Red River Adventures

Having done several guide raft trips in NorCal, I didn’t know what to expect in Moab with many rafting companies to choose from. Red River Adventures exceeded our expectations in every way. Our guide Holly was amazing and very skilled at her craft. The service was A+ with an incredible lunch stop on the river. Give these guys a try, you will not be disappointed!

We were in Moab for a few days w 100+ F every day. We called on afternoon to check availability after the office closed. We were initially told no availability but maybe the following day. After checking, called us back and we reserved a full day river rafting on colorado river for the next morning. The half day tours end around 12, full days around 2:30. Showed up at their office at 8:15. Signed the waiver, downsized what to take (don’t leave electronics in the car when it’s over 100 F out, so you can leave with them at the office or leave at your hotel). Left car keys with them too. Were told dry bag at the launch site. Left the office on their bus around 8:30 and drove for about 40 – 45 min out of the town. The rafts were taken down by the guides while we used the last rest room break at the launch site. Each raft has a dry bag for everyone. So minimize what you bring (for sure sunglasses, hat, sun block, water (one bottle free at the office), good water shoes, bathing suit and tshirt and camera but maybe waterproof or GoPro). Fun trip, good Rapids in late June, good guide. Lunch around 1 pm, make your own wrap and additional water in coolers provided w snacks. Trip ended around 2:15 pm and drove back to Moab. My only concern was the time pricing-​half day am trip is $ 60 /​$ 70 pm vs. $ 90 for their full day or extra 90 min of rafting. So half day is about 2.5 hours on the river, vs about 4 hrs on the river for full day. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great trips w kids or if you like to swim and enjoy the ride on the river. Our rafts had about 6 people plus our guide. Friendly and helpful people.

Awasom trip we did a full day trip are guide was Lisa she was great lunch was good. The other guide were great to very friendly. If you thinking about a river trip us this company !!!

Thanks for the great day of rafting! I was nervous going for the first time with a 5 year old, but we all had a great experience with Holly as our guide. Fisher Towers was perfect for us with the rapids starting small and getting bigger, with plenty of calm water in between to swim in and soak up the scenery. In addition to being fun, Holly gave my kids and me the confidence to enjoy being on the river, my 12 year old wants to go again with bigger rapids! All the guides had great rapport with each other which also made the trip fun since there were several boats (altho it was nice that our family had a boat to ourselves, as did the others). Finally lunch was excellent, really appreciate the healthy AND tasty options.

Fun trip! Jesse, our guide, made our day! He kept us safe and entertained the whole time. We went through a variety of rapids ranging from class I to III, while getting to jump in and swim alongside the raft during the calm parts. We did the full day trip, which included yummy food and more «fun time» than the half day trip – definitely recommend the full day! If you’re looking for nonstop, raging rapids that will inevitably flip your raft, look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a great company to go with! They cater to each group, so make sure you vocalize the type of experience you’d like. We requested the «scariest and most fun rapids available,» hence our nickname, «Crazy Boat,» given to us by Jesse. Only thing is… we wish we had brought some beer (which is allowed)…it would have been nice to sip on a cold beverage during the long stretches of calm waters. Thank you, RRA, for such an enjoyable trip!

Last weekend Carl and Red River Adventures took a group of 10 out of an unforgettable overnight rafting trip in Moab. These guys are first class and the entire organization is run by great people — I highly recommend them!

