96 River Miles · The Confluence · Class III to V
Cataract Canyon Rafting
Five days on the Colorado through the heart of Canyonlands: about 50 miles of flatwater, the confluence with the Green, then roughly 16 miles of Cataract Canyon's rapids before Lake Powell. Mild to Wild's trip departs on Wednesdays from Moab. All sales are final.
- 5.0 / 5 3+ Reviews
- 5 days Duration
- 5 days 96 River Miles
- Class III-V Depending on Flow
The Experience
What the Five Days Cover
Mild to Wild's itinerary, day by day.
Highlights
- About 50 miles of motored flat water deep into Canyonlands
- A loop hike over the river's gooseneck below Dead Horse Point
- Roughly 16 miles of Cataract Canyon whitewater below the Green River confluence
- Beach camps, meals and guides included
What's Included
- Drybags (for packing clothing & necessities while on the river)
- Pre-Trip Orientation
- Safety Orientation and River Navigation Instruction
- Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Devices, Helmets, and Splash Jackets
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Experienced, professional, and interpretive guides
- Breakfast
- Snacks
Not Included: Gratuities
How a Cataract Canyon Trip Works
A long trip in a remote canyon, with terms to match.
Pick a Departure Date
Mild to Wild's five-day trip runs on Wednesdays; the listing's 2027 season runs from mid-March to early November. Adrift's three-day trip has its own dates.
Accept That It Is Non-Refundable
Both Cataract Canyon trips on Viator are all sales final: no refund on cancellation. Travel insurance that covers cancellation is worth considering before you pay.
Meet at 7 a.m. in Moab
The five-day trip starts at Mild to Wild's office west of downtown Moab at 7:00 a.m., then a 30-minute shuttle to the Potash boat ramp.
Be Ready for Real Rapids
The trip needs a high level of physical fitness and is not suitable for spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health.
Photo Gallery
Cataract Canyon
Photos from the trip listing: the flatwater, the camps and the rapids.
Book Your Experience
Check Dates for the 5-Day Cataract Canyon Trip
Departure dates and the live price open on the trip's Viator page. Read the cancellation terms before you book.
Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours
Cataract Canyon 5 Day Rafting Trip in Colorado River
- 5.0/5 from 3 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor
- 5 days
- From $2,150 per person (checked October 2026)
- All sales final: no refund on cancellation
- 7:00 a.m. at Mild to Wild's Moab office
Cataract Canyon: Five Days or Three
The two guided Cataract trips on Viator, side by side. Prices as listed in October 2026.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Mild to Wild, 5 Days | Adrift Adventures, 3 Days |
|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From $2,150 per person (October 2026) | From $1,398 per person (October 2026) |
| Route | 96 miles from Potash: flatwater, the confluence, the rapids, Narrow Canyon | Through the confluence, the Mile Long and Big Drop rapids, to Hite Marina |
| Included | Meals, camps, dry bags, life jackets, helmets, guides | Meals, guide, national park fees |
| Not Included | Gratuities | Return transportation (extra charge), alcohol, gratuities |
| Cancellation | All sales final | All sales final |
| Reviews on Viator | 3 reviews, 5.0 | 3 reviews, 5.0 |
| Check dates | See the 3-day trip |
Shorter Trips
Other Ways onto the River
A three-day Cataract trip, and the day floats near Moab if five days is too much.
3 DAYSCataract Canyon Rafting Expedition (3 Days)
Adrift's three-day Cataract Canyon expedition: through Canyonlands past the Green and Colorado confluence and the Big Drop rapids, ending at Hite Marina on Lake Powell.
ONE DAY: 4X4 + RIVERMoab Combo: Colorado River Rafting and Canyonlands 4X4 Tour
Morning by 4x4 through Island in the Sky, the Shafer Trail and part of the White Rim Road; buffet lunch at the river; afternoon rafting the Colorado near Fisher Towers.
ONE DAY ON THE RIVERMoab Full-Day Rafting Trip with Lunch, Colorado River
A full day on the Colorado from Castle Valley back toward Moab, mostly floating with a few Class II rapids, and a deli lunch on a beach.
The Guide
Cataract Canyon: What You Are Signing Up For
The biggest whitewater in the park, a long way from help, on non-refundable terms.
