Moab, Utah-based Western River Expeditions reports that 2022 river rafting season numbers are back to pre-pandemic highs.
“Based on our booking trends, we predict that 2023 reservations will likely surpass those of 2022. While this is good news for our company, it’s not necessarily good news for people who wait until the last minute to make a reservation with us,” said Brandon Lake, co-owner and CMO.
To make it easy for early birds, by mid-summer, Western River Expeditions had posted dates and prices for the 2023 season. See Western River Expedition’s for details.
“Our most coveted whitewater rafting adventures are our 3, 4, 6, and 7-day departures through the Grand Canyon. As of early September, 95 percent of these 2023 departures are already sold out,” he said.
What does this mean for next year’s wanna-be river rafters?
“Act now,” Lake said. “There are still a few dates available on our three and four-day Grand Canyon expeditions.”
In addition to adventures through the Grand Canyon, Western River Expeditions also brings guests on whitewater adventures through Utah’s Desolation Canyon and Cataract Canyon and onto iconic rivers in Idaho and Oregon.
“As these rivers tend to carry less name recognition than Grand Canyon, they have more space available for 2023 and are excellent options for an unforgettable summer adventure,” Lake said.
Western River Expeditions, as with other tour operators, Lake said, has to operate within the restrictions of its permits through the National Park Service, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. These limits might be adequate in normal times, but spots are now being quickly snapped up by an unprecedented surge of demand following pandemic lockdowns, record breaking heat waves that call for water-based recreation and an exploding demand to visit national parks.
Photo Courtesy Western River Expeditions