My 16-day Grand Canyon rafting trip with OARS was the adventure of a lifetime! The guides are great, the food was terrific and I learned so much about this beautiful spot: plants, animals, geology, etc. read more

My boyfriend and I just completed a 5 day rafting trip down through the Grand Canyon. For us it was a life changing experience. The scenery was phenomenal and the weather was tolerable being on the river. The guides were super chill, helpful and knowledgeable. We felt super cared for and safe. We are plantbased and we had plenty to eat. We also lucked out having awesome people to travel with. Our tents and sleeping gear was everything we needed. We can't wait to do another tour. Love to Cy, Ule, Aly, John, Hazel, and Jason for the trip of our lives! You guys are wonderful! read more

OARS Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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This past July I traveled with OARS on a 6 day rafting trip down the Colorado river into the Grand Canyon exiting at the bright Angel Trail climb out to the south rim. Two years previous I had used OARS for the Hells Canyon rafting trip which was the best experience I had on a vacation in years. So booked the Grand Canyon trip thinking it would be similar. What a disappointment. It was the complete opposite of the Hells canyon trip. While the Grand Canyon visually is epic, it a passive trip. Probably no fault of OARS because they are restricted to the park rules but rafters should be aware that you just sit there for 5 days without being able to paddle at all. I was only able to convince the a guide to allow 30 minutes of paddling during the whole trip. The rafts have 2 clients in the front and two in the back and the guide in the middle oaring. So you just sit there doing nothing for 5 days. The only activity was jumping into the water and swimming periodically to cool off from the average 120 degree air temp .but amazingly I was the only rafter that regularly did that as the water is about 50 degrees. We did have an occasional energetic hike along the way but the challenge was to keep your core temp down with dousing yourself in water from your water bottles. Food was disappointing for me as I am plant based considering the Other OARS trip was fantastic. This trip they were irritated with helping out compared to super help full on the previous trip. Lastly you would think the rapids would be highlight and unfortunately were uninspiring. I realize they don't want anybody exiting the raft due to the remoteness of the river and inability to assist floaters due to steep walls but one guide especially was really obnoxious restricting me from holding a camera to video when we finally had a decent size rapid. As always great relationships are made on week long trips like this but buyer beware if you expect the grand canyon trip to be your usual fun rafting trip. Go for the visual and if you are the sedentary type that wants to just sit there for 6 days this is the trip for you. I wish I had researched the format better before booking and would not have booked it. The Hells canyon trip I was on one man Kayaks most of the trip which was night and day different from this one. read more

OARS Grand Canyon - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

One of the most spectacular experiences of my life! We traveled by dory from Lee's Ferry to Pipe Creek in September 2024. As we prepared for the trip, our group read "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko (a MUST read!) and we gained an appreciation for the Colorado River and what we were about to experience. From the initial overview at the hotel to the last send off- we felt prepared and in good hands. Our team of guides and support team were so fantastic. We truly had the A Team in Ross, Russell, Ned, Spoon, Katie (and Chris), Maggie and Rose. They provided the right mix of seriousness, sternness, fun, goofiness, knowledge, intentionality and all of them have such a profound love of the Colorado and Grand Canyon, that we could not help but soak it in. The food was delicious and plentiful. The navigation and river skills were exceptional. The singing was great. The education and knowledge shared was thorough and given with respect. I cannot imagine making this trip in anything but a dory - well worth the try! Kudos to OARS for supporting their guides and helping maintain the Colorado River and Grand Canyon to keep these places sacred and pristine. Thank you to this special team. read more

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This was a life changing experience. This is a top notch company. We were on the 5/14/24 Whitmore wash to Pearce Ferry trip. The guides are amazing!! Cy, Aly, John, Ule, Jason and Hazel thank you for the most amazing experience. They all made this the most incredible vacation of my life. I had never camped before and was a bit hesitant in the beginning, that hesitation was quickly turned into exhilaration and appreciation. My girlfriend and I were so moved by the entire experienced. The group we were with was an amazing bunch of people. We especially liked sleeping under the stars on our last night. I highly recommend OARS!!! I loved it so much that we are planning our next adventure as I am writing this review!! I wish I could give them more than 5 stars. read more

