How to Get the Most Out of Family Whitewater Rafting Utah

2022-04-25

Posted In: Rafting

Plan Your Moab, Utah River Rafting Adventure Today!

Whether you’re planning for a half-day or multi-day Moab river rafting trip, your family will enjoy the float even more if everyone is fully prepared. Here at Red River Adventures, we want your family to get the most out of your Moab rafting trip with us. Here are some things you should know as your family plans your next float trip with us.

Get Your Children Ready Ahead of Time

If you want to experience the best rafting in Moab, Utah, be sure to talk to your children ahead of time so that they have the right expectations. This is especially true if your children have never been rafting before. Chances are, they’ve seen whitewater rafting on a TV show or movie — and they might feel like it’s going to be a scary or dangerous experience.

This is why we have age limits on all of our Moab rafting trips, as well as different rafting packages. Our most popular rafting trip is Fisher Towers, which has a few Class III rapids during spring runoff and drops off to Class II later in summer. That tour requires that children are at least five years old and weigh at least 40 pounds. Very family friendly!

For older children, they might be ready for the Westwater Canyon full-day trip, which has some Class III and even Class IV rapids. Kids need to be at least 10 years of age for that tour, or 12 during higher water season.

Those are just a couple of examples. You can check out a lot of the additional trips that we have available on our Day Trips page.

Preparation is Key!

Once your raft leaves the shore, it’s not entirely impossible to turn around if you forgot something in your vehicle… but it’s not easy! It’s best to have a checklist prepared of everything you think (or know) you will need during your Moab rafting trip. Snacks, bottled water, sunscreen, a towel, and other items are relatively important, so make sure you have them before your raft takes off!

Listen to Your Guide

We’re really proud of our guides at Red River Adventures. They’re incredibly knowledgeable and highly skilled and trained. We hope that our guides’ for whitewater rafting will be instilled in you and your children after taking a trip with us!

And with that being said… listen to your guides. As they prep you for the trip, they will offer important safety advice and tips so that you can have the best and safest trip possible. We hope you’ll enjoy the experience so much that you’ll come back year after year.

Choose the Right Adventure for Your Family

Is your family highly experienced in the outdoors, or is this your first trip? We have a wide variety of tailored adventures to suit every family when it comes to whitewater rafting in Utah. Whether you’re ready for a 30-mile, three-day trip down the Dolores River or a gentle Stand-Up Paddle trip for a half-day on the Colorado, we have something for every family’s skill level and comfort level.

Enjoy Yourselves!

No matter what level of adventure you choose, prepare to make your Moab rafting adventure one that will create lasting memories for your family!

Contact Us to Book Your Next Family Adventure

Red River Adventures has been the premier family Moab river rafting experience since 2003. If your family is ready for their next floating adventure, call us at 877-259-4046 or book your next trip online.

Download PDF

Questions? Call (877) 259-4046 or Email Us

The River People

Post Author

We strive to ensure that time spent with us is time that you will always look back on fondly. We want to leave you with a memories that bring a smile to your face no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, and no matter how much time has passed. In addition to a deep reservoir of personal experience, our rafting guides are licensed by the state of Utah, have Wilderness First Responder and/or First Aid/CPR certifications, and are insured. Many guides also have swiftwater rescue training. Our climbing and canyoneering guides are AMGA-certified for the terrain in which they operate. Our skiing guides are certified for the terrain, and some are world-renowned for their experience. All of our guides are intimately acquainted with not only the river, rock and snow, but also with the incredible surroundings of the areas we guide.

David Zane

September 25, 2022

Unbelievably professional and skilled - amazing time

Keilah Butler

September 7, 2022

Great guides, great experience! Thanks!

Savannah Houle

September 6, 2022

It Was Absolutely Amazing, Had Such A Wonderful Time ! Loved Being Able To Swim And Enjoy The Views

Joe Carissimi

September 5, 2022

Great full day tour!! Sarah was an awesome guide. Good time had by all. Highly recommend it.

Nathan Moon

McKayla was an incredible guide, friendly, helpful and safety conscious. Thank you!

Danielle Brokens

September 4, 2022

We did both the half day rafting trip as well as the Bow and Arrow canyoneering. Both trips were great, especially the canyoneering. I had a 21, 13, and twin 10 year olds and this was such a fun way to spend our time in Moab for the wide range in ages of my boys. The guides were super knowledgable and fun! We had a couple of scared kiddos to do the rappelling and our guide helped make the boys feel comfortable and able. So much fun and would definitely recommend!

Cherrie Weisel

September 2, 2022

Had a blast. Guide was very informative.

Brian Johnson

September 1, 2022

Top notch.

Rob Brachowski

We had a great rafting trip with Red River Adventures. Our guide was very knowledgeable and was a lot of fun. If we are back in the area we would love to go on another trip.

