend. Trips pass notable Glen Canyon scenery and include interpretive information about Ancestral Puebloan culture at accessible sites along the route. Backhauling allows paddlers to start upriver and return downstream under their own power, enabling multi-day camping or day trips through canyon scenery. The Half-Day Rafting Trip provides a shorter option that highlights geological formations, river access points, and historic rock art. All trip descriptions and distances reflect the business’s published offerings for the Horseshoe Bend area. Operating from Page, Arizona, the company focuses on providing river transport and float experiences on the Colorado River corridor through Glen Canyon. Information on reservations, equipment requirements, trip logistics, and seasonal availability is available through the business’s official channels. Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting’s services support paddlers, rafters, and outdoor travelers seeking access to Glen Canyon waterways from Page, Arizona. Reservations are required for both backhauling services and the Half-Day Rafting Trip, and customers receive detailed pre-trip instructions, gear lists, and meeting logistics directly from Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting when booking through their official contact channels.
Book with Wilderness River Adventures - Horseshoe Bend Rafting