Grand Canyon Rafting Trip Reviews

“Excellent trip with an excellent crew. They all truly love their job. They are hard happy workers. They looked after our needs even if we didn’t think we needed it. The day we went to Havasu Creek as we were leaving it started to rain. My sister and I got wet before I had a chance to put on our rain gear. I was hunkered down shivering as it was pouring rain. McKenna got my dry bag out and other members of our party held a tarp over us so my sister and I could change into dry clothes and not get wet while changing. Oh what a difference that made. We were soaked and I didn’t realize how much warmer I would be with dry clothes on even if it was still raining. That is just one example. All the crew were excellent.”

My wife, adult daughter, her friend and I recently took a 9 day/8 night trip through the Grand Canyon with CRATE. This is one one well organized and friendly outfit. We were met in Las Vegas. From there until our return, all our needs were met. CRATE staff showed us how to pack dry bags so that our things did not get wet in the Colorado River as we went through the rapids. They provided comfortable cots and sleeping bags. Each day we made multiple stops along the river to hike to swimming holes, water falls, grottoes, and ancient Puebloan sights. From the first call of “Cooffeeee” in the early morning until the stars came out at night, we were active. We put our watches away and let the day’s rhythm be dictated by the guides and the river. The food was great. (Who would have expected fresh shrimp cocktail on the eighth night?) The other guests were interesting and fun. And the guides were superb. We never feared the rapids. The only issue was how wet we might get–and often the answer was not very. The guides told us about the geology of the Canyon and the history of its exploration.
I want emphasize how well we were taken care. My wife and I were the oldest and least sure footed of the group. Nevertheless, we were encouraged to participate in all activities and were supported by the guides and other guests when we needed the help.

This trip began at Red Clifs Lodge on May 17th and ended on the 26th. It was “The Most Wonderful” trip EVER!! Not only did we experience some awesome Rapids, we had the, pleasure of a geological education of the rock formations and layers of many era’s. We had Wayne Ranney with us and included in our trip. We participated in hikes to discover fossils and rock formations that were spectacular. Our 4 guides, Alex, Johnny, Garrett, and Zoe were the most accommodating foursome, and always attentive. The food was sumptuous and facilities unexpected. Inside “Groover!”
I would Recommend CRATE for your next rafting experience.

Sore muscles, bruises, scrapes and general fatigue… AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! There is something very special about spending a week in the canyon, and I’m thrilled to have experienced this with CRATE. My husband and I joined the late April Spring Hiker’s trip starting at Phantom Ranch and ending at Lake Mead. After a 9.5 mile hike down the Bright Angel Trail from South Rim, we joined our guides, Jon and Ben, on the rafts. These guys were true professionals! They impressed us with their knowledge, storytelling, humor and river skills. Many of the other company guides we ran into on some of the hikes expressed deep respect for these guys, and we could see why. We had hot meals each day, and the food was very good. We loved the hikes through the side canyons. We saw gorgeous desert flowers in bloom everywhere, clear water, beautiful scenery, and the temperatures were just right this time of year. We did have rain one night and while others set up tents, we slept under our ground cloth and managed to stay dry. The cots and pads were very comfortable, and the stars were amazing! Definitely bring those earplugs, though, some folks on the group had some pipes! I thought I would have been cold in the 45 degree sleeping bags, but with fleece bottom and top and a hat liner, I did fine. We had so much fun on the river, the rapids were awesome, and the guides did a fine job of balancing history and geology anecdotes with time to really soak in what the earth has created here! I can’t say enough how impressed and pleased we were with CRATE – all we can say is we will never forget this experience, Thank You!

After years of dreaming about taking a Grand Canyon rafting trip my husband and I signed on with CRATE for their late April rafting/hiking special. We joined in at Phantom Ranch and began our 7 day adventure. Our leaders, Jon and Ben were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, patient and excellent cooks! We expected a fine ride on the river, and got it. Camping on sandy beaches under the stars (with cots to sleep on) was wonderful. The hikes ( ranging from short to one 7 hour day) were spectacular. I’d travel again with CRATE in a heartbeat!

