Grand Canyon river rafting

I took a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon way back in 1978. It remains one of the great experiences of my life. We took six days from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch, then hiked up to the South Rim. Our boats were oar-powered, so it took longer than it would with motors. But a motorized trip will get you through more of the canyon in your available time, will cost less, and will probably end up in or near Lake Mead, where you don't have to hike much or at all at the end.

We went with a company called Moki Mac, which I think has gone out of business in the last couple of years. There are others which you can easily find on Google, Trip Advisor, etc. They must be licensed to go through the canyon and the National Park Service limits the number of trips and people, so you have to plan well ahead. We went in May when the water level was high because of spring runoff. Later in the summer it is lower. Flow hasn't been natural since the Glen Canyon Dam was built in the 1960s, so water levels tend to be more predictable than pre-dam.

We sat on big rubber rafts mostly in hot sun and got wet often, going through rapids and otherwise. We camped on beaches and hiked up side canyons. The outfitter provided all the meals, sleeping bags and pads, and I believe we had some kind of tents but we didn't need them. The boatmen were very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable about the geology and history, and fun to be with. Some of the rapids are big and best left to professionals. In many cases, I believe, there's an option to hike around them. While the established companies are very safety conscious and have good records, this is not a risk-free activity.

The overwhelming experience, for me, was descending through geological time, some two billion years, written on the various layers of sedimentary limestone, sandstone, and shale. Spending our last night with the Brahma and Vishnu Schist, bedrock from the earliest years of the earth's existence, was kind of magical.

There were kids around your kids' age on our trip, and I expect they'd have a great time if they're adventurous and willing to go without screens (no service down there).

Hope that helps. PM me if you have more specific questions, but my experience was a long time ago. (I did some other rafting trips with the same company in more recent years.)

EDIT -- Just saw where you're from, you obviously have lots of experience outdoors. I wouldn't hesitate to take your kids on a trip like this.

Not all Grand Canyon outfitters will take children under 12, but some will so you are good there.

We have not done a raft trip; we are hikers and have been to the bottom of the canyon that way several times. It is a world apart.

Everyone I know who has done the raft trip absolutely loved it.

We loved the rafting trip that we did in GC. It was a pontoon I think--held about 20 people--there were several kids on it. The raft trip was combined with a flight over the canyon and a visit to Antelope Canyon. The canyon was on a Navaho reservation near Page. The raft trip was the favorite for sure.