About this tour
When Em from our team ran this combo with Desert Highlights, we got a rare look at Moab's slickrock canyons plus a float down the Colorado River in packrafts—single-person inflatables you won't find elsewhere in town. The seven-hour outing tackles a technical route the company's founder carved out in the late '90s, using ropes and gear to access slots most visitors never see. It's desert adventure that feels earned, not just scenic—you're descending water-carved rock, learning geology and local ecology from someone who genuinely knows this landscape, then paddling a stunning river section to cap it off.
Highlights
- Rope-assisted descent into narrow canyon carved by water over millennia
- Packraft float on Colorado River—unique gear, playful paddling, river views
- Technical route not crowded; feels like discovering something real
- Guide explains flora, fauna, geology with the ease of local knowledge
- All gear provided; hotel pickup makes logistics painless
- Accessible to mixed fitness levels despite 'technical' tag
- Quiet, intimate group experience rather than cattle-pen canyoneering
What to expect
You'll start with hotel pickup, then head to the canyon trailhead. The morning is steady climbing and scrambling through red rock, with your guide coaching you through rope work and explaining the geology—slot canyons, water erosion patterns, desert ecology—as you go. Descents and rappels feel controlled and safe; the technical gear does its job. Midway through, energy dips a bit as the physical cumulative effects kick in, but the reward is finding yourself in landscapes that don't photograph well but feel properly remote.
By mid-afternoon, you transition to packrafts on the Colorado. These one-person inflatables are genuinely fun—more playful than you'd expect, not tippy, and they give you a completely different perspective on the river and canyon walls. The float is a welcome cool-down after canyoneering intensity. You'll finish the day tired and happy, not wrecked. The whole thing feels like adventure that respects your limits but doesn't patronise your capability.
Good to know
This hits the sweet spot between 'I want real adventure' and 'I don't want to die.' The packraft angle is genuinely novel—no other Moab outfit does this—and it breaks up the day nicely. Your guide is invested; the company's founder created the route, so there's genuine passion here, not just paycheque work. Hotel pickup saves you the stress of navigation, and all technical gear is sorted. Suits mixed fitness levels, which is honest.
Seven hours is proper time on your feet and in the sun. You'll need 2–3 litres of water per person and enough food for six-plus hours—pack real calories, not snacks. No packed lunch included. The desert sun is relentless in summer; spring and autumn are kinder. Group sizes stay small (private tours), which is brilliant but pricier. Canyon sections have narrow drops and exposed scrambles—not for vertigo sufferers. Bring sturdy shoes with grip, sun protection, and a sense of humour about getting sweaty and sandy.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.