Very professional and solid company. Cody was our guide. Very relatable, friendly guy. But, don’t let the easygoing, surfer-​dude persona mislead you. Cody is professional at what he does and will keep your group safe, while also being able to dial in just enough dangerous moments to turn your trip into an adventure. He knows how to handle the river. There are other companies that use bigger rafts, but bigger isn’t always better unless you don’t care about having fun?
We booked this excursion for my brother’s bachelor party and it was definitely one to remember. We had lazy river moments mixed in with adrenaline pumping, hard hitting wave moments that knocked four of us out of our raft.
Don’t worry, nobody died. We did get a taste of the nasty Colorado river, though.
:: : HOW IT WORKS: : :
— Book online, get the full day package, it’s worth it.
— Change into your river gear, go bathroom
— Meet at Moab office
— Apply sunblock liberally, go bathroom again, get life vests. Don’t bring your own, theirs are better, designed for the river.
— Get on the bus, bring a change of dry clothes for after your whitewater excursion
— Drive 50 min to drop off location, you can go to bathroom again here. There is no sewage service or running water out here but they do have hand sanitizer dispensers. It smells BAD.
— Get the safety drill, put on «dry jackets,» these will mostly keep you dry but if you fall into the river then all bets are off. However, keep it on because it’ll still shield you from the wind, even if you are soaking wet on the inside. Tighten wrists, waist and neck before you hit a big wave in case you fall overboard.
— Lots of lazy river moments mixed in with white knuckle moments and everything in between. There are about 5 – 6 sections if you pay for a full day.
— At some point, you’re gonna wanna piss your pants, not because of the danger but because you just have to. Guys can go just off the side of the boat, not sure how the girls go? I guess you could jump in the water and go?
— In the middle of the excursion, you’ll stop at a beach and your guide will set up a picnic for you. They’re very sanitary, they use latex gloves. The food is good picnic food and made fresh on the spot. Great service! They also provide hand sanitizers. If you have food allergies, tell them ahead of time.
— You can take a bathroom break here but you’ll be going in the bushes.
— After lunch, you’ll get to experience the higher class rapids. I think the highest on this one is a Class V. That’s the one where 2/3’s of the people in our raft were thrown overboard.
— Then, there are two mellower rapids after that.
Overall, the full-​day adventure is the perfect duration. It’s not too long and not too short. Although, when we saw the pickup site in view, we paddled like mad because we were all freezing our asses off and couldn’t wait to get into some dry clothes. The pickup location has bathrooms for changing, but it smells very bad.
We went in early May, the weather was low 60’s with rain and hail showers. The water was probaly low 50’s. In July, the water goes up to 70. We froze our asses off but it was still fun.
:: : THINGS TO BRING: : :
— Swimwear or clothes that dry fast. Or, even better, clothes that are waterproof. We saw some other groups with full-​sleeve, neck to ankle clothes that were waterproof. They were prepared! The company does provide «dry jackets» that you can wear over your tops. They work mostly well unless you fall into the water. Some people wear their wetsuits. If you have one, bring it.
— Water shoes. Do not bring any shoes with straps because you have to dig your feet deep into a small, tight crevice in the raft, that’s how you secure yourself to the raft. Any top footwear straps will dig into the top of your feet and you’ll be VERY uncomfortable for hours. I had Keens sandals and they actually hurt, but it was either that or die. If I went again, I’d only wear water shoes.
— Water socks. Your feet will get wet and COLD!
— Coated, waterproof gardening gloves. Your hands will get wet and COLD! Plus, if you fall overboard, it’s easier to grip the chicken line. Amazon sells these cheap.
— Sunglasses, hat. If you bring expensive sunglasses, bring a retainer for it.
— Sunblock, you can reapply at lunch time.
— Dry set of clothes that’s easy to put on later, bring a towel that you can change under if you have to.
— Water bottle with latch, so you can secure it to the raft.
— They provide dry bags for your wallet, cell phones etc.
Whatever loose things you bring, make sure they have straps, hooks or latches. Don’t bring anything that you don’t want to lose in the river. Make sure your guide takes out the hand sanitizer before everyone goes pee so they can clean up before they eat.
If you bring beer, get cans only and make sure they can be secured. Our picnic would’ve been even better if we had beer.
Lastly, just one very minor detail, I wish Cody brought enough plates for everyone.

