Southwest Rafting & Backpacking
« Back to SearchWhether by frothy white water or by navigating rock canyons, discover the wonders of Southern Utah and find more in you than you knew was there.
Learn the basics and the fine points of managing a paddle raft through some of the best whitewater in the West. Spend your days taking control of the guide paddle and steering your crew through rapids while learning the geology of the local area. Spend your nights camping under pristine, star-filled skies. Then, trade your river shoes for hiking boots and backpack through the Utah mountains. In this section, you’ll learn basic travel and camping techniques. The high alpine environment is home to many native species and animals with amazing views of the surrounding Moab valley.
NOTE: Outward Bound strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and up to date as defined by the CDC prior to arriving to their course start. For all open enrollment courses beginning on or after April 15, 2023, Outward Bound will no longer require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
UPCOMING COURSES
What is this?
For detailed information on course availability statuses and what they mean, click here.
Course # CUTN-341
Age 16 - 18
Days 15
Cost $5,780
Dates 6.6.23 - 6.20.23
Course # CUYN-341
Age 14 - 16
Days 15
Cost $5,780
Dates 7.8.23 - 7.22.23
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
On this course I have experienced challenge, hardship, fun and best of all, achievement. Because after all the paddling, rapids, mosquitoes, flies and heat, you are left with that sense of accomplishment, that you have gotten through it and you're still standing strong.
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
Each day on the river is spent learning to recognize and navigate various obstacles and hazards in the river and how to anticipate the forces of the current from far enough upstream. Students work to become a team, coordinating spacing and paddle strokes. Each student will have an opportunity to be the captain of their raft and practice new skills as they maneuver through adrenaline-filled rapids and flat-water sections.
In some places, the canyon rims rise thousands of feet above the river, enclosing participants in a remote world of rushing water, delicate ecosystems and unbelievable beauty. Most courses get the opportunity to take day hikes away from the river and up to the canyon rim. These hikes provide stunning views, a change of pace and often the chance to see Native American archeological sites, petroglyphs, pictographs and strange but remarkable geological formations.
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
_720_450_crop_fill.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
The course begins with lessons in basic travel and camping techniques. Along the way, students learn Leave No Trace¨ techniques, map and compass navigation, camp craft, and get a feel for the human and natural history of the area. Students backpack in the canyons and out across the mesas, camp on vast expanses of desert slickrock and stop along the way to explore amazing ruins and interesting geology. Most importantly, students get to spend time in an incredible area of the desert, sleep under the stars, feel the sunshine on their face, and watch the sunset over this simple but magical landscape.
Participants follow Leave No Trace ethics as service to the environment and do acts of service while leading and supporting fellow participants. Students develop a value of service, seeing the impact of their actions firsthand and transfer this desire to serve their communities back home. Past projects have included working on a goat farm, building trails, cleaning trash and debris from natural spaces, working with a local community garden, and removing invasive species.
Course Stories
On this course I have experienced challenge, hardship, fun and best of all, achievement. Because after all the paddling, rapids, mosquitoes, flies and heat, you are left with that sense of accomplishment, that you have gotten through it and you're still standing strong.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY LIKE
High Sierra Alpine Backpacking & Rock ...
Courses: 7 dates available Ages: 12-14 , 14-16 , 16-18 Length: 10 - 22 Days Cost: $4,140 - $7,540 Details & Dates
Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking & ...
Courses: 6 dates available Ages: 14-16 , 16-18 Length: 15 Days Cost: $5,780 Details & Dates
Oregon Smith Rock Climbing
Courses: 1 date available Ages: 14-16 Length: 7 Days Cost: $2,425 Details & Dates
Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.