Favorite Part? There is no way to come up with a single favorite for this trip! We did the whole thing - 18 days and close to 270 miles - and there is not one moment or mile that I would like trade in! The staff provided an excellent, exciting, well thought-out and well executed itinerary with the ability to make alterations smootly when conditions dictated. The quality of the meals was amazing - pineapple upside down cake at at he bottom of the Grand Canyon!? - with FRESH fruit and produce every single day on top of the amazing dinners...it was a momorable experience that I will never forget. In spite of this being a RIVER trip, we spent most of our time on land, exploring, hiking and relaxing and seeing the MOT beautiful scenery this country has to offer. The quality of the equipment was top notch. We had tents, sleeping bags and air mats provided and had no problem with any of the equipment. Actually, many of the nights we slept under the stars with no tent, and you will probably NEVER see as many stars as from the bottom of the most beautiful canyon in the world! Regarding the whitewater, this was my first time to experience major rapids, and I was a little trepidatious. The boats were all handled perfectly by the excellent and professional guides so that we got to enjoy the exhilaration of Colorado River Whitewater and I never felt concerned about our safety. I even got to experience running whitewater OUTSIDE of the boat floating on my back! I simply had the best time of my life, and if you are seriously thinking about this kind of adventure you should just do it!! read more

Truly a trip of a lifetime. The OARS staff from sign up to the final goodbye were excellent with communication, professionalism and knowledge on the river. And fun! I learned so much about the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. I ate the best meals and enjoyed many hikes. I met the best people! I've traveled all over the world and this is one of my top favorite adventures. read more

If I could recommend the OARS guide staff more than 5 stars, I would. They were the best! Very skilled, caring and knowledgeable about the geology, history and preservation of the Grand Canyon. I did the upper half a few years back with a different company and have to say OARS was noticeably superior in every way. I highly recommend them. read more

This 14 day Grand Canyon Dory Trip was a capstone experience for my many Grand Canyon back country wilderness hiking trips. The highly experienced crew skillfully navigated all the tremendous white water rapids, led excellent side canyon hikes, provided exceptional meals, and always looked to the individual needs of the passengers. Can't say enough good things about this unique adventure. read more

My sons and I had a great time rafting/hiking the Grand Canyon with OARS. We left from Lees Ferry and hiked out 7 days later from Phantom Ranch in late August. I can't say enough about the quality of the trip - the OARS team was extremely professional, knowledgable, fun, and accommodating. The food was terrific - hot breakfasts every day, yummy lunches, terrific dinners. So here's a few tips and info that I wish I had more info on before we left: - Camping is on the beach - super comfortable, tents and equipment are plentiful - The bathroom set-up in camp is terrific, no issues, much better than I expected. Always a great view - Lots of hiking - yes its rafting but its also hiking which I enjoyed Enjoy read more

Our group of 16 just completed a 6-day raft trip with OARS from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch, hiking out the Bright Angel Trail. The experience could not have been better. The 4 guides were skilled, very knowledgeable about Grand Canyon history, geology, and archaeology, and a lot of fun. The 4 people rowing the supply boats were skilled, strong, youthful, and all clearly aiming for future guide status. All 8 got along great, and, by alternating cooking duties in camp, were able to interact with our group and engage in games, of which Bocce Ball among obstacles in each campsite was the most wildly fun and memorable. The guides were very attentive to trip details, not least of which was keeping people hydrated and cool in the high heat in the Canyon in August. I could not give a stronger commendation to our crew (led by Cy Hershey) in particular and OARS in general. read more

My friend and I did a 4 day Grand Canyon Hike with guides Jimmy and Wes. We could not have been more pleased. We hiked in South Kaibab Trail, bunked at Phantom Ranch and hiked up Bright Angel the next day. One of our group members suffered from heat stroke and became disoriented and very difficult. Jimmy and Wes could not have been more professional and kind. I could not recommend two nicer people to spend a few days with. I hope you are lucky enough to tour with them! Remember water and snacks :-) read more