My wife and 2 kids (9 and 11) took an overnight raft trip in late July and it was the highlight of our rv vacation. Our Raft guide (Jamie) made this trip unforgettable. When we got to the campsite they helped us build our tents and prepared our delicious and actually «fun» foods. My son went on a hike with our fellow rafters. We went with 2 other families and both had kids roughly our kids age. The scenery was spectacular and they showed us what they thought was a celebrity’s summer house. We saw a bear in the rapids and my son found a big block of quartz. On the rapids my kids played «Ride The Bull.» They had a rock probably 20 feet high that our whole family tried, into the water. At the campsite there was a rapid and my kids floated down it. My daughter lost her tooth and threw it in «the Colorado River» and wished to come back one day with her kids. This was an extremely fun trip!

The raft trip was great!!! We did the 8:15 to 2:30. On the boat our guide showed the mountains and the wildlife we saw a coyote, big horned sheep, blue herons, and deer. The mountains ere amazing in the morning and the wildlife. At 12:00 we had lunch and then had cookies. After that we went rafting. I would suggest Tiffany as your guide if you have kids. She was amazing! She was teaching our kids about the mountains and the river. I suggest you take the 8:15 to 2:30 trip, which is the all day trip.

Great chill rafting trip with a few rapids in beautiful country! Booking and checking in were a piece of cake, lunch was good, and we loved Nathan! Thanks for a fun day!!! I’d definitely return and try another adventure. We all had a great day and plan to return to Moab for another fun day!!!

Booking was easy and this company was very helpful with my many questions before I even booked. This company uses some of the smallest rafts in the Moab area which makes for a slightly better experience.
There are appx 5 pretty fun rapids and the rest of the day is flat water which gives you opportunity to swim, look at the views, and relax. If you are looking for a completely action-​packed experience, this is not it.
Lunch is set up on a beach mid-​way through and consisted of two different kinds of wraps with all of the fillings — two types of meat, two types of cheese, various freshly cut vegetables, hummus, mayo, two mustards, cream cheese, etc. As well as cookies, pb&j fixings, and two types of chips. Bring your own water bottle, but they provide fresh, cold water to refill it.
We were worried about our shoes for the trip (we had no appropriate water shoes with us) and we opted for cheap flip flops instead of tennis shoes. This was perfectly fine. We had no issues and the rapids were not crazy enough to risk losing your shoes.
Holly and Gabe were our guides and they were informative, amusing and fun!
Overall, great experience!

We went with Red River Adventures during our road trip recently. Absolutely loved it! My two boys 6 and 8 years old are still talking about the rapids and going straight through the biggest one. Our guide, Adam was great and really helped the boys feel safe. They loved swimming in the water when it was calm. Lunch on the full day trip was excellent and I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to have a fun experience.

My husband booked this trip during our Utah adventure with out 12 and 9 year old kids. It was easy to book online and the confirmation email was very informative. There was definitely a lot of waiting at the start and the bus ride was long. However one of the guides was providing lots of information about our surroundings along the way.
Once in the water our guide Tiffany was very helpful and full of great info about the landscape. She encouraged the kids to swim in the calm water and was very supportive during the rapids.
There were only 4 rapids level 1 and 2 on the half day trip so it was a good introduction for kids. This isn’t a trip if you are looking for higher intensity.
*HERE IS THE BEST PART. A thunder storm rolled in with driving rain, intense wind and lightning a little too close for comfort. Tiffany was a rock star and got us out alive! She encouraged us all to pull together and work hard to get through the rough water and less than desirable weather.
Thanks Tiffany!

My wife and I signed up for the Fisher Towers overnight rafting trip. We just returned and after letting the experience marinate. we both agreed, the trip was outstanding. From the last minute booking to the final bus ride back … A+. Carl was very helpful in advising us on what to bring, wear, expect. On the Colorado River… Holly (Best guide ever), Mike, Gabe, and Kelly were very safe, informative, and hilarious. Food was better than expected. What a great way to spend the 4^th of July weekend. We will be back.

Absolutely the rudest manager ever. If the rest of the staff is as snarky as the manager … or worse yet, their abilities match the manager’s attitude, STAY AWAY!!! I was told I would receive e-​mail confirmation and never got one. Then the manager called me a liar and sent me a screen shot of a document I never received. did not appreciate the lack of organization along with the horrible treatment.