I have to thank CRATE Inc. for another epic trip. This is really OMG stuff. Once again, I am home spinning from the memories, I will hold for the rest of my life. If you are thinking about this, all I can say is GO!
This trip: Done April 2015, it’s cooler and more pleasant. The flowers are out. There were lots of rapids. Great fun! We did some excellent day hikes. One was on the Little Colorado River, were we swam and went down a river water slide. The water is spring fed, aqua blue.
Of note: the last day, on this trip, included hiking out of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim using the famous Bright Angle Trail. I was a little anxious about this hike. In the end the hike was very doable. It has a gentle angle which keeps the effort reasonable.
It was again in April and cooler. One must plan for the hiking in the heat, if done later in the year. Also, there is a mule carry out service, which we did use to carry out some of our stuff. This made the hiking trip out much more enjoyable.
Lastly, CRATE Inc. puts out a great effort to make their trips excellent. I have done three trips with them, and would use them agian in an instant:)

I just returned from an 8 day trip running the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon with CRATE. Walker, Bonny, Mckenna and LG were brilliant; their knowledge of the history and geology of the canyon along with their commitment to our comfort made our time on and off the river educational, fun and surprisingly relaxing.
We were especially privileged to have Wayne Ranney a well respected geologist, author and lecturer as our field guide on this trip. His knowledge of the canyon is second to none and brought both the canyon and our imaginations to life.
Meals were delicious with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables available at each meal (how they kept them so fresh – even on day 8, is a testament to their attention to detail). CRATE is an incredibly well oiled machine and the crew are amazing; it is no wonder that they are such a successful company!
I would travel with CRATE again in a heartbeat; thank you for an incredible trip with memories that will last a lifetime!!!

We had the unique experience of running the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, not only with the outstanding services of the CRATE crew, but also with renowned Grand Canyon Geology expert Wayne Ranney and ten professional geologists in Arizona for a convention in Tucson. For geology buffs like myself, this was pure heaven. And then of course, there is the The River and its rapids.
Whether or not you are interested in Grand Canyon geology, if you want to have the best possible experience running the canyon on the Colorado River, you cannot find a better organization to do it with. Boat handling, meals, facilities, knowledge of river history, everything was outstanding. And even though we had a surplus of geology experts on board, our guide, Walker, was no slouch when it came to canyon geology.
We have gone on a lot of adventures in our lives, but this was in a class by itself. The CRATE organization and its crews will ensure you of the best possible Colorado River adventure.
Take lots of hand moisturizer and hiking poles.

Went with CRATE a couple of years ago for the 2nd time rafting the Grand Canyon. Sold my wife to be 20+ years prior that we could go to Hawaii anytime and that our honeymoon may be the only time that we could raft down the Grand Canyon. So we spent our honeymoon on a 11 day paddle trip down the grand canyon, Well the 3 girls heard about this through the years and they decided they wanted to experience the grand canyon for themselves. So for our 20th anniversary we headed back down the Colorado. Was a little concerned about doing motorized trip the 2nd time but am so glad we did in hindsight. The motorized did not detract from the trip experience which I was concerned about originally. It was much more relaxing and I think allowed more time for the side hikes which are as important or more important to the Grand Canyon experience than the rapids.The first time we went in mid September (shorter days) and the temperature was moderate but even then there were days that were very hot.
I think we got the all-star crew with Jon, McKinnon and Charlie the geologist but from other posts it appears all the guides are experienced and professional. Everything was excellent, the food, the hikes, the campsites, the planning, and we had a great group. We had an helicopter evac as one of the group had an accident on one of the hikes but the guides handled it perfectly. I felt at all times that we were in good hands. You could tell they were expertly trained to handle this type of situation.
I really cannot say enough about CRATE and if we plan in a few years to make the trip again Crate will be our choice. Also the trip originates out of Las Vegas so quite a transition but where better to renew your vows than with Elvis in Vegas;. So, Thank you, thank you very much.

