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Overnight Rafting Trips
Yellow raft full of paddlers in red life jackets moving through a brown rapid below a slope of broken rock.
A paddle crew works through a rapid.

Utah ยท Colorado River

Westwater Canyon rafting trips

Seventeen miles and eleven named rapids up to Class IV, with one night in the canyon. Compare every overnight Westwater outfitter.

2 to 3 days / 1 to 2 nights
State
Utah
Trip length
2 days, 1 night to 3 days, 2 nights
Whitewater
Up to Class IV, per the BLM
Season
April to October, by outfitter
River miles
17, Westwater to Cisco
Permit
Reserved, no lottery
Compare outfittersGuided trip or lottery?

Quick answer

Guided overnight Westwater Canyon trips run 2 days, 1 night, or 3 days, 2 nights with Ruby and Horsethief Canyons added. The BLM allows one night of camping inside the canyon. We list 9 outfitters. There is no lottery. Overnights in the canyon list from $450 per person (checked September 2026).

The route

Westwater to Cisco

American Whitewater's first named rapid is at mile 7.4, and the hardest are packed between miles 9 and 11.

  1. Mile 0WestwaterLaunch
  2. Mile 7.4Little DoloresClass II+
  3. Mile 9.9Funnel FallsClass III
  4. Mile 10.4SkullClass IV
  5. Mile 17.6CiscoTake out
  1. Day 1
  2. Day 2

Rapid miles and classes from American Whitewater, counted from the Westwater launch. The BLM gives about 17 miles to Cisco. Shown for a 2 day, 1 night trip; the river ranger assigns the camp at launch.

Compare outfitters

Every Westwater Canyon outfitter with overnight trips

The BLM publishes its Westwater outfitter contact list for 2026. This table covers the outfitters on it whose own sites show overnight trips, listed alphabetically.

Westwater Canyon rafting outfitters with trip lengths in days and nights, boats, season, minimum age and lowest listed price
OutfitterTrip lengthsBoatsSeasonMin ageFrom, per adultBook
Adrift Adventures2 days, 1 night to 3 days, 2 nightsOarApril to October10$5502 day, 1 night trip; year not shown; another page lists $570. Checked Sep 2026See dates with Adrift
AVA Rafting2 days, 1 nightRaftFridays and Saturdays12$5992026. Checked Sep 2026See dates with AVA
Canyonlands Field Institute2 days, 1 night; 4 days, 3 nights with Ruby HorsethiefPaddle or oarDates by request14$580Private groups of 6 to 25 only; BLM fee included; year not shown. Checked Sep 2026See dates with CFI
Colorado River & Trail Expeditions2 days, 1 night to 3 days, 2 nightsNot listedSummer12 to 14, by flowNo price shown on the pages we checked. Checked Sep 2026See dates with CRATE
Holiday River Expeditions2 days, 1 night to 3 days, 2 nightsOar; paddle on request; inflatable kayak, paddle boardMay to September8$5992 day, 1 night trip, plus a $12 fee; year not shown. Checked Sep 2026See dates with Holiday
NAVTEC Expeditions2 days, 1 nightOar; inflatable kayak on flat waterNot listedNot listed$4502024 rate, the latest shown; government fee extra. Checked Sep 2026See dates with NAVTEC
OARS2 days, 1 night to 3 days, 2 nightsOar, paddle, inflatable kayak, paddle board2027 dates posted12 (16 at high water)$6692 day, 1 night trip, 2027; 3 day from $1,099. Checked Sep 2026See dates with OARS
Sheri Griffith River Expeditions2 days, 1 night to 3 days, 2 nightsOar, paddleApril to September10$6992 day, 1 night trip, 2026, plus fees; 3 day $899. Checked Sep 2026See dates with Sheri Griffith
World Wide River Expeditions2 days, 1 night (camp outside the canyon)Oar, paddle; inflatable kayak on day 2June to August10$399Westwater on day 1, camp at Fisher Towers, Moab Daily on day 2; year not shown. Checked Sep 2026See dates with World Wide

"Not listed" means we could not find it on the outfitter's site in September 2026. Prices are the lowest adult rate we found and several exclude fees. Confirm when booking.

Day trip only: Rimrock Adventures, Durango Rivertrippers and Western River Expeditions. We could not find overnight trip pages for other names on the BLM list. Missing an outfitter? Tell us.

The no lottery way in

Guided trip or private permit?

