Rafting along the Colorado River provides action, chance to take in sights

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The proximity of Las Vegas to the Colorado River’s mighty canyons puts us close to the action for river raft adventures. Numerous rafting options tend to fall into two categories — one-day float trips and multiday tours from three days to two weeks in duration through the Grand Canyon. Make arrangements on your own or through tour companies.

The one-day raft adventures give a taste of the experience of a longer expedition. If you find a single day on the river too tiring, you certainly won’t want to commit to a longer trip. The shorter trips include plenty of canyon scenery, history and wildlife watching. One even includes some of the whitewater rapids that make the longer trips so memorable.

Black Canyon River Adventures operates the shortest raft trip close to Las Vegas. The trip begins at the Hacienda Hotel on U.S. 93 between Boulder City and Hoover Dam. Buses transport rafters to the water’s edge just below Hoover Dam. The company operates four sizes of motor-assisted rafts carrying up to 40 people.

The tour through Black Canyon to Willow Beach on the Arizona side of the river floats between dark canyon walls, past sandy beaches, near hot springs and waterfalls and close to the ringbolts that steamboats used to pull themselves upriver a century ago. The guide points out birds and wildlife along the way. A shore excursion allows time to explore, play in the water and enjoy a box lunch. Several leisurely hours on the river end at Willow Beach, where rafters meet the transportation back to the Hacienda.

Those taking this trip pay $82.95 for adults, $79.95 for juniors aged 13-15, $50.96 for children aged 5 and older, while children four years and younger ride free. The Black Canyon rafts launch year-round with daily runs scheduled from February through November. During December and January, trips run only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Call 294-1414 or (800) 455-3490, or book online at blackcanyonadventures.com.

Ranked Northern Arizona’s most popular rafting adventure, the Colorado River Discovery Tour covers a colorful 15.5-mile portion of the river below Glen Canyon Dam to historic Lee’s Ferry, one of the few places where people could cross the river in frontier times. Tour buses transport you from the outfitter offices in Page, Ariz., to the pontoon boat launch site and back from Lee’s Ferry.

The 22-passenger rafts launch from near the dam beneath 1,000-foot cliffs of vividly colored sandstone. The float includes Horseshoe Bend, where the river doubles back on itself. The water attracts water fowl and shore birds. Predators such as eagles, hawks and even California condors sail overhead on canyon thermals. The rafts stop at a beach for lunch. A side trip into a canyon reveals panels of petroglyphs left by people of an ancient culture.

These tours run at least once a day seasonally from March 1 to Nov. 30, with two runs at 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from May 1 to Sept. 30. Expect rates of $76 for adults and $66 for children from May 1 to Sept. 30, and $70 for adults and $60 for children during the rest of the season. Options include starting your tour from the rim of the Grand Canyon for about twice the money. Book soon for 2008 at (866) 944-7263 or online at grandcanyon.com/colorado-river-discovery.

The Hualapai tribe of Northern Arizona operates a lesser-known one-day float trip that includes whitewater rapids rated 3-6. It courses through a gorgeous 37-mile long section of the Colorado River on reservation lands. The tour begins at reservation headquarters at Peach Springs, Ariz., on Historic Route 66. Rafters board a bus for a bumpy back road trip to the river. The first rapids begin just after lunch of the eight-passenger motorized raft. Pack personal items in waterproof plastic bags because you’re apt to get wet. Side trips include Travertine Falls and a luncheon site. At trip’s end, a helicopter ascends 4,000 feet to Grand Canyon West, site of the tribe’s New skywalk and other attractions.

Cost for the full-day trip and bus transportation is $425. Rafters must be at least eight years old and able-bodied. The Hualapai rafts run from March 15 to Oct. 31. Make reservations at (928) 769-2219 or www.destinationgrand canyon.com.

Margo Bartlett Pesek’s column appears Sundays.