wild rivers expeditions

Traveling solo, I took the one-day river rafting trip from Bluff to Mexican Hat, Utah in August, 2014, with daytime temperatures reaching 97 degrees (F). I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This is a gentle river rafting trip; the San Juan is one of the nation's most placid rivers. There is, to be sure, a Class III rapid, but only when the water's high, and it's a cakewalk. Most of the time, you're floating down the river, astonished by the beauty of the surrounding canyon walls, the abundant prehistoric native American ruins and petroglyphs, and the flourishing wildlife, including herons and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Our tour guide, Marcus, made full use of his fourteen years of experience to explain the geology and history of areas we traversed. We made three stops, which included a visit to a magnificent, cliffside Anasazi ruin, a guided tour through one of the most amazing fossil beds I've ever seen, and a pleasant, riverside lunch, which included fresh fruit and vegetables and all the makings needed to construct a delicious wrap sandwich. On all the stops, we were given the option of swimming in the river to cool off and, on two of them, to ride the rapids in our lifejackets -- great fun, and refreshing. To ward off the afternoon heat, Marcus hoisted a huge umbrella, which provided some welcomed shade. Seldom did the heat get to us; on the river, there's a pleasant breeze. I strongly recommended this trip to those who aren't up to adventurous, white-knuckle rapid trips, including families with young children and older persons, such as yours truly. All around, a wonderful experience. I think this review is best summed up by saying that, if I could go again tomorrow, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

In June my three granddaughters--ages 17, 18 and 19--and I (age 74) took a 5-day float trip with Wild Rivers, putting in at Mexican Hat and going through the fantastically beautiful Goosenecks section of the San Juan River. We camped out on beaches, Wild Rivers provided excellent meals and adequate "facilities". (You may inquire what a "groover" is.). There were side trips up beautiful canyons for hiking and swimming. A 2-seat duckie was provided and we all enjoyed taking turns in it. Our guides were excellent. This trip is highly recommended.

My mother and I took a three day-two night float trip from Bluff to Mexican hat. Overall, the experience was great. The company went out of their way to accommodate us, and the guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. I hope to make another trip in the Four Corners area sometime, and when I do Wild Rivers\Four Corners Adventures will be my first choice for a guide service. I recommend them.

A very well run and professional adventure provider: we booked a 3-day/2-night trip down the San Juan River starting at Bluff with a take-out at Mexican Hat, The evening prior to our departure, we met with the entire group and lead guide for a briefing about safety and expectations - this offered us an opportunity to become aquainted with each other and to prepare for what laid ahead of us. As the river level was rather high, the current moved fast but also reduced the number and level of rapids on our route - no matter, as this being my first raft experience, I was hoping for something lacking adreneline rushes... what an amazing journey this turned out to be!!! We had ample time for stops to explore the geology and ancient ruins including pictographs and petrogliffs. Our lead guide, Paul, was well informed about all aspects of the area and was adept at tailoring our hikes/explorations to our skill and endurance levels.Although I am a prarie-dwelling flatlander, who prefers four walls and a bed to camping, the amenities and food were all very good - the camping locations were well scouted and were beautiful, adding the the incedible experience of this journey.Yes, 5-stars for this - you could always ask for more, but prior to our trip, our questions were answered with enthusiasim, patience and honesty. Our Guides, Paul and Mariah, were professional, personable, knowledgeable and perhaps most importantly, were sincere for their concern for us and our safety, as well as the significance of the environment that surroundinded us, making our experience all the more appreciated and memorable. We highly reccomend Wild Rivers Expeditions and will certainly look to them first the next time we have an opportunity to explore in the area.

My family had a wonderful time with our guide Tamera. She was knowledgable about the river and archeology. We were captivated by the sites and animals.

Took a one day raft trip out of Bluff in June, 2014. Very knowledgeable river guides, good equipment, and a great lunch made the experience very enjoyable as we floated down the river looking at the spectacular geology. The stops at the Sand Island petroglyph site and the Butler Wash ruins were greatly enhanced by the information supplied by the guides. Both experiences are really worth it. While we had a geology professor talking about the rocks on a walkie-talkie as we floated by them, the guides also knew a lot and could explain it well for non-professionals. As a photographer, I was pleased I could keep my DSLR handy for most of the trip, as only two rapids were rough enough to require the dry bag. Well worth the fee they charge. Would like to do the seven day trip sometime.