Greg Wiessner

August 29, 2022

We want to thank Noah and Red River Adventures for an amazing climbing trip. We booked a half day trip to the Ice Cream Parlor for our first Utah, crack-climbing experience. As East Coast gym climbers with limited outdoor experience, we were looking for a guide who could get us climbing immediately in a crag where we could have a great outdoor experience. Noah was very skilled at assessing our skill level, stamina and willingness to fall trying. We'd highly recommend Red River Adventures and Noah in particular for getting you to a great spot. Better still, Noah gave us great advice about camp sites and food. You will do great if you go with this sevice.

Jessica Putvin

August 26, 2022

I had such a blast! The guides were incredible and full of fun/amazing information!!! They provided a beautiful experience!💫

Pat Huff

I had a great time! The river guide was helpful and knowledgeable.

Kim Cameron

August 25, 2022

Although Emily provided a fun and informative tour, it ended 45 minutes earlier than scheduled.

Karina Stavitsky Gilbert

August 24, 2022

Fun time on the Colorado river. Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable. It was much less time on the river than expected. But we had fun. Next time would go for more rapids as this was more of a float than a white water experience.

Dulani Kulasinghe

August 22, 2022

We had a really great day! Everything was organised super smoothly and the whole red river adventures team made everything easy and safe in a really relaxed way. We did the full day trip from Fisher Towers with a 10 year old and a 13 year old. None of us had rafted before (though we'd all done a bit of kayaking) and it was exactly what we wanted. Apparently the river was running a bit low, but we still had a fun day - never terrifying and occasionally relaxing. As an introduction to rafting we couldn't have asked for more and we'd definitely book again with Red River next time we're in Moab - thoroughly recommended!

Joanne Brunetti

August 20, 2022

Five years ago we did rafting with Red River Adventures & wanted to replicate the experience. We booked half day trip & we enjoyed this adventure as well. Our guide, Samantha, was lovely and really qualified. She answered all of our many questions about the river, the landscape and the life in Moab. We had fun in the 2 hours we spent together. We also loved the road trip to reach the drop off area as the bus drives through one of the most beautiful panoramic roads in the U.S.A. Highly recommend! Italia

Papa Fitzgerald

August 18, 2022

Our guide rocked!

Brenda Fitzgerald

Noah was awesome!

Svet Mc

August 15, 2022

This was well organized whitewater rafting. With timing , transportation , and safety masseurs. Our young guide Hudson was excellent. With a lot of experience in water sports and mountaineering . Did great job to help us skillfully go down the river with ease and it was fun . Will go back to Red River Adventures .

Rhiannon Seneli

Guides were great and entertaining. Great family activity! Our youngest was 7 and he had as much fun as the adults.

Féodora Zussy

August 14, 2022

Magnifique descente du Colorado, on a pu se baigner et profiter de la fraîcheur du fleuve. Une équipe jeune et dynamique.

Jisu Kim

My son has really gotten into climbing for the past 4-5 months, so we booked this guided tour and took a quick trip out to Park City area for our first outdoor climbing adventure. I called a local climbing gym prior to booking and they highly recommend Red River Adventures and they did not disappoint. Full disclosure, I was a bit apprehensive and nervous, since I've only been climbing for a few weeks (to build up callouses mostly!). Thus, I was probably a bit "overzealous" about asking questions by calling and emailing, haha... However, Carl and the staff at Red River were AWESOME. They were patient and were able to guide me to the appropriate package (Full day climb, single pitch, top-roping, Wasatch mountain range). On the day of the climb, we met our guide, Cass, and she was able to feel out what we were capable of as well as what we wanted to get out of the day. Cass was a fantastic guide who was super friendly and worked HARD to set things up for us. She gave us enough instructions, but wasn't intrusive at all. That is, she allowed us to feel out and explore the climb on our own without just telling us where the next hold is, etc. This made us really think about what we were doing up there and made the experience much more personal...like, "I really did that on my own!"...a feeling of accomplishment. We were able to get in excellent climbing at all levels. Although we spent the whole day at the single location (Salt Lake Slips, Central Wasatch), there were plenty of climbs of different levels to push us (me, mostly!). The final climb, Witchhunt (5.10a), was awesome. Although it was a challenge I was unable to overcome, it ended up being the highlight of a fantastic day. I would highly, highly recommend Red River Adventures to anyone who asks and have already told a couple of my friends about them.

Brian Deyaert

August 13, 2022

Wonderful, fun & safe experience. From checkin to drop off, smooth and top notch experience. Will use company again!

Nick Bernfeld

What a true Amazing trip! Loved this white water rafting trip class 3/4 rapids, the guides did a great job at making us feel safe, would def try it again!

Erin L

August 12, 2022

This was an Amazing trip! We came from Illinois and had never seen or done anything like it! Our guide, Kenzie was so great! I highly recommend this if you are looking for an adventure!

