We start our Westwater Canyon trips at the Westwater Ranch put-in, easing into the day with a relaxed float. For the first couple of hours, the river moves gently through cottonwood groves and past tall sandstone cliffs. It’s quiet and scenic, and this is often where we spot bald eagles, great blue herons, and other birds along the shoreline.
As the canyon begins to tighten up, small rapids appear and the geology changes dramatically. The river cuts into ancient, dark metamorphic rock, and you really feel like you’re entering a different world. There’s also plenty of human history here—early placer miners once tried their luck along this stretch. We stop for a laid-back riverside lunch with time to relax, skip rocks, explore, or jump in for a refreshing swim.
Depending on where camp is, we may run a few rapids on the first day, but most often we camp above the main whitewater. That leaves the afternoon open for hiking, wandering side canyons, or just kicking back at camp. Evenings are a favorite part of the trip: watching the sun light up the canyon walls, then settling in as the stars come out and the canyon goes quiet.
The next morning is when the excitement really kicks in. We run a fun, continuous stretch of rapids—Big Hummer, Funnel Falls, Skull, Bowling Alley, Sock-It-To-Me, and Last Chance. After that, the river settles down again, and we finish the trip with an easy float, often drifting along in our life jackets and soaking it all in before the takeout.