This was a great day on the San Juan River. Our guide Greg was very knowledgeable and careful with the boat. The day was just wonderful and relaxing. Thanks for a memorable experience.

Thank you again for traveling with us on the river. As I expressed in response to your concerns highlighted in our guest survey, I am deeply sorry that you and your family did not enjoy the experience. I understand your not choosing to come and talk with us after the trip returned and/or to offer any means by which we might help to alleviate your feelings of frustration either at that time, and it seems clear that my response to your survey input did not encourage any feeling of satisfaction that your concerns had been heard. I am also sorry that the result of this is a review in a public forum that has such a significant impact on our business. Our boats regularly carry 8 passengers and seating on the boat's tubes is usual no matter how many people are aboard. Many of our passengers choose to ride there specifically. Similarly, the guide running a motor at the back of the boat inherently reduces the ability to hear what is being said. We make sure to encourage passengers to give us some kind of signal that they have a question or want to communicate somehow if they are not able to hear us and our guides have training in watching for cues that help them to gauge your interest and needs in situations of all kinds, including those in which you can't hear each other well. Additionally, most of the interpretive information if offered at stops when there is not a limitation in terms of access or ability to hear your guide. Your guide was very concerned at the end of the day that you had not been comfortable or enjoyed your trip and felt that he had tried to make adjustments throughout the day to encourage your ability to do so in any way that he could. Had we known that you were uncomfortable with any particular details of the arrangements that we are able to change, we would have been happy and able to assist more effectively. Concerning lunch, we are once again deeply sorry that you did not enjoy the salad that was on the menu for the day. We absolutely love food, and sharing an exceptional handmade meal is one of our favorite additions to a river trip. When you made your reservation over the phone, my notes indicate that you were asked about eating restrictions and/or preferences and told us that members of the family did not eat tomatoes and peppers. The medical forms for your family indicated the same notes. We ask specifically because it is important in our ability to send a meal that you are at least able to enjoy, if not truly delight in. The meal did not have any tomatoes or peppers precisely because of that information. Perhaps, had you been willing to share more information concerning what would be acceptable to you and your family, or additional items that clearly were not, we would have had the chance to provide a meal that would have been less disappointing for you.Finally, I am the girl who checked you in at the office, and the owner that responded to your survey input. We do our very best to provide exceptional river experiences and I am always very sad to find that any of our passengers did not enjoy their time with us. As a result of this sort of input we discuss concerns, and search for ways that we might take full responsibility for our shortcomings and correct operations in any manner that we might to alleviate them as possible to the experience of our passengers. We have the distinct privilege of sharing this river that we love with hundreds of passengers every year, and have done so for 56 years as of this season. I remain very sorry to have been part of an experience that you were unhappy with on your vacation. We think of vacation as a sacred kind of time spent, particularly for American families. However, our rafts are not overfilled and we are not greedy in our operations by any means. Our trips rely on a willingness of people to explore together on an expedition. In that capacity there are variables that we are and must be fully responsible for, variables that we cannot control, and variables that we rely on trip participants to be responsible for. The nature of the trip includes the balance of all of those things and the willingness on everyone's part to enjoy the adventure. Again, we are very sorry that you did not enjoy yours.Thanks again for boating with us and for sharing your input.Have a great day.Kristen McKinnonOwnerWild Rivers Expeditions

Once a year to clear my head and to recapture the beauty of the San Juan River from Bluff to Mexican Hat, Utah I do a Wild River Expeditions rafting trip. Along the way you see astonishing signs of ancient native peoples, Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep but, most of all, the quiet and serenity of the river relaxes every inch of your body. At several points in the 26 mile river trip, you leave the raft and explore wall paintings and other signs of life along the river many thousands of years old. The guides are amazingly knowledgeable, very pleasant and lunches are always a treat with much of the food locally grown. My last trip was in late September and the weather was perfect.Cost is $150 per person plus a gratuity (like me I'm certain you'll feel one is in order for the memorable time you've just had). Wild River Expeditions is a very friendly and professional company and each of the 4 times I've done this trip, dealing with them has been a pleasure.

