You’ve heard about Grand Canyon raft trips. You may have read about them or, while researching adventure trips you saw some really rockin’ video. A trip like this might have even made it onto your personal "Bucket List." So what do you really need to know about the experience to move it to the top of your list and actually make it happen?

Taking an all-inclusive raft trip on the Colorado River as it flows through the Grand Canyon allows you to experience breathtaking scenery from the very bottom of the Grand Canyon. This stretch of water provides you the longest, navigable whitewater in North America featuring exhilarating rapids and calmer stretches for lazy drifting. Off- river hiking allows you to explore awesome sites in the depths of the Grand Canyon that most Canyon visitors will never see. Camping along the river gives you a front row seat to expansive starry night skies.

Colorado River Outfitter, Grand Canyon Whitewater (GCW) offers this detailed glimpse into what a day on the river brings to trip participants, starting with fresh-brewed coffee and a hearty breakfast. Next it’s time to load up the rafts and get onto the water where gentle, peaceful stretches flow and yet tumultuous whitewater rapids are always a possibility and a promise. You may stop for a side hike to a rushing waterfall, native ruins or ancient petroglyphs. Along the way, the geology portrays the past as you descend into older, more ancient rock layers. You can take the time to splash in a warm creek or tread where Native Americans lived and farmed. Each day on the river carries you deeper into the Grand Canyon and each day the Canyon reveals more beauty and wonder for you to enjoy. After a full day of fun and exploring on and off the river, you pull into camp for the night. It may be a huge, sandy beach or a more intimate stretch along the water’s edge. GCW crews cook up fabulous meals with fresh foods. Guests enjoy relaxing in camp with hors’ d’oeuvres and there’s even ice for your cocktail if needed. At camp, guests can re-live the day’s adventures and plan for tomorrow’s activities then bed down beneath the starry sky where it’s easy to count the shooting stars or find the Big Dipper. The night sky sprawls above you as the river flows beside you.

Great river guides are experienced and trained to keep you safe while you maneuver your way on and off the river. They provide endless information and insight into your trip environment. According to Grand Canyon Whitewater, not only can crews navigate the swirling rapids, but they also cook great meals, bandage your blisters, entertain you with river stories and interesting Canyon facts and schedule everything. This lets you relax and enjoy your trip.

Another great thing to know about rafting the Colorado River is that you don’t need to be experienced or bring much gear along. Camping gear is provided, so you’ll enjoy sitting on a chair in camp and sleeping above the sand, on a cot. Tents, sleeping bags and sheets, pillows, ground cover, dry bags and life jackets are also provided.

Now that you have an idea of what a Grand Canyon rafting trip is like, you can take your adventure from your "someday" list and make it a reality.