TREMENDOUS experience! Use this crew if you ever plan to take a grand canyon raft trip!

Ask for Captain Kelly! I recently did 187 mile raft with a group of geologists to go see many famous sites along the river. Due to Covid, our diverse crew (most older, up to 76 years old), and rapids, I was nervous. The second I met our boatman Kelly all my fear washed away. She is absolutely the most capable navigator I have ever experienced, an excellent leader, and exudes confidence and a positive attitude at every moment. Even though we had a geologist who was guiding our science chat, Kelly added the historical stories, naturalist lectures, and humor. I also noticed she was already aware of the geologic significance of the sites. Our swamper Thad was an energetic and hilarious asset who compliment Kelly really well and also took great care of us. They made us feel so safe and comfortable and are very professional (I noticed a lot of other river guides out there drinking and smoking at night and felt so lucky our guides were responsibly tending to camp or sleeping instead). Every night Kelly got dressed up and cooked us amazing meals, including warm cakes from scratch with a Dutch oven. We didn't go home any thinner. If you get this crew with Hatch, you are lucky! I will ask for them next time. read more

Hatch River Expeditions - Captain Kelly and our geology guide Lew. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Hatch is taking advantage of COVID 19 and not providing refunds!!!!! A group of 26 of us booked a trip 1.5 year ago to launch May 2020. Hatch cancelled our reservation due to Covid 19. They will only provide a 50 % refund, resulting in them keeping over $50,000 for this one booking. I feel this is totally unethical, they are benefiting hugely from COVID 19, they cancelled the trip, not us, and many other rafting companies of offering full refunds. read more

Hatch River Expeditions has it dialed in! The reservation process was well tuned. They provided reminder emails with things to do to prep for the trip (final payment, physical exercises/conditioning, items to bring and not bring). They offered drinks for purchase prior to the trip or we could bring our own (no glass). The trip has physical requirements and if you can't do them then it will cut back on the whole adventure as there are some great waterfalls, swimming holes, hikes, and things to see and experience let alone holding onto your rope and seat during the 180+ rapids (up to #10 rating) we experienced on the Colorado river. By the way; you will get wet in the COLD water! I was part of a 12 person party with another party of 3 plus the tour guides (18 persons total) on one raft with side pontoons. From the time we arrived at Cliff Dwellers Stone House the day before the trip and until we returned after 6 days on the water, the trip was incredible! The first day on the water was terrific and it got better each day! There were great excursions each day. Our leaders, Rachel and Thad were incredible! They appeared to work very well together and that made the trip a more happy experience. Side excursions and daily operation of the boat they added their own personal touches which made for a more memorable trip. Rachel knew a lot about the river and surroundings and she is a wonderful person. She did lots of things for us that made me feel safe and comfortable. We learned how to do things safely such as use a special porta potty for #2, river hygiene, work as a total team with support to the loading and unloading of the boat, and prep for the food preparation (water and equipment set up for meals). We were provided a coffee cup (to keep), a small waterproof duffel bag for use during the day, a large duffel bag with a sleeping bag, pillow, flat sheet, and drop cloth (to put under our cot and personal equipment). which was available at camp only. All were clean and in a plastic bag. We stored our items for the camping in the large duffel. They also provided cots, tents, and folding chairs (it was too hot to set up tents so we slept out under the stars on the cots). The food was awesome (varied menu, fresh, & unexpected items for camping environment) and in copious amounts! Thad sought me out on the first day and asked me about my food allergy that I indicated I had on my reservation form and he asked me about what conditions made me react and he was very thoughtful of anything that had onions in it and he made me special portions of food sans onions. I actually gained weight but I thought I was going to lose because of eating "camping food". To think; we had fresh basil for brochette on our 6th day! Our final day included a helicopter ride out of the canyon and a mid-sized prop-plane to fly us back to our starting point and they had clean hot showers and a place to sit while waiting for our flight. This was an awesome event in itself! I am usually critical in my reviews and find things that did not work well. But I cannot find anything to require fixing. HATCH has it down and all in all, it was an incredible trip! read more