My husband and I took this trip to celebrate my 50th birthday -- what a celebration! It would be impossible for me to come up with a way that this trip could have been changed for the better. The guides, the food, the knowledge, the scenery -- perfect! We went Lee's Ferry to Phantom Canyon Ranch and hiked out from there. Might have missed the most challenging rapids, but still had a perfect trip. (btw, spent lots of time training for the hike out -- was glad we had. Also, don't worry about the toilet facilities. As a female, there may be times when you need give over the modesty, but the rest of the trip more than makes up for it. It is what it is. Don't worry about it. Go on the trip!) read more

NOT YOUR TYPICAL REVIEW. My wife and I were on the 16 day trip from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek. We were completely blown away by the expertise and knowledge of each of our 6 guides. We were cared for in the most amazing ways. Food was incredible! Each guide had extensive knowledge of Grand Canyon lore, geology, botany, and wildlife. We never heard a question answered with, "I don't know." The guests were always the first things taken care of morning and night. There was never a turn in the river that they didn't know exactly what lay on the other side. The combined experience of Billie, Curtis, Andrea, Nick, Sean and Liam showed a respect and love for that river in everything they did. HERE'S WHERE THINGS WENT SCREWY. On the morning of the 7th day, I was waiting in line for breakfast when a fist sized piece of granite decided to dislodge itself and connect with my skull. I never lost consciousness so I can clearly report that the actions of the OARS guides were top notch. Everyone of them was on me in seconds. They had me immobilized and assessed with the teamwork of professionals who knew exactly what to do in backcountry first aide. Billie made the call to have me air evacuated out and while we were heartbroken and frustrated to have to leave, she was 100% correct. My ct scans were clear but days of severe back spasms would have made it impossible to get in or out of a tent, let alone the boats. Severe weather on the rim delayed my air evac by 7 hours but the guides did everything to keep me safe and comfortable during that time while keeping the other guests entertained with a hike and a warm cooked meal. While I was laid up in a tent waiting for help each of the 6 guides took time to come and sit with me and make sure I had everything I needed. Again, heartbroken and frustrated as we were to have to leave such an amazing experience, we were not even through with the doctor's appointments when we called Joy to make sure we were on the list for the 2020 trip to finish what we started! Side note: pay for the trip insurance. read more

On Jan 30 I sent OARS a $3,000 deposit for a July 4 Grand Canyon Trip for myself and my family. A month and a week later on March 5 I requested a refund, as I would need to cancel after my daughter's 3 emergency surgeries on her knee (Feb 10, 18 and Mar 5) as a result of a freak accident and subsequent infection. This is the response I got from Joy Parades from their office, "Hi Stewart, I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope she has a quick recovery. At this point you are in the cancellation period of 179-90 days prior to departure which incurs a $750/person cancellation fee. This means you would forfeit the $3000. As far as I can see you did not purchase travel insurance unless you did so with a different company. An option that I can offer you is a $50/person transfer fee which would give you a credit of $2800 to be used on a trip by the end of 2013. Let me know if you would like to take advantage of the credit option. Regards, Joy Why would anyone want to do business with these vultures? read more

