Southwest Rafting & Canoeing
« Back to SearchThis 15-day river expedition is your chance to explore striking and sought-after Southwest rivers – both from the vantage point of a paddle raft and from the hull of a two-person canoe.
The start of your journey will take you to the Green River at the mouth of Desolation Canyon from the seat of a raft. As you descend through both Gray and Labyrinth Canyons you’ll learn the basics and fine points of managing a raft and canoe. By day you’ll explore some of the best whitewater in the West while exciting new activities will challenge your personal strength, develop your leadership skills and create a sense of community. Throughout your journey, you’ll have the chance to take in the historical significance of the Navajo Formation and pink sandstone that characterizes it. At night, you could find yourself camping underneath the pristine skies of Southern Utah on the hunt for shooting stars. No previous experience is necessary to fully embrace this expedition and take ahold of these epic experiences with a paddle in hand. This course is ideal for teenagers seeking wilderness skills, leadership opportunities and an outdoor experience this Summer.
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
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Course # CUYH-341
Age 14 - 16
Days 15
Cost $5,780
Dates 6.14.23 - 6.28.23
Course # CUYH-342
Age 14 - 16
Days 15
Cost $5,490
Dates 7.25.23 - 8.8.23
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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.
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The entire trip was incredible, and once home, I realized that not only was I a better leader, but I was a better person. I became obsessed with getting work and chores and jobs done right the first time, to the best of my ability, and I yearned for the feeling of approval from others who saw my work. My own vision of what I could create and do for myself, and others, was cleared when I went through that rapid. I understand the reality of accepting a challenge, whatever it may be, and I am ready and willing for more. College is my next rapid, and the effort and spirit required for me to survive and conquer it is in me. I have matured and readied myself for the challenges ahead, whether scholarly or other, and I am the ready captain of my ship.
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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 will 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.
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Once through Desolation and Gray Canyons, students continue on the Green River in two-person canoes for 63 miles through Labyrinth Canyon. The river slowly enters Labyrinth Canyon, named for the serpentine path it carves as it dives deep into the redrock sandstone. Narrow and winding side canyons, towering cliffs rising vertically out of the river, pinnacles and ledges all await students as they fine tune paddling strokes and adjust to the difference between the two types of craft. The canoes provide students with great freedom and maneuverability. While many of the rafting skills students learn are transferable to canoes, the small craft demand a high level of coordination and cooperation among canoeing partners. Instructors give students increasing responsibility as they demonstrate their ability to implement the skills they are learning.
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Depending on permits and river conditions, the course will take place in one of the following regions throughout Colorado and Utah:
Desolation/Gray/Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River, Utah
Surrounded by the Tavaputs Plateau and bordered by the Uinta and Ouray Reservation on the east, the journey on the Green River begins in Desolation Canyon near Sand Wash. Throughout the canyon, there are spectacular rock formations, ancient Native American archeological sites and abandoned ranches including McPherson Ranch, once frequented by Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch. The tiered rock walls of Desolation give way to the earthy bluffs of Gray Canyon, creating a striking contrast that characterizes the next 25 miles of the journey.
Shifting to canoes, you’ll continue your journey down the Green River through Labyrinth Canyon, where the river dives deep into the pink sandstone of the Navajo Formation which characterizes southeastern Utah and the Canyonlands area with narrow winding side canyons, orange Wingate cliffs, pinnacles and ledges. These regions are within the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nation.
Course Stories
The entire trip was incredible, and once home, I realized that not only was I a better leader, but I was a better person. I became obsessed with getting work and chores and jobs done right the first time, to the best of my ability, and I yearned for the feeling of approval from others who saw my work. My own vision of what I could create and do for myself, and others, was cleared when I went through that rapid. I understand the reality of accepting a challenge, whatever it may be, and I am ready and willing for more. College is my next rapid, and the effort and spirit required for me to survive and conquer it is in me. I have matured and readied myself for the challenges ahead, whether scholarly or other, and I am the ready captain of my ship.
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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.