Wild Rivers is the absolute best for rafting in the Four Corners. We had a fantastic adventure traveling down the San Juan in two rafts, stopping at Big Kachina panel, at River House and floating through the most astounding geology. Greg, our boatman, made "Nankoweep" style willow animal figures for us as he navigated down the San Juan.

Wild Rivers offered a special four-day/3-night trip in early May 2013 that focused on birds and rock art. Our boatman, Bryan Brown, is an ornithologist, and our archaeologist was Sally Cole, who is not only an authority on rock art but very knowledgable about wildflowers. Last year there were about 12 participants on this trip; oddly enough, there were only two of us this year, so we felt blessed even though we had some rain. If you bring your own tent and/or sleeping gear, I recommend sending it ahead instead of packing it in your luggage. The food was very good and the scenery is terrific!

Thank you very much for boating with us and sharing your input here, as well as in our office after the trip and in our customer survey. We are very sorry to find that you were disappointed in the experience and that our immediate willingness to refund the difference in trip pricing was not a satisfactory response. Our trip fares changed at the beginning of 2013 and our records show that all pages associated with the website and advertising were updated by the end of January. When your trip reservation was made in mid-March you were quoted the 2013 rate. Clearly, despite these measures there was some form of misunderstanding for which we sincerely apologize. We've also looked carefully at all notes on the page concerning motor use and lunches to understand how we might have communicated insufficiently to create an expectation on your part that was not accurate for the trip as you experienced it. Lunches are described to include homemade salads and sandwiches. Generally, the pasta salad is one of our most favored lunch meals by passengers and we are regret that you did not enjoy it. Finally, our notes do indicate always that we row boats for the day trip at high water levels and that it is motorized in lower water. The San Juan, by nature is a low water river, and it is indeed most often a motorized trip. This year, with notably low winter precipitation and snow pack totals throughout the watershed, and water conservation measures in place at Navajo Dam upstream of us, we do not expect to see high enough water to row the daily at all. In other years, we have done so for as long as 8 weeks of our season. In the end, we are most sorry to find that our trip did not meet your expectations and that our efforts to address the concerns that you presented to us afterwards have not succeeded in alleviating your disappointment. We'll hope that you find more fulfilling experiences in future travel. Thanks again.

We had a boat trip on the San Juan River from Bluff to Mexican Hat on May 2013 with our 11 years' old daughter. This part of the trip is a level 3 River, and it was just what we were looking for, some rapids but not huge one. Our guide, Marcus, contributed highly in making our trip a great moment. He gave us many geologist explanations on the area and we also hiked to an ancient anazasi river ruins called the Snake House...it was really beautiful...the lunch was delicious, and we saw wildlife during our trip...many bighorn sheep, great blue herons, wild geese, ibis birds...we appreciated the warm welcome of Jessica at the agency...we definitely recommend this activity.

My 7 yr-old daughter and I really enjoyed spending the day on the San Juan River with Marcus. He is an extremely knowledgeable guide and competent river pilot. We enjoyed the walks to the petroglyphs and cliff dwellings and learning the stories behind both. Lunch was great and my daughter especially loved the swim stops! We look forward to coming back again.

I've had the fantastic luck to have taken four 3-day trips down the San Juan with WR over the last 5 years. Each year, I've had new guides. Each year, along with me and the guides are 10-12 high school students I bring with me from all over the world. Some can swim, some can't. some have peanut allergies, gluten intolerances, or are vegetarian--it never makes any difference to the WR staff as far as how well they feed as. The students all come off the river well fed, well taken care of and really well educated about the river ecosystem and history. The day hikes are challenging, but not grueling. The guides are laid back about everything you want them to be, but serious about safety (which is great for first time rafters). Plus, they're just FUN.This year, one of my students left his phone behind in one of the vans by accident. The WR staff was totally on top of it, sent us his phone, and didn't even charge us for the shipping or the trouble. Simply put, they are everything a business should be and a real class act.