I just spent 19 days rafting down the Grand Canyon. It was an amazing time and an experience that I will not soon forget. Although the trip I was on was not a commercial trip and I wasn't a customer of the Oars, I am still writing to express my thanks and my admiration for your company and your Boatmen. If I ever go on a commercial trip I will go with Oars and whenever I recommend a company to any one, it will be Oars. I was lucky enough to be a Boatman on a 16 person private trip from Lee's ferry to Pearce Ferry from June 18- through July 9 of 2012. I have been waiting for a permit and or an opportunity for a trip to open up. My good friend Matt ended up getting a permit and inviting me to row my meager 14' Maravia down the river with him and 14 of my closest friends. We started our preparations a full year in advance. We meticulously planned everything out about or trip. Where we would like to camp, the days we would row the big rapids like Granite, Hermit, and even the dreaded Lava Falls. About half of the way through our planning my then Girlfriend and I decided that we would get married about 1/2 of the way through the trip around day 10. We were very excited and we started planning our river wedding. Now as large as the Grand Canyon is I found out quickly how small of a community the people who are running the canyon make up. Word spread among all the trips we encountered that we were getting married. All types of trips would hear about us and stop to say congratulations and to offer us the best advice on our pending nuptials. The Oars group of Boatmen was fantastic. Their trip paralleled our trip and almost every day that they encountered us they would look up from their work and yell to us "Congratulations", "How was your run through Granite?" We quickly considered them to be our river friends. The day after our ceremony as we were rowing past their camp late one afternoon, they called us over and wanted nothing more then to congratulate us on our marriage and say some friendly words. My wife and I eddied out and chatted for a few short minutes like we were catching up with old friends. Talked about my friends flip in Granite and even chatted shortly about the dreaded and upcoming Lava Falls. We learned that a Boatman was from Canada and my wife and she exchanged the secret handshake that all Canadians know. As we were leaving another Boatman exclaimed that he liked the hat that my wife was wearing, she said thanks we were on our way. The next day we ran into the Oars group at the opening of Havasu. We tied up our boats and said our hellos. But when my wife saw the boatman from the day before, she gave him the hat that he fell in love with. I can't blame him; it had a picture of some baby chicks and a magnet on it (Chick Magnet). She had felt that the boatmen were so nice and welcoming to us that she was compelled to give him the hat as a small token of thanks. We didn't see the Oars group for another couple of days and like a Knight in shining armor they were there exactly when we needed them to be there. My wife and I flipped in Lava Falls. I ran left and was a little too close to the ledge hole. A lateral wave just crushed my Boat. I saw my wife get flung out of the boat on the second wave of the largest rapid in North America. I soon followed her and went for a swim that I won't soon forget. A long swim. I surfaced and swam just fine but she tumbled to the bottom, the river took her pants of, and unzipped her PFD.. She hit her head and was sucked under the boat a few times getting stuck in the rowing compartment. When I did finally swim to her, she was giving up. I could see it in her eyes. I yelled at her "Grab the Boat!!!" she did, but with a vacant stare I watched her hand relax and her slip away from the boat and watched her go under again. Her head reappears and I scream "GRAB A HOLD OF THE BOAT!!" She does. Just as a rescue line flies over her shoulder. She grabs the line and gets pulled into a boat. I let go and swim for another boat. We both get rescued. I look from the safety of a boat to see my newly wedded wife naked from the waist down puking off the side of the rescue boat. That's when I see the oars boats just downstream of us and our flipped raft. They had watched our runs and jumped into their boats to help with the rescue. Our new found friends were there and I watched two of their boats nudging our flipped over raft to the shore so that we could flip it back over. These people who were strangers the week before are now helping to rescue my wife and me. We didn't get a chance to say thanks that day. After they saw that we were safe, they just rowed off. The OARS boatmen are fantastic and you would be lucky to take a trip with them. read more

This is our first of at least two reviews of OARS. Some weeks ago we were notified that there was a cancellation on an 18-day Dory trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon beginning in October 2010. We jumped at the opportunity but with no prior experience with white water trips I had many a question. The process, help, and courtesy extended us in making this pricey decision has been exceptional to date. After sending in our deposit we received an information packet loaded with about everything one needs to know about embarking on an 18-day adventure of camping and rafting through the Grand Canyon. I hope to return late next year with a review and many a photo of how our trip with Grand Canyon Dories and the OARS company went. read more

Just returned from 7 days on the Colorado River with OARS. Spectacular trip! Rafting the Grand Canyon has been on my bucket list longer than I even knew I had a bucket list. OARS exceeded my expectations at every turn - outstanding guides, excellent equipment and when they say gourmet food - they mean it. We entered at Phantom Ranch and exited at Whitmore Wash and would return to Phantom and run the trip again if given the opportunity! read more

Best experience of my life. Dories were beautiful. Oarsmen very skilled. I can't image imagine a better group of guides. They won my trust on the first day. If you want to boat down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, book with OARS! read more

My 13-yr old son and I did Whitmore Wash to Lake Mead with the most incredible group of guides. Lars, Jimmy, Tony and Emily were amazing. So much more than just a river trip from point A to point B, it is more like an immersion experience seeing the Grand Canyon through the eyes of the guides who share so much info about the geology, the plants, history of the GC, the native people - so many cool stories. On the river and in the white water these guides rock -- they are such pros and I felt safe 100% of the time. The Bar 10 Ranch experience the day before was also amazing and we had a blast doing all the activities at the ranch. Highly recommend this trip. read more