Guides are excellent!! Know the river well and work their butts off! Pre planning was great - however a few things they do not tell you about...... Your additional beverages you bring will only be placed in a 'drag bag' and be as cold as the river (52 degrees) not my ideal temp for beer as my home fridge is set at 34...in the evening they put out one block of ice for 'cocktails' - now I understand the need to conserve ice but for 33 people one block is not enough. To add some insult to this during the trip they advised we had extra ice, but instead of us getting to use it they gave it away to other raft outfitters along the way!! I counted 6 blocks of ice that were given away. There are NO napkins or paper plates - again, I understand the conservation factor but try to eat lunch-sandwiches with pickles, olives, etc. without a plate to place them on!! And in general eating a meal without a napkin is interesting at best. All planning/scheduling was spectacular...until the end. There were 3 flights from the ranch back to the Marble Canyon airport so a shuttle was set up to drive you back to your vehicle at Cliff Dwellers - well the shuttle picked up the first flight and there was no one available for the next 2 flights that came in!!! After waiting we called the Hatch emergency number a couple of times to get a shuttle, after an hour of waiting he finally arrived but only enough to hold 11 people. 3 of us hitched a ride with a gentleman who had flown in from another raft company and had his vehicle parked at the airport. Next time I would park at the airport so as not to have this hassle upon returning. read more

This was the best experience of my life. I have traveled many places throughout Europe and South America and I would do another Hatch trip before I ever went abroad again. I cannot express to you the fun and excitement that you will experience on this trip, the awe inspiring views, the peaceful moments, the roaring rapids and the fact that after you experience rafting through the Grand Canyon you HAVE to believe in a higher power there is no way that all that beauty doesn't come from somewhere or something greater. The staff was fun, extremely knowledgeable about all the canyon's history and very professional. I felt safe at all times, Hatch has a extremely impressive safety history, I would recommend them above any other outfitters. They led hikes, prepared meals, guided through white water and at the end of the day kicked back and joined the group just like an old friend. I have taken great interest in the history of the canyon and river running now that I am back I would greatly recommend adding this to your bucket list today. read more

Wow! Hatch is a fantastic operation. Just got home from the 12 day hike intensive Grand Canyon trip. What was great? Everything. The crew was great, JP and Kelly were so competent, informative, and friendly. The itinerary was great, JP and Kelly tailored each day to fit the likings of the group and maximize the positive experience for everyone. The food was great. Every meal was made with care, often from scratch with lots of fresh vegetables, meats, and fish. The equipment was great from the raft to the sleep kits, and everything in between. What was bad? Nothing. With a trip like this there are so many things that can go awry to detract from the experience. With Hatch there were only positive experiences. From the get go this team had it covered. I highly recommend Hatch and I am already planning my next trip with them. read more

Just a great experience in nature, with people, and the company. Of the three full-canyon Colorado River rafting trips I've taken through the Grand Canyon over the years: Pros: -Most experienced, professional, hard-working, positive and considerate guides -Best logistics: timely transfers with shuttles, helicopter, planes, etc., and very nice having cot, pillow, sleeping bag and sheet supplied. -Best rafts, for space, seating options, and reduced motor noise -Best food Cons: -None I can think of! Advice: -Travel light! -Do realize that this is camping, and with any Grand Canyon rafting trip you are getting up early every day -The Colorado River water coming off the bottom of the dam is 48-degrees F, and is always surprisingly cold -The more confident and capable the group is at hiking and exposure, the greater the options are to explore. And this is a great family trip to unplug the kids, have adventure, and just connect with nature and people. read more