Marco Colombo

Great Experience, Great Team, Great Ride ! Our leader Sam was super, RedRiver remains top rated in Moab ! Marco (Italy) .

Gina Marino

August 11, 2022

This was an amazing first time adventure! From the well organized briefing to assigning safety gear to 30 minute bus ride, which was highly entertaining, to traveling down the gorgeous Colorado River! Huge shout out to all our guides! Yall funny! Emily was our river guide and we loved her! This ride is a nice and easy introduction to rafting, great for young and old! We wanted to wish those who are returning to their studies a great year!

Brandon Nelson

August 10, 2022

We really enjoyed our 1/2 day river rafting trip. There was a bus full of guests that morning but our family of 5 got our own boat and guide Ryan. Ryan was awesome, professional and fun and let us swim and enjoy the water.

Johnathan Hintz

August 9, 2022

The staff at Red River were fantastic and fun. Our guide was knowledgeable about the area, the geology of the region and shared a lot of info beyond rafting. The ride to and from the Moab site was beautiful. Our bus driver was a delight. It was a nice diversion from hiking in the parks on our weeks vacation.

Amanda Bailey

Such a fantastic day. My girls (9 and 13) were disappointed when it ended. Lucas was such a great guide. He totally knew what would make a great tour for us and just ran with it. We would absolutely book again and probably the full day next time. Such fun!!!

Bob and Gail Sprentall

August 8, 2022

Great trip. Scenery was fantastic. Sam our guide was thorough and provided history of the area.

David Stutman

Our trip was great and Hudson was a great guide. Thanks!

Greg Lawrence

August 7, 2022

Lucas was a good guide, very good for neophytes to work with. Connor & Hudson are real good, too, good info on the bus rides up & back. We got to float out IN the river, too, very enjoyable. Highly recommended; my wife & I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as the oldest in our 3-boat group (63 & 55yo).

Amanda DelliColli

August 6, 2022

Unfortunately due to drought the rapids were a little lack luster but our guide Hudson was amazing! He was telling jokes, spinning us in the rapids and keeping us very entertained! Def ask for Hudson:)

Justine McGinley

We booked the 1/2 day float trip and had a great time. The entire staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. The entire trip was very well organized and our family of 5 (including 3 teens) really enjoyed the experience. I would definitely recommend!!

Nora & Damon Duncan

August 5, 2022

Had a blast with Sam @ Red River Adventures!

Erin Arnoldi

August 4, 2022

My kids enjoyed the rock-climbing experience. The most experienced climber would have liked more challenges, but the lesser experienced climbers were challenged appropriately. I felt like they were safe at all times.

Knox25

August 2, 2022

One day Guided Rock Climbing - Salt Lake City Could not recommend enough. Highly professional, very organised and an incredible intro to climbing outdoors. Shout out to Cass my guide who was seriously brilliant, so knowledgeable about everything I asked and was able to tailor the day to doing some intro to lead training too! Being a female (travelling alone) I was a little bit nervous about going alone - if you are in a similar situation, this is the company to go with. Thanks again, you made my trip. Hope to be back another time.

Dany Elsener

Freundlicher Staff und motivierte Guides. Im Sommer wohl eher eine einfache Gummiboottour, denn River Rafting.

Devon Davies

August 1, 2022

Our guide Emily was fantastic on the Chamisa canyoneering trip. I doubted my ability to complete some of the challenges on this hike and she encouraged and instructed me the whole way. She was equally great with the more able guests. Highly recommend.

Jennifer Goldman

We had the best experience. Incredible hike, repelling and guide! Thank you. We’d definitely do it again.

Samantha Walker

My friends and I did the 1/2 day Towers trip as our first time rafting. The guide, Hudson, was very knowledgeable and great at directing us on the paddle boat. It was so much fun! We can’t wait to try some higher level rafting next. Thank you!

Maeve Kammerer

Carl is an awesome guide! My husband and I needed help learning multi-pitch climbing. Carl was super Knowledgeable, patient, and attentive to our needs. Thanks Red River Adventures for such an awesome experience!

Jarrod Clark

July 31, 2022

We arranged a half day Canyoneering tour for me and 4 girls (ages 8-14). Red River Adventures was great in offering suggestions for this group. Booking online was easy. A member of this group had reservations about going, but Dan spoke honestly and gently. She decided to participate and was so happy she did. Dan is a great guide and helped when needed, but encouraged everyone during this great Canyoneering adventure. Looking forward to returning for another adventure.

Judy Stoldt

July 30, 2022

We had Alex as our guide and she was wonderful!! The view is amazing and we had a lot of fun getting off the raft and swimming. My teenage girls really enjoyed it and got a lot of pics to share with their friends.

Leah Sewell

July 29, 2022

Red River Adventures is so organized, thorough, and friendly. Appreciated all the information they shared about the area, the terrain, stories, and more. Emily is an amazing guide—personable, informative, and such a good driver of the raft. Any age would find this enjoyable!