Our 14-member group of old friends and colleagues, and their young adult offspring, all veterans of magical river trips past–so standards were high–went together down the Colorado for the 11-day trip with CRATE in September. This is the email I sent to them afterward. Every word is true.
Dear Vicki and Dave Mackay–
You must receive lots of these humble and cloying letters of gratitude and residual awe from recent river trip participants.
I willingly add mine to the pile.
As I write, my chest seizes up with an intensity of emotional overload and longing to be there still… I know, I know, it’s embarrassing, but there it it… I’m a novice to your river and your gift to us all. I am deeply grateful for what you have managed to achieve, and can only imagine the effort and sheer stubborn cussedness that have gone into it along the way. Thank you. My hat is off to you.
Ben is one of the most sturdy, stalwart and stable men I have ever met. When you talk with him, his eyes seek you out with their earnestness and tenderness and intelligence. There was never a moment we did not attend to his every word, with appreciation. And there was never a false note. Too good to be true. Sybrena astounds with her strength and stamina, her quiet, her magical clear voice, her gifts of music and calm and warmth. May she know how much we appreciated these gifts. Kyndl radiates a beauty and certitude and spidery agility that astonishes with her competence and grace and intelligence. We all fell in love. Alex charms with his sweetness and reliability and ever-present readiness–for whatever comes, however it comes. How does he do it, and remain so sweet and present? John brings such depth of knowledge and psychological acuity and willingness to share and exchange substantial knowledge–along with serious boat-wisdom and humor–that I never want to go anywhere without him again.
I wonder at how this is possible–and I come back to you guys…. This crew could not have been better for this group of crusty veterans and progeny. They were funny and fun and competent and lovely, and conveyed their great pleasure at doing what they were doing. And they helped us absorb all the dimensions of the experience–at a stretch, because some of this is hard to take in. And they kept us safe. You probably know…
First night, Ben’s unutterably rhapsodic, distant, private, hidden, flute music let us all know how magical this was to be, and brought the dimensions of unapologetic beauty and longing and mystery into the fore of our awareness under brilliant starlight and towering stone, building a foundation for the richest possible appreciation of the following days and nights. And his readings–poetry, Barry Lopez, Powell, and more–so spot-on to time and place and atmosphere and need–however unrecognized. Who could have imagined this? Like I said, too good to be true. Weeks later, we are still dazzled by the intensity of this trip’s perfection.
And, did I mention the violin? and the great food? the side-canyon hikes? the smoothness with which everything ran? the thrill of that cold cold water washing over our heads? the deep appreciation of human and geological history to inform our perceptions and comprehension? the glorious excitement of riding the tongue on waves of chocolate velvet into roaring maelstrom? the taking us to the absolute edge, but never over? the river changing colors everyday to tell us where the rains have gone and fallen and creating a mental landscape of the elsewhere unseen and unimaginable vastness of time and terrain and tectonic wonder? the gasping, unbelievable, astonishing, awesome beauty of it all? the realignment of time itself? This living earth. This river of our dreams.
For all this and more, I thank you.
Please, may I come again…?
Count me in for Alaska.

We did the 11 day paddle/rowing trip, the 188 mile ride down the river (without the hum of motors). A river trip is a wonderful way to experience the Grand Canyon. Experience breathtaking hikes to side canyons, water falls, caverns, streams and Indian remains. Our group ages ranged from 9 to 70’s. Everyone had a wonderful time and everyone was given the opportunity to paddle through the whitewater rapids, if interested.
The CRATE crew is very knowledgeable and shared their passion and love for the river and environment. The food was excellent and plentiful, and they try very hard to ensure that everyone had a great trip.
The weather conditions can change quickly in the canyon in August: 100 degrees to a hail storm. Their “pack list” is very good. Bring a good hat, sunscreen, and clothes that can get wet and dry QUICKLY, a good pair of HIKING water shoes, rain gear, head-lamp. Pack that sweatshirt they recommend, I used it several time to warm-up off the river. I enjoyed having a pillow and sheet.
Strongly recommend CRATE, our guides were wonderful.
I will never forget this trip, I would recommend it to everyone.

I have been river running and doing outdoor adventures for my whole life. I wanted to see the great river and wanted to see it start to finish not a part. It would be like reading a book and only reading part of it. I wanted a 8day 7 night float trip for the full 300 miles.
Too I wanted to concentrate on the surroundings and not be side tracked by paddling. I wanted focus.
I want to go with as small a group as possible with boats designed to give everyone a view… I set the size on no more than 12 persons.
And finally, I wanted to be with guides where passionate and skilled….
I waded through all the NPS licensed companies and to me one stood out like a diamond in a five and dime store CRATE….
It is impossible to tell you just how good that decision was… and how it exceeded my every want and desire…
All I can say is it you ever had even a remote dream of exploring this wonder from the river….. then You should look very seriously at CRATE… They make it a personal experience of discovery…not some thrill ride.