Motor Trips
Oar & Paddle Trips

Unplug in a world renowned wilderness setting

MOTOR TRIPS

Motor trips provide the security and comfort of a large stable raft and a shorter overall schedule while still allowing plenty of time for side canyon hiking, learning about the canyon’s natural & human history and the chance to explore and camp in the canyon’s remote wilderness setting.

Our motorized rafts are powered by quiet, 4-stroke engines. Since 1998 we have powered our boats with new-technology outboard motors that are substantially quieter and have far lower emissions than conventional outboard motors. Our electric start engines use less fuel and are more fuel efficient than manual start engines.

Our 34′ motorized rafts carry our guests higher above the turbulent water than our smaller oar and paddle boats. The boats were designed to carry up to 20 people but we typically schedule just 12-14 guests and 2 guides per boat to allow ease of movement and plenty of space and ease of movement. Our guests routinely comment on the generous and comfortable boat design.

Canyoneers’ boat design provides decks that provide a flat surface with plenty of room to move around easily or stretch out in the sun between rapids. Rather than just perches on piles of equipment, our motor boats have various seating options such as padded bench seats with lots of hand hold options, sofa-like seating options for flat water, and “down and in” seating. The boats have a low center of gravity and a special articulating frame system that holds everything in place and allows the boat to absorb the river’s energy. Water, snacks and personal gear are within easy reach throughout the day.

Our Motor trip schedule includes both two boat and one boat trips.

HYBRID (OAR & PADDLE) TRIPS

Hybrid trips typically include six oar boats, one 14′ paddle boat, and one of our 1940s historic wooden boats. Each craft provides exhilarating rides through the canyon’s white water. Decide each day which craft you’d like to join; participation on the different boat types is flexible and optional. The longer trip schedule combines extended hiking/exploring opportunities with time to really sink into a life away from technology in the canyon’s wilderness setting. A typical group size is 19 passengers and 6 guides.

* Our oar rafts are 18-foot self bailers; each is rowed by one of our guides and carries 3-4 trip passengers. For those who are interested, there are typically opportunities to try your hand at the oars in flat water and small rapids.

* Our 14′ Unloaded Paddle Boat is powered by 6 paddlers under the instruction of our paddle captain. The guide/captain will provide training and instruction that will meld the group into a cohesive power producing team. Our paddle boats are small and lightweight and have no frame or gear load, making them maneuverable and sporty. They make even the small rapids exciting and gain momentum quickly in big rapids. There is no additional charge for participation in our unloaded paddle boat.

* Our historic wooden cataract boats, the Sandra and the Joan were built by company founder Norman Nevills in the 1940s and are counted as some of the earliest boats to run Grand Canyon. Amongst the last boats built by Norm, he named these boats after his daughters and they were restored by his grandsons, Greg Reiff (Sandra) and Cam Staveley (Joan). While rare, water levels and other logistics can affect our ability to include the Sandra on oar trips.

Find out more about the history of Canyoneers and why we are the oldest river company on the Colorado River.

SPECIALTY TRIPS

There are no extra charges for these very special trips.
Call us today to reserve: 800.525.0924

Spring Trips with Botanists

  • See the Grand Canyon in spring bloom.

  • Learn about the Canyon’s plants and how to identify them from famed local botanists.

  • Regular interpretive topics and guide talks are interspersed with botany talks and interactions with the botanist including in-site moments with plant life and archeology sites.

  • We’ll delve into ethnobotany traditions and much more including plant life, distinct life zones and the different topographical and geographical zones. 9 Day schedule provides more hiking opportunities during this temperate time of year.

BOT & HS DATES:

Apr -24-May 1 8 Day Full

Apr 24-27 4 Day Upper

Apr 27-May 1 5 Day Lower

 

Botanist & Hiker Special for 2027

Join Lisa Harloe on our 8 Day April 24 trip and experience the awakening wildlife and plants before the Canyon’s busier visitation season. Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge based on her years of work as a Botanist throughout the west including the canyon and other riparian and desert environments.

  • We are offering an trip schedule of 8 Days with a Botanist & trip-focused hiking
  • April is the perfect time to see the Canyon’s many plant species in bloom
  • Fantastic hiking weather and migratory birds make our April trips an exceptional time of year.

 

For the past 25 years, Lisa has been chasing wildflowers and wandering the wild corners of the West — from both rims (and the river!) of the Grand Canyon to the red rocks of Utah, the Great Basin of Nevada, the high desert and coast of Oregon, and her beloved Idaho home base in Boise. She’s happiest with her feet in the sand, sun on her shoulders, and a field guide in hand. Many of her photos are featured in local Grand Canyon guide books. Join her this April for peak bloom and a river trip bursting with color, stories, and memories you’ll never forget!

Botanists Rachel Hosna & Megan Rabinowich.

