The Moab Daily-A Raft Trip through Post Card Alley
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If you only ever take one raft trip, make certain this is one that you consider. It’s a day trip on the Colorado River through Utah’s red rock formations in an area so awe-strikingly scenic that it’s been dubbed Postcard Alley. Everywhere you look, you’ll see another varnished cliff, another flat topped mesa, another weather-sculpted spire and another incredibly pure blue sky.
It’s all desert and dirt and rock until you drop down to river level. Here, world becomes refreshingly wet and cool. The water sparkles with white rapids, the banks are lined with greenery and a strand of sandy beach beckons around every bend.
You can raft the entire stretch of river from Dewey Bridge into Moab, Utah, which is close to 30 miles. There are nice developed campsites in numerous places along the road side of the river. On busy weekends, you’ll need to make a reservation to snag one of those spots. Absolutely sweet beaches for primitive camping are available on islands and along the cliff side of the river. No reservations necessary.
The Daily run, which all the local outfitters float, is by far the best one day trip. Put in at Hittle Bottom, where there are restrooms, ramps and plenty of parking. The take out, 13 miles downstream, is creatively named Take Out Beach, which also has a ramp, parking and pit toilets. Expect it to take 6-10 hours depending on water levels and how much you want to paddle and how much you want to float.
As I said, all the local Moab outfitters run this stretch. Lunch is included on day long trips and the guides will keep you entertained with river lore and water antics. The prices are very reasonable for a day’s adventure. If you’d rather do it on your own, most of the outfitters also rent an assortment of paddle and oar rafts, as well as inflatable kayaks. Expect mostly flat stretches broken up with Class I and II rapids most of the year, although a few tight bends in the river create Class IIIs during higher water.
Don’t forget your camera, but if you do, you’ll have an ironclad excuse to do it all over again!
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