Everything about our trip with them was wonderful. The guides were entertaining and understanding of those who are beginners (like us). Our guide on the raft was Larry, and he was super relaxed and made us feel safe. We all had a lot of fun and the lunch they made for us was wonderful. We did the full day trip (8 am — 3 pm) which was just the right amount of time for our family, who is not used to doing anything like this. None of us felt overly exhausted or like we didn’t get enough time on the river. It really was a perfect trip! Will definitely be coming here again next time we’re in Moab.

Just got back from an awesome trip down the Colorado River with Red River Adventures! I chose this outfit because it got good reviews and they were right on! Our guides, Adam and JoJo, were friendly, funny and informative. Everything ran smoothly and they guided us down the river with no problems. Best part of Red River is that you get to paddle! Many outfits do the paddling for you, but where’s the fun in that! They also feed us and delicious, healthy lunch!

Everything leading up to the trip was perfectly informative, friendly, and good vibes going into it. Our group did the overnight camping rafting trip down the Colorado River. Showed up on time at the office — no clear introductions by the 2 guides. At that point, just figured it was a casual start. By the end, actually realized it was just the overall, underwhelming and lackadaisical theme of the trip.
The description of the trip simply did not match the experience we were provided.
The entire first day (all of 2 hours of actual water time) was spent just sitting idly on the raft consuming snacks and beer that we brought of our own. Then got to the camp site, which was awesome in itself, but our group lacked any sort of communication from the guides. It was like getting the silent treatment from the two guides who were paid to (dare I say it) guide us along? No words about whether we were supposed to set up our own camps/​tents (but we did anyway). Nothing about when we were going to eat, what things we could do (since it was only 3pm at that point) like any nearby hiking trails, animals, etc. And then one of the guides gave us a demeaning look/​attitude when we asked if it was alright to go to the bathroom off in the wilderness away from the campsite. I understand that the tour company has an interest in maintaining the campsite from typical camping use (i.e. going to pee in the bush away from where everything is) but informing our group over 3 hours AFTER we get to camp and not saying anything to us in the interim… how were we supposed to know you wanted us to go in a bucket?
Immediately after carrying out their minimal duties of providing dinner for us, both guides continued the silent treatment and went into their own tents until morning. Hey, we were cool enough to give you guys some free beers throughout the day. Pretty rude. Then in the morning, no heads up about packing some extra dry clothes on us so we can readily change out of our wet clothes while we were freezing by the end. One of the guides tried to pass off the safety checklist orientation bit onto one of us and could care less if anyone even heard/​acknowledged its contents. Then we get to the end of our trip and the thunderstorm was coming in. We were all soaked, had a blast, but were still freezing since it was raining by then. We took cover in the only place that had any covering, which was the van, and then our guides decide to just skip our last included meal of the trip. He drives us back, silent treatment again, and once getting back into Moab, starts pitching us on good food places to eat. Then we get back to the office, they start unloading their gear, and literally nothing said to us. No goodbye, no thanks for the trip, no «do you guys want any lunch set up here instead», no nothing. It was one of the most confusing trips I have ever been on. We were just left to ourselves to get our own stuff and eventually leave. One of our group members felt we should still tip them, though their performance clearly did not deserve it. She went into the side office where the staff hang out I assume, and gave it to them, and they just had a confused look on their faces and didn’t say thank you. Most awkward and unsatisfying trip ever. Thank god our group was awesome and we were always in great spirits, so experiencing the river and camping was still a blast, but not one bit attributable to the guides.
Summary:
1) Extremely poor communication and sense of responsibility for performing basic duties from the guides.
2) We paid for 4 included meals, and only received 3.
3) Got the silent treatment from our guides pretty much the whole trip. Once we got back to the office at the very end, not even a goodbye or thanks. Strange…
4) Felt like we paid over $ 1k for just use of the equipment and camp site.
5) Guides never once asked us if we were okay or if we needed anything, esp when we hit a thunderstorm and were freezing.
6) We begrudgingly decided to tip them even after all of this and they didn’t even say thank you or anything.
7) Only do the overnight if you want to camp. Everything else can easily be experienced in a half day trip. The description and the positive energy felt when booking the trip was like a 180 from the actual experience. Maybe it was just a matter of getting better guides.
8) Since there are a lot of other companies doing the same thing, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

