Spoiler alert: if you just want to enjoy Lava Falls for the thrill it provides, read no further!

Geology of a Grand Canyon Rapid
Three elements make up a rapid: a constricted point in a river (velocity of the current increases), an uneven river bottom (mmmm turbulence), and, the best part, that drop in elevation (speed! and more turbulence) – 13 vertical feet in less than 100 horizontal.

In the Grand Canyon, most rapids are formed of debris fans deposited in the river from the many side canyons. Some fans create riffles, oth Read More

Absolutely everyone loves a stop at the confluence of the Colorado River and the Little Colorado River. Rafts usually anchor to a slab of rock jutting out into the big river. Guests scramble up out of the raft and onto the slab for a beautiful view of the confluence. The clear blue water of the Little hits what is often muddy water of the Big. The clear blue is an optical illusion due to the white lime from sedimentary rock layers – the calcium carbonate has built up as a white lime coating on the bottom of the Little.

Before or a Read More

All of the shuffling around sure can get confusing. It’s your summer vacation and you want it to go smoothly. So you can get a visual on things, we’ve created a google map of put-in to take-out locations along the Colorado River.

For starters, Cher and Magnolia will take care of most of the logistics, but you do need Read More

Before you embark on your whitewater rafting expedition with Hatch River Expeditions, you may have some extra time to spend in the Marble Canyon area. In fact, it’s worth getting there early to mosey around the place.

On the Way
If you’re driving from the north, be sure to stop in at Grand Canyon North Rim (and Zion NP if you have the time) on your way. Drive all the way out Walhalla Point and look down at the Colorado River. It’s all about th Read More

One of the most frequent questions asked when booking a whitewater rafting trip with Hatch is “What’s the food like?” It’s amazing! Don’t just take our word for it, though. Check out recent posts on our Facebook wall and another blog about what goes on in the food warehouse before a trip and what is served on the Colorado River.

Robert Rosen shared some Colorado River food photos. He and his family were on a motorized white water trip summer 2010. Their river guides were JP and Sara.

Geoff Buck also sent us a few photos from his Read More

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"Everybody went out of their way to make it nice and it certainly was. It was a great group, no whiners, no head trips, just a boatload of fun people. Tim’s cooking was first class. He was also very helpful around camp and on hikes. He’s very knowledgeable. Jeff is outstanding. Everyone loved his stories and jokes. He really made the trip fun for all. We were also very impressed with his boating skills. Everything, everything, everything was perfect. I never heard a grumble from anybody on the entire trip. Thanks to all of you: Cher, Michell Read More

Save the Colorado details the myriad of threats to the Colorado River, among them: climate change, population growth, dams and diversions, species extinction, mineral resources, and invasive species. Did you know that the Colorado River is completely drained by the time it reaches it’s one-time delta at the Sea of Cortez?

Learn more about the Colorado River

Hatch guides David Kasinski and Scott Perry are in a new book about Colorado River – The Colorado River Flow Read More

When packing for a Grand Canyon Colorado River trip, you’ve got to think about weight. We recommend you lay things out so that you can make sure that you’re bringing the bare minimum.

The weight limit in the aircraft is 25 pounds per person. This includes your beverages and your own sleeping gear if you are flying them into Marble Canyon. We’ve reviewed what to pack: rain gear, skin protection, good water sandals, sun glasses, sun hat and synthetic or wool fiber clothing.

Upper or Lower River trips mean that you’ll be hiking in o Read More