What a fantastic trip we had in July. Even with COVID we felt safe. Hatch did a great job on the trip. From the fun on the river and rapids, floating in the blue Little Colorado River, to a sudden rainstorm, to the hikes and spectacular scenery. Captain Kelly and Thad were fantastic and made sure everyone was taken care of. You haven't seen the Grand Canyon until you are floating in it. Can't wait to do another trip. The final experience of taking a helicopter out was truly amazing. Great job Team. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about Hatch. We got home yesterday from the 12-day oar trip, which I would thoroughly recommend. I was so relieved I didn't have to leave after 1/2 of the trip. The guides are absolutely superb: professional, kind, SO hard-working, funny, entertaining, flexible, friendly, fascinating, generous, accommodating. The Canyon, obviously, is beyond description. The whole operation ran so smoothly, these guys make everything look easy. The only problem is that the food was so fabulous and plentiful that I gained 5 lbs. Advice: women: take the plastic urination support device; you can get it at REI. Also, I took WAY too much clothing: you need (in July) 1 or 2 bathing suits (which you can hike in), and one light outfit to wear in camp. Take a light non-cotton long sleeved shirt and invest in good closed-toed water shoes (which you can hike in), and gloves for hot rocks when scrambling. Use sunscreen for moisturizer. read more

This is one of those experiences that is difficult to encompass in words. The Grand Canyon is such an amazing place. Overall, Hatch did an AMAZING job and I would encourage anyone to use them as a guide. I have only one small complaint, which I'll explain below. My family and I did the lower canyon four-day motorized tour. We hiked into the canyon via the Bright Angel trail, leaving quite early (to avoid the heat). There were 28 people on our tour. Although we all left the Bright Angel Lodge at the same time, there were definitely differences in our hiking abilities and we all arrived at different times. Unfortunately, one of the people on our tour had an exceptionally difficult time with the hike and he took much longer (2 hours) than the rest of us to hike in. I understand this can happen, but what I was disappointed in was the disorganization of our guides at the river while we were waiting to start. It was very hot and the location for the take-off didn't provide much (if any) shade. Our guides didn't provide much direction as to what was going on, so most of us were a bit disgruntled while we waited. While I realize that this was unusual to have to wait so long to get started, this must happen on occasion. I expected that the guide would have some means to provide shade or our lunch while we were there waiting. We received neither; this is my only real complaint. Ultimately, we got under way and had fun immediately. There were rapids enough to get us wet and cold. Every time we stopped, it was in another beautiful place and the food they provided was very good for camp food. At the end, we were helicoptered out of the canyon to Bar 10 ranch and then flown back to the South Rim. Everything went smoothly once we were on the river. Everyone in my family had an amazing experience. I definitely recommend doing this type of trip. It is the best way to see the canyon! read more

Had the best time on the 7 day motor tour. Great food, wonderful service and specially skilled guides. Rachel and Lars have many years of canyon experience and the "kid" Thad was a great swamper! Completely worth the price! read more

An amazing experience provided by a wonderful company!! My guides were the best!! The office was extremely helpful. We stopped at some of the most amazing places in the world!!! (I don't want to go into detail-it will spoil the adventure!!) read more

We went with a large group of family members of various ages and ability levels and the guides were fantastic! They helped everyone have a fun time and we're veey informative about the gorgeous nature surrounding us on the river. It's a great day-long activity! read more

Just returned from the 5 day Yampa River White Water Rafting trip with Hatch. Best vacation ever! We were 24 family members and had the adventure of a life time. Can't say enough great things about Hatch. Our 5 day tour was flawless with the an amazing crew of 5 boatmen taking care of our every need around the clock. 3 Cheers for Russell, Steve, Elliot, TomTom and Peter Man. The rafts and camping equipment were top notch, the scenery was beyond believable, all of the food was delicious and gourmet and the crew took us on several amazing hikes. Take this vacation! It's a blast! read more

Unfortunately, my cardiologist advised me that it would not be wise for me to take a rafting expedition due to my cardiac status after I had already made my reservations so I had to cancel them. Melissa was extremely understanding of the situation and went, in my opinion, above and beyond my expectations to make the cancellation process as easy as possible. I am hoping that when my health condition improves that I can make the trip. Kudos to the company for their assistance!! read more

We had an awesome rafting trip with Hatch! Mr. Hatch Man let us park our trailer out on his property while we were gone on our rafting trip, ensuring it was safe from the high winds and anyone who might accidentally hit it. He also let us use the employee showers when we got back from our trip instead of having to use our trailer shower, which was very kind. The guides on the trip were very knowledgeable and fun. They ensured safety while promoting fun. We are looking to raft down the second part of the river, and when we do, it'll definitely be through Hatch again! read more