Rachel Hosna

Twelve years ago, Rachel traded in the midwest for the southwest when she got a job collecting native seeds for restoration in the Mojave desert of Nevada. Since then, she has worked on public lands all over the southwest surveying for rare plants, conducting vegetation monitoring, managing noxious weeds and collecting (more) seeds! She can’t wait to soak in the spring blooms with you!

Megan Rabinowich

Megan is a botanist with a deep love for the landscapes and plant communities of the Southwest. She holds an M.S. in Botany from New Mexico State University and a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont, and has spent years conducting field research, surveying plant communities, and exploring the Mojave Desert, Chihuahuan Desert, Colorado Plateau, and the diverse habitats of New Mexico.

Originally from upstate New York, Megan works as an environmental consultant in New Mexico where she lives with her two cats, Elton and Winona. Megan is passionate about ecological restoration and helping others understand the resilience and beauty of native plants. She enjoys biking, skiing, rafting, hiking, and catching live music whenever she can.

Archeology Interpretive Focus

 

* Travel with an engaging and informative Archeologist who will provide information and education about the Canyon’s historic archeological sites.

  • Dates TBD

Kirk Anderson

Kirk will be your guide to the past cultures and landscapes of the Grand Canyon. Dr. Anderson is a geo-archaeologist who has conducted research in the southwest and Mexico for over 30 years, focusing on the interplay between ancient cultures and the natural environment. He received his masters degree from Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, investigating how cultures and landscapes respond to climate change in the Glen Canyon region.

Between 2009 and 2012 he was part of the Museum of Northern Arizona and National Park Service research team that excavated several archaeology sites along the river corridor through Grand Canyon. Participants will visit some of those sites, and others, providing a unique opportunity to be immersed in the ancient Grand Canyon landscape, learn how archaeologists go about their investigations, and achieve a deeper understanding of the resilience that the ancestors of modern Native Americans needed to live and thrive in this challenging landscape.

Bluegrass Duo
Peter McLaughlin & Chris Brashear

  • Chris and Peter have been playing and singing together as a duet since 1992, and their performances include sibling-like harmonies, intricate arrangements, and stunning instrumental virtuosity. Though steeped in bluegrass tradition, they perform many original songs inspired by western landscapes, history and wild rivers.

  • Join us for a Grand Canyon motor boating bluegrass river trip. National flat picking champion Peter Mclaughlin and multi-instrumentalist Chris Brashear will join us and share their love of bluegrass on the river.

    Dates for 2027:

    6/6/27

Astronomy Special

Louis Maez

* Grand Canyon’s truly dark sky, shooting stars and the Milky Way into focus. Our astronomer, Louis Maez will provide star talks and a scientific understanding of the cosmos, how to view stars through your binoculars. Astrophotography instruction will be offered. Louis will also discuss Hopi and Navajo astronomy through two recent indigenous murals currently on display at the Observatory.

About Louis

Louis is a Senior Telescope Specialist at Lowell Observatory. He was raised in the Southwest where the clear dark skies inspired a love for astronomy early in life. He has a decade of experience in telescope operation, education, and research, including a season at Bryce Canyon N.P. as an outreach astronomer.

At Lowell Observatory, he teaches astrophotography classes and is the coordinator for private telescope tours. He has a particular interest in the history of science, and enjoys reading about early astronomers and mathematicians. He’s published in scientific journals and pop-science magazines, and is currently writing an updated catalogue of the night sky. Louis lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with his wife and two cats. He spends much of his time outdoors, and enjoys bird watching, backpacking, and reading.

Only Spaces available:

  • 9/10-9/14 Lower Canyon

* The trip is scheduled to coincide with the minimal moonlight in order to appreciate the Milky Way and beyond.

Remember to bring your bring binoculars, 7 x 50s or anything you have at home to look at the amazing dark sky.

10 Day Trips

  • These 10 Day Full Canyon Motor Trips provide additional time for back country hiking and exploring.

  • Enjoy hiking the Canyon in the cooler spring and fall temperatures.

Dates:

  • 9/13/2026-9/22/2026
  • 9/12/2027-9/21/2027

Bird Biologist Sky Kremer
2027 Ornithology Trip

  • Whether you are a seasoned birder or simply interested in birds of the southwest, this Spring trip will further your education and enthusiasm for the birds of Grand Canyon and the world around you.

  • On this Canyoneers river trip Sky Kremer, a bird biologist with over 20 years of experience, will delve into the many different kinds of birds in the southwest and how the spring bloom brings them to life.

  • Learn to identify birds by sight and call, learn to navigate a bird field guide and start a life list, or learn how to mimic bird calls such as raven and canyon wren.

Dates: TBD

GRAND CANYON ADVENTURES SINCE 1938

Licensed Consessioner of the National Park Service.

Explore with us.