My family went on the Morning Glory Cayoneering trip with this outfit. First, the office staff and the staff answering the phone is top notch. I would give them 5 stars. Carl did a great job explaining our options, cost, etc on the phone. The check in process the day of the event the guy was really friendly and helpful as well.
Unfortunately, the guides are not top notch. This is bad. Our guides were Adam and Evan. Adam was ok. However, Evan had other things to do besides be our guide. From the time the bus left headquarters until we got back on the van all he wanted to do is get home to watch the World Cup. The sprint of a trip was a huge disappointment. We never felt unsafe going down the ropes but going through the bolder field was a different story. There wasn’t a guide in site. They were too busy setting up the next rappel. Many in the group had issues getting down the boulder field post the first rappel. Other people on the trip helped each other out but not a guide. I would not suggest this trip primary for this boulder field. It is not difficult if you have some experience with the outdoors and climbing. However, if you read the write up on this trip you would not expect this boulder field. I expect that if a guide had been there to help us through it, it would not have seemed so challenging. However, a bunch of people never out this way and many who this was their first time doing this sort of thing it was hard. Thankfully, my husband and another gentleman are big guys. They were able to physically help people off the rocks.
Second rappel is nice. A great arch waits for you. Afterward there is about a two mile hike out of the area to the vans. It is easy enough. It was a bit of a sprit for us to keep up with Evan. Many times the group was broken into three sub groups. The group that could keep up with Evan. A middle group. Then the slower group which thankfully Adam stayed with. My husband and I were in the middle group. Many times we stopped and waited for Adam as there were forks in the road and we had no idea the way. Once we all caught up with Evan and his group waiting for us in the shade. As soon as we all got there he was off again. Hey guy. Maybe these guys in the back need a break? It is June in Moab. A tad warm.
If you do this trip in the summer take more water than they tell you. My husband and I had five litters and drank every last drop.
Overall, we will not use this outfit again. The experience wasn’t worth the cost and we didn’t like the attitude of the guide.

I thought RRA did great job! We did the full day Fisher Towers trip, which ran from 8:00am-2:30pmish. Yes, there is a fair amount of driving to the put in and take out, but that’s standard with any river trip of this nature (about an hour to the put in, about 30 minutes from the take out). Our driver, Eric, chatted with us along the way and kept us entertained.
The trip itself was perfect for a beginner, and exciting enough to keep someone who’s done this before interested. There’s quite a bit of flat water, but there were also 6 – 7 exciting rapids to go through. Our guide, Holly, did an awesome job of navigating and she was hilarious. She went over safety, and what to do in certain scenarios, before we set foot on the raft. I felt at ease.
RRA uses smaller rafts. We were in the smallest rafts that I saw on this stretch of the Colorado that were owned by a company, which was awesome. Each individual person has a paddle and works, making you feel more involved, Holly steered and kept us out of places that we weren’t meant to be. A lot of the time on the flatwater, we let the water carry us at a casual pace and we didn’t paddle. The most work came in the rapids and towards the end of the trip, when we paddled a bit more. Even for a very out of shape person, the amount of work expected out of you would be very manageable.
We pulled off at some point for a quick lunch. Lunch consisted of wraps. Fresh ingredients were laid out on a (clean) table for us so we could make our own wraps. For someone with dietary restrictions, I thought this was a great route to go down. Ingredients included avocado, tomatoes, deli meats, cheese, hummus and more!
In short, I had a great time. Great introductory trip to rafting for those who have never gone before, and a nice relaxing, fun day out on the river for those of us who have rafted before.