1 Day Upper Canyon Our one-day upper canyon San Juan River trip is one of the finest day trips that you will find in the South- west. The day trip covers 26 river miles to the town of Mexican Hat. We make several stops to visit several phenomenal archaeological sites. The first stop is the Butler Wash Panel, a 150-yard long rock art panel featuring life-sized figures. The panel is easily accessible as rock art abounds about 100 yards from the river’s edge. Basketmaker era petroglyphs carved around 1500 B.C. stand out in striking contrast to the darkened cliff face that they were carved into. Panels of this size and length are a rarity in the Southwest. After visiting Butler Wash, we travel downstream about two miles to hike to River House Ruin. This quarter-mile round-trip hike leads us to a well-preserved dwelling from the Anasazi time period. The Anasazi were some of the first full-scale farmers that occupied a large swath of the Southwest. River House was last inhabited around 1250 A.D. at which time the region was abandoned possibly due to drought. We are able to step up into the kiva and can see details of how the kiva was plastered. The room blocks can be viewed from the outside of River House, showing similarities to both the Mesa Verde and Kayenta regions. Lunch beckons as we make our way downstream to find a nice shady spot along the river. Mouth-watering sandwiches with all the fixings, cookies, Pringles, and fruit will satisfy even the hungriest of the hungry. Lem- onade and Gatorade will help to quench your thirst as after lunch we’ll begin our exploration of the canyon. The boat is loaded, lifejackets are put back on and soon we are making our way downstream where over three- hundred million years of geology are thrust about a thousand-feet over our heads. The upper San Juan canyon features limestone from a three-hundred million year-old shallow sea environ- ment interspersed with red river deposit called Halgaito shale. There are five rapids to go through, the biggest of which is 8-foot rapid, a medium-sized or class III rapid that features a very gradual 8-foot drop. The other four rapids are rated class I and II on a scale of 1 to 5. The San Juan River is not a white water river so there are areas of flat water in between the rapids. Be on the lookout for our friends, the Desert Bighorn Sheep. The sheep can usually be seen alongside the river eating shrubbery, relaxing, or just watching boats make their way downstream. Their gray coats allow them to blend in nicely with the limestone and make it hard for predators to see them. After 8-foot rapid, we’ll make an afternoon stop to see fossils, swim or enjoy a nice beach with a great view. As we finish off the rest of the trip to Mexican Hat, the Mexican Hat Rock, a prominent geologic fea- ture looms over the horizon. After the last rapid, Diamond Solitaire, it’s a quick 20 minutes until we reach the Mexican Hat ramp. The day trip ends around 4 to 4:30P.M. at the town of Mexican Hat and we arrive back in Bluff around 5 to 5:30P.M. in the evening. Note: During higher flows we will row the rafts, while at lower flows we will use small motors, enabling us to cover the same section of river throughout the season. Launch Dates for One-day Trips Upper canyon one-day trips are available almost every day between March and October. Though it’s best to reserve your trip well in advance, we can usually accommodate walk-in customers for trips the next day. Give us a call, send us an email, or stop by to make a reservation. Price: Adults $165 Kids 12 and under $123; includes taxes and BLM fees

One Day Trip with Wild Rivers Expeditions

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This is, hands down, the best one-day river trip available in the West. In the morning we make two stops to learn about the Butler Wash petroglyph panel and river house cliff dwelling. We'll enjoy a fresh gourmet lunch under the cottonwoods before entering a limestone chasm for the afternoon, where we'll see desert bighorn sheep and 300 million year-old fossils. A full day and 26 miles in length, this is a great trip for those with limited time.

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Page 1: One Day Trip with Wild Rivers Expeditions

1 Day Upper Canyon Our one-day upper canyon San Juan River trip is one of the finest day trips that you will find in the South-west. The day trip covers 26 river miles to the town of Mexican Hat. We make several stops to visit several phenomenal archaeological sites. The first stop is the Butler Wash Panel, a 150-yard long rock art panel featuring life-sized figures. The panel is easily accessible as rock art abounds about 100 yards from the river’s edge. Basketmaker era petroglyphs carved around 1500 B.C. stand out in striking contrast to the darkened cliff face that they were carved into. Panels of this size and length are a rarity in the Southwest.

After visiting Butler Wash, we travel downstream about two miles to hike to River House Ruin. This quarter-mile round-trip hike leads us to a well-preserved dwelling from the Anasazi time period. The Anasazi were some of the first full-scale farmers that occupied a large swath of the Southwest. River House was last inhabited around 1250 A.D. at which time the region was abandoned possibly due to drought. We are able to step up into the kiva and can see details of how the kiva was plastered. The room blocks can be viewed from the outside of River House, showing similarities to both the Mesa Verde and Kayenta regions.

Lunch beckons as we make our way downstream to find a nice shady spot along the river. Mouth-watering sandwiches with all the fixings, cookies, Pringles, and fruit will satisfy even the hungriest of the hungry. Lem-onade and Gatorade will help to quench your thirst as after lunch we’ll begin our exploration of the canyon. The boat is loaded, lifejackets are put back on and soon we are making our way downstream where over three-hundred million years of geology are thrust about a thousand-feet over our heads.

The upper San Juan canyon features limestone from a three-hundred million year-old shallow sea environ-ment interspersed with red river deposit called Halgaito shale. There are five rapids to go through, the biggest of which is 8-foot rapid, a medium-sized or class III rapid that features a very gradual 8-foot drop. The other four rapids are rated class I and II on a scale of 1 to 5. The San Juan River is not a white water river so there are areas of flat water in between the rapids. Be on the lookout for our friends, the Desert Bighorn Sheep. The sheep can usually be seen alongside the river eating shrubbery, relaxing, or just watching boats make their way downstream. Their gray coats allow them to blend in nicely with the limestone and make it hard for predators to see them.

After 8-foot rapid, we’ll make an afternoon stop to see fossils, swim or enjoy a nice beach with a great view. As we finish off the rest of the trip to Mexican Hat, the Mexican Hat Rock, a prominent geologic fea-ture looms over the horizon. After the last rapid, Diamond Solitaire, it’s a quick 20 minutes until we reach the Mexican Hat ramp. The day trip ends around 4 to 4:30P.M. at the town of Mexican Hat and we arrive back in Bluff around 5 to 5:30P.M. in the evening.

Note: During higher flows we will row the rafts, while at lower flows we will use small motors, enabling us to cover the same section of river throughout the season.

Launch Dates for One-day Trips

Upper canyon one-day trips are available almost every day between March and October. Though it’s best to reserve your trip well in advance, we can usually accommodate walk-in customers for trips the next day. Give us a call, send us an email, or stop by to make a reservation.

Price: Adults $165 Kids 12 and under $123; includes taxes and BLM fees