Half-Day Lower Salt River Rafting Tour

Overview

Float down the Lower Salt River on a guided flatwater rafting trip and discover a scenic and relaxing desert oasis just outside Phoenix and Scottsdale. Swim, play, or just relax on the river and soak in the scenery. This is a family-friendly activity with options to please everyone. A little paddling is required, but your guide will steer the boat and provide fascinating information about the surrounding Sonoran Desert. A reliable source of water, the Salt River attracts a variety of wildlife, making it common for us to enjoy close encounters with animals in their natural habitat

Tours take about four hours including the drive to/from the river and the duration of the tour. Bottled water and snacks, raft/paddles, a life jacket, dry bags, round-trip transportation and National Forest entry fees are included in this trip. Tour is limited to a maximum of 12 travelers.

Call for more availability potential.

City: Phoenix

Tue 22 Apr

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $140.00

Make a reservation

Tue 22 Apr

Starting at $140.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Roundtrip Transportation from Meeting Location (Canal/Hawes PNR: 3055 N Power Rd. Mesa, AZ 85215)

PFD (life jacket), dry bags

Professional guide

Bottled water

Snacks

Fuel surcharge

Raft & paddles

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
A minimum weight of 35 lbs is required
We require solo-travelers to pay the minimum of the 2-person price. If you are a solo traveler and would like to be added on to a pre-formed group for this tour, please mention this upon booking.

What To Expect

Salt River

Raft down a beginner‐friendly river with Cliff Creek Outfitters' guided raft tours on the Lower Salt River just outside Phoenix and Scottsdale. This class I river (the easiest rating on the international river difficulty scale) provides some of the best opportunities for viewing wildlife and bird watching in the Southwest. We often see wild horses and bald eagles during our tour! Your guides are available to teach you the natural history of the area and give you expert paddling instruction. We select our launch locations based on the current water flow to provide you with the best experience so our start and end points vary throughout the year. Water temperatures may range from approx. 60 degrees F in the winter to low 80 degrees in the summer months. Swimming is possible year‐round but it can be a bit bracing in January!

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (42)

Donna_H

Oct 2024

We had great weather, our guide was wonderful and very informative. We say wild horses swimming on the side of the river

Response from Host

Oct 2024

Hi Donna, thank you for your kind words! Our guides take a lot of pride in trying to create a great experience, and it really helps when the local wildlife makes an appearance. We hope you come float with us again!

Wendy_S

Oct 2024

I was prepared for a nice relaxing float down the river to view the beautiful scenery along the way. When we arrived, we were informed we were the only couple on the tour which didn’t sound bad initially until I figured out that meant more work from the two of us. The river had no current the majority of the time and we were being blown backwards by the wind. My husband and I had to paddle the majority of the trip in order to make it down the river. This is where I realized having a “private tour” had its shortcomings. We could have used a few extra people to help! I didn’t realize the amount of work involved on this trip. It was not a nice relaxing float down the river. We saw some blue Herron and eventually did see some wild horses and a few fish. Overall, be prepared for 2 hours of paddling!

Response from Host

Oct 2024

Hi Wendy, we are sorry that this trip was so much work this time around. In our efforts to provide consistent and quality services, we do our best to run our tours as long as the weather is safe - sometimes this means encountering wind that requires a bit of extra paddling. We always hope for additional guests to add to the enjoyment and keep the raft more in the current and less in the wind, in the case that it arises. Thank you for providing this feedback, and we hope you can join us again for a morning float.

Trish_B

Sep 2024

Paddle rafting down the river was a first and fantastic! Daniel was the best guide ever and I achieved a personal dream to see the wild horses. A truly wonderful day.

Response from Host

Sep 2024

Hi Trish, we're really happy that you were able to see the wild horses and that you enjoyed Daniel's guiding. Please come see us again soon!