Colorado River Westwater Canyon

Often called a miniature Grand Canyon, this segment of the Colorado River is the answer for the person who is short on time but wants it all. (Holiday Expeditions/Chris Noble)

Colorado River Westwater Canyon at a Glance

Price: $$
River Rapid Class: III-IV
Trip in Miles: 17 to 40 miles
Trip Duration: 1 to 3 days
Season: May-September
Raft Types: Paddle Raft, Oar Raft
River Sections: Westwater Canyon
Nearby Towns: Loma (CO)
Gateway City: Loma (CO)
Driving Times: Grand Junction (CO): 0.5 hours; Moab (UT): 1.5 hours; Salt Lake City (UT): 4.5 hours

Called "the West's best short whitewater-rafting trip" by National Geographic, the Westwater Canyon stretch of the Utah's Colorado River is big on desert drama for those short on time. Flowing through a stunning granite and sandstone canyon, the river here brings you some of the same experience of the Colorado River's passage through Arizona's Grand Canyon-without the same logistics and expense of a trip through the Big Ditch. An overnight expedition is the best way to experience the true beauty of Westwater Canyon, allowing you to camp overnight under an endless starlit Southwestern sky as well as to experience the full force of the river's 11 Class III-IV+ rapids. Three-day trips depart from near Loma, Colorado, while one- and two-day adventures put in further downriver between Grand Junction, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. Plan on spending some time in Moab to enjoy area attractions like Arches and Canyonlands national parks and the legendary singletrack along the 100-mile White Rim Trail.

Published: 31 May 2011
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication