Bradfield to Slickrock, Colorado

No dates scheduled for 2012 - Ages 12 and up

This trip is a rare opportunity to run the exciting rapids and enjoy the beautiful red rocks and pine forests of the Dolores River. Rock walls and Ponderosa Pine forests make this one of the most scenic sections of river in the West.

The Dolores River flows for over two hundred river miles starting at the headwaters in the San Juan Mountains before flowing into the Colorado River about 30 miles above Moab. In 1776, a Franciscan, Silvestre Velez de Escalante christened the river ‘Rio de Nuestra Senora de Los Dolores’ or River of Our Lady of Sorrows. The name has since been shortened to just the Dolores River.

The section we will be rafting is from Bradfield to Slickrock in Colorado and is 47 river miles. The river drops an average of 19 feet per mile making for exciting and challenging whitewater (class I-IV) including the famous Snaggletooth rapid. We start rafting surrounded by Ponderosa Pine forests and drop into the beautiful red rock desert going through spectacular canyons. We will learn about the geology and history of the area as well as enjoy the remoteness of the location. Children aged 12 and over are welcome on this trip.

The Dolores River is dependant on spring runoff and McPherson Dam releases to run in the spring. The river running season is normally short, about 6 weeks a year and varies depending on the winter snows. Due to the nature of the Dolores River a back up trip on Westwater Canyon on the Colorado River is planned in case of low water.

We will start and end in Moab, Utah for this trip.

Adults: $480 - CFI Member: $460
Youth: $380 (age 12-17)
Nonrefundable Deposit: $125 per person