Outstanding 4 days on the Colorado River with O.A.R.S. Staff was highly knowledgeable, experienced and friendly and made every aspect of the trip enjoyable. Will be going again. read more

A friend and I traveled with OARS in July 2012 on a Grand Canyon rafting trip. From the minute we booked the trip to the hand written thank you note from the guides after the trip, everything was very professionally handled, but very personal. The pre-trip information was invaluable to preparing physically for the trip, but also in packing correctly. The guides were fantastic. I just can't say enough good things about them. They made you feel very safe the whole time, but also made for a lot of laughs and good times! The food was amazing - fresh fruit every morning, and fresh salad each evening, and even freshly baked brownies and cake a couple of times! If I could do this trip again tomorrow, I would. read more

I've rafted with OARS in CA and now Grand Canyon. I always have a really great time but I have to say the Grand Canyon crew was far and away my favorite. The diverse personalities make for a great team and an entertaining and fun experience. One thing they all have in common though is the drive to meet and exceed their guest's expectations. From the food served to the entertainment at camp to going out of their way to accommodate special needs (even if I forgot to mention it on their forms! oops!) every single guide demonstrated complete courtesy and professionalism. I have, and will continue to, recommend this company to my family and friends for a truly safe, adventurous experience. A fantastic value! read more

Four of my family went down the Canyon this past September 23 to Oct 8, 2012. We went with OARS' Grand Canyon Dories group. The price seemed a little high when I was shopping, but my friends who had been on OARS trips unanimously told me to go with OARS, period. So I did. Result: our experience was off-the-scale GOOD! Undoubtedly the best river trip I have ever taken and I have taken a few. As a young man, I had been an avid whitewater kayaker and floated my share of multi-day river trips. So I knew what to expect, but the OARS folks redefined a good river trip. The dories were exciting, being closer to the water as they are, but most important the guides were encyclopedic in their Canyon lore and knowledge (one was even a PhD in Colorado Plateau geology), entertaining in their camp activities and play, safe in their leadership and effective in their group psychology: they were pros! Additionally, the food was excellent (even adapted to help me maintain my gluten-free diet). We mades many side trips and hikes which I could both educational and scenic. In summary, I won't do another river without OARS, thats how good our experience was! Mark Schmidt (maschmi@me.com) read more

thank you to Katrina, John, Lars, Jimmy, Cory, Derrick, Kate, Katie and Ryan for a fun, safe, adventure down the Colorado from Phantom Ranch to Lava Falls. Great job!! and thank you for working so hard for us. read more

I did the CO River through the Grand Canyon from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek. I was with a group of friends who had booked about 2 years ago. We put in on Sept. 30, 2013 (the day BEFORE the US government shutdown - whew!). The entire crew - boatmen and guides - were exemplary. They were professional, courteous, funny and very caring. They dealt with the unusual circumstance of an underpopulated river - and closed Grand Canyon - and made special arrangements for a subset of our group to hike out (as planned) at Phantom Ranch; O.A.R.S. assured their safe departure to everyone's satisfaction. I felt safety was always top priority, and everyone did an outstanding job to be sure we were comfortable, (very!) well fed, and happy. Each river guide had their own area of expertise - and would tell stories for amusement, serenade us, offer appropriate readings, and teach us about the geology, archeology and history of the canyon. The river and rapid running, side canyon hikes and camping were all fantastic. I rate this as one of the best trips of my life! read more

My two adult children and I did a late fall raft trip from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek last year and it was incredible. I selected OARS after a great deal of research for their safety, experienced guides and comfort level. The wonderful crew made a great effort to help each of us have the time of our lives, even though we all are very different. For example, two of us enjoyed being lazy and pampered, one of us enjoyed pitching in and helping the crew and learned some great new skills. These folks really know how to tell stories, laugh, share their passion for the canyon and PLAY! You will feel like a kid again, no matter how old you are. Excellent food kept us all stuffed, even the picky vegetarian. I considered bringing our own sleeping gear and tent because I like being comfortable and warm when I camp, but decided to rent from OARS. The equipment provided was carefully chosen and excellent, even with two days of rain. We were very comfortable sleeping on the ground with their amazing Paco pads. Don't take any natural history, astronomy, history or geology books along. The guides know it all and love sharing it with you. read more