Westwater has no lottery, but private permits are limited to five a day from April through September and open only two months ahead. The BLM recommends the canyon only for experienced boaters. A guided trip skips both problems.

No lottery

Book a guided trip

How you get a spot
Pick a date with one of the outfitters above and book it.
Experience needed
None; the guides run the boats. Minimum ages run 8 to 14.
Trip length
2 days, 1 night or 3 days, 2 nights.
Where you meet
Moab for most outfitters; Green River for Holiday and CRATE.
Compare Westwater outfitters

Private permit

Reserve a private permit

When to book
Two months ahead of launch, at 8 am MT daily, on Recreation.gov.
Daily limit
Five private permits or 75 people, April through September.
Group size
Up to 25 people.
Fees
$10 per person plus a $6 reservation fee.
See the lottery calendar

Sources: Recreation.gov Westwater permit, the BLM Westwater permits page and the BLM private use stipulations.

On the river

What an overnight Westwater trip looks like

BLM rules allow one night of camping inside the canyon, on your launch date, at a site the river ranger assigns.

  1. Launch day

    Drive from Moab or Green River to the Westwater Ranger Station and launch.

  2. Afternoon

    Float into the canyon to your assigned camp.

  3. The night

    Dinner cooked by the guides, in camp inside the canyon.

  4. Day two

    Finish the canyon, take out at Cisco and drive back.

What outfitters list as included

  • Guides, boats and life jackets
  • Meals on the river
  • Camp gear
  • Transportation from the meeting town

Canyonlands Field Institute includes the BLM fee; Holiday and Sheri Griffith add fees on top. Check each outfitter's list.

Worth checking before you book

  • BLM and land use fees
  • Sleeping bags
  • Travel to Moab or Green River
  • Guide tips

More on camp life, meals and the toilet in river camping, and on tips in tipping your guides.

When to go

The Westwater rafting season

Permits are required year round. Outfitters run from April to October.

American Whitewater notes that flows above 10,000 cfs make Skull much harder, and OARS raises its minimum age to 16 at high water. See when to go rafting.

1 night is the camping limit inside Westwater Canyon, on your launch date, according to the BLM.

Who it suits

Which Westwater trip fits you

Short on time

Two days and one night covers the whole canyon. See 2 day rafting trips.

Whitewater seekers

Class IV rapids in a short canyon. See whitewater camping trips and the whitewater classes guide.

Families with older kids

Holiday takes kids from 8 and several outfitters from 10. See family rafting trips.

Questions

Westwater Canyon rafting questions

How much does an overnight Westwater Canyon trip cost?

On the outfitters' own sites, checked in September 2026, 2 day, 1 night trips in the canyon list from $450 (NAVTEC, 2024 rate) to $699 (Sheri Griffith, 2026). Three day, two night trips list from $749 to $1,099. Confirm when booking.

How long is Westwater Canyon?

The BLM says the canyon is 17 miles long, with about 17 river miles from the Westwater Ranger Station to the Cisco take out. Three day trips add Ruby and Horsethief Canyons upstream.

Is Westwater a lottery river?

No. Private permits are reserved on Recreation.gov two months ahead of the launch date, at 8 am MT each day. From April through September, private use is limited to five permits or 75 people a day, according to the BLM.

How hard is Westwater Canyon?

The BLM says the canyon has eleven named rapids up to Class IV and is only recommended for experienced boaters. It names Funnel Falls, Skull and Sock It To Me as the most challenging.

How many nights can you camp in the canyon?

One. BLM rules allow camping inside Westwater Canyon for one night only, on your launch date, at a site the river ranger assigns. That is why most overnight trips are 2 days, 1 night.

What is the minimum age?

Holiday lists 8; Adrift, Sheri Griffith and World Wide list 10; AVA and OARS list 12, with OARS raising it to 16 at high water. Canyonlands Field Institute lists 14.

Where do Westwater trips start?

Most outfitters meet in Moab. Holiday and Colorado River & Trail Expeditions meet in Green River, Utah. The Westwater Ranger Station is 4.5 miles from the Colorado state line.

Does every overnight trip camp in the canyon?

No. World Wide River Expeditions runs Westwater on day 1, then camps at Fisher Towers and runs the Moab Daily section on day 2. Read each trip's itinerary.

Keep planning

Ready to book

Pick your Westwater outfitter

Compare trip lengths, boats and minimum ages, then check dates directly with the outfitter.

Compare Westwater outfittersMore Utah rivers

Written by a Moab river guide and Wilderness First Responder.Last checked