Below the confluence of the Green and the Colorado, in the middle of Canyonlands, the combined river drops into Cataract Canyon. NPS describes about 14 miles of Class III to V whitewater there, a hazardous and isolated stretch subject to extreme swings in water level, for experienced river runners only. Outfitters count the rapid section at around 16 miles. Getting there by boat takes days, because the rivers above the confluence are flat, and getting out means Lake Powell.
So this is not a day trip, and the terms reflect it.
The five-day trip
Mild to Wild’s expedition, in the booking box above, starts at 7 a.m. at its Moab office with a 30-minute shuttle to the Potash boat ramp. The first days motor through about 50 miles of flatwater into Canyonlands, with a loop hike over a gooseneck of the river below Dead Horse Point while the boats go round. At the confluence the whitewater begins; the middle days run the rapids and stop at beaches and side canyons; the last day finishes the rapids and floats Narrow Canyon to the take-out. The listing covers 96 river miles and includes meals, camps, dry bags, life jackets, helmets and guides.
It costs from $2,150 a person (checked October 2026) and runs on Wednesdays through the 2027 season. Two things to weigh before booking: it is all sales final, with no refund on cancellation, and on Viator it has only 5.0 from 3 reviews so far, because the listing is new there.
Five days or three?
Cataract Canyon 5 Day Rafting Trip in Colorado River
The full 96 miles from Potash: flatwater, the confluence, the rapids and Lake Powell, with time for side canyons.
Check dates →Cataract Canyon Rafting Expedition (3 Days)
Adrift's shorter version through the confluence and the Big Drop rapids to Hite Marina. Return transport costs extra.
See the 3-day trip →Prices and review counts from the Viator listings (checked October 2026). Both trips are non-refundable once booked; treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Adrift’s three-day trip is cheaper at $1,398 a person and ends at Hite Marina on Lake Powell; return transportation is an extra charge. It too is all sales final.
When to go
Season changes the trip. Adrift’s listing describes Cataract as at its wildest in May, June and early July, when spring run-off fills the canyon, and calmer from July to October, with lower, warmer water and sandbars. NPS warns of extreme fluctuations in water level. If big water is the point, aim for late spring; if you are bringing a mixed group, late summer is gentler.
If five days and non-refundable terms are more than you want, the Moab rafting day trips run mild water near town with free cancellation, and one of them adds a morning on the Island in the Sky 4x4 roads.
Guest Reviews
What Cataract Canyon Rafters Say
Read the 3 reviews of this tour on Viator
See All ReviewsFive Days Through the Heart of Canyonlands
Mild to Wild's Cataract Canyon expedition: flatwater into the park, the confluence, about 16 miles of rapids and Lake Powell. Meals, camps and guides included. All sales final. Starting from $2,150 per person.
Check dates on ViatorCan't Make These Dates?
Browse More Available Options
Find a tour that fits your schedule. Dates and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Cataract Canyon Rafting: Questions
Rapids, season, terms and what is included.
Class III to V, depending on the flow, and among the most serious whitewater in the region. NPS calls Cataract Canyon a hazardous and isolated section of the Colorado, subject to extreme water-level fluctuations, for experienced river runners only. On a guided trip the guides run the boats; the five-day listing still asks for a high level of physical fitness.
Guided trips run from one to six days, according to NPS; the two sold on Viator are three and five days. Mild to Wild's five-day trip covers 96 river miles from the Potash boat ramp near Moab. Adrift's three-day trip ends at Hite Marina on Lake Powell.
May to early July for the biggest water; July to October for calmer, warmer conditions. Adrift's listing describes the canyon as wildest in May, June and early July with the spring run-off, and gentler later in summer with sandbars and warm water. Mild to Wild's 2027 season on the listing runs from mid-March to early November.
Not for a refund: both trips on Viator are listed as all sales final. That is the main difference from Moab's day trips, which usually refund in full up to 24 hours before. Consider travel insurance that covers cancellation before booking a multi-day river trip.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, camps, dry bags, life jackets, helmets, splash jackets and guides. A pre-trip orientation and safety briefing are included too. Gratuities are not. The trip starts and ends in Moab; check with the operator about transport back from the take-out when you book.
Not on a guided trip; the outfitter holds it. NPS requires a permit for every river trip in Canyonlands, flatwater or whitewater. Private groups apply through the park; guided guests do not.
Still have questions? Email us at info@canyonlands-tours.com