Boat trips on the Colorado River

7 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

The Colorado River runs several thousand feet below the viewpoints of Grand Canyon West, and there are three ways to get onto it. A helicopter takes you from the rim to a landing site near the water, where a pontoon boat waits. Hualapai River Runners, the rafting outfit of the Hualapai Tribe, spends a whole day on the river from Diamond Creek. And below Hoover Dam, on the way between Las Vegas and the West Rim, kayak and raft tours set out into Black Canyon. In the national park, trails lead from the rim down to the river; at Grand Canyon West the operator names none, so the helicopter and the rafting trip are the ways down.

The pontoon boat below the West Rim

Grand Canyon West sells a helicopter and pontoon package of its own: a helicopter flight 3,500 feet down to the canyon floor and back, a narrated boat ride on the Colorado, and an All-Access Pass for the rest of the day. The operator estimates about 15 minutes in the air, about 15 minutes on the boat and about 45 minutes in all. Check-in is one hour before the flight at the helicopter terminal, the white bubble next to Terminal 1, and Grand Canyon West advises booking helicopter packages in advance.

Papillon flies a similar trip from Grand Canyon West Airport. Its tour page lists a flight of 5 to 7 minutes, a walk to the pontoon dock and a boat ride on which the guide explains the history and geology of the river, while Papillon’s website puts the whole outing at about 60 minutes. Park entry is an add-on, check-in is 30 minutes before the start, every passenger is weighed, and purses, backpacks and other bags stay behind. The tour must be reconfirmed at least 24 hours in advance.

From Las Vegas the pontoon comes as part of a longer day. Papillon’s helicopter, boat and Skywalk tour starts at its Boulder City terminal, lands on the canyon floor for a 15-minute cruise and then flies up to the rim for the Skywalk, about seven hours with hotel transfers. The plane, helicopter and boat tour of Grand Canyon Airlines adds a flight to the West Rim and lists 15 to 20 minutes on the boat. Las Vegas Outdoor Adventures drives you by van past Hoover Dam and through the Joshua tree forest, and serves lunch afterwards at the operator’s private ranch. Maverick’s canyon floor flight lands about 300 feet above the river without a boat.

Reviewers of the plane, helicopter and boat tour describe 50 to 70 uneven steps between the landing site and the boat, hard going in July and August when one guest reported 40 °C. Bring water and a hat in summer, and keep your bag small.

Rafting with Hualapai River Runners

The rafting trips on the river at the West Rim are run by Hualapai River Runners, with certified river guides from the Hualapai Tribe who also talk about Hualapai traditions. The operator describes it as the only single-day motorised whitewater trip in the Grand Canyon. Booking and details are on the Grand Canyon West website; the helicopter flight out of the canyon is included and is reserved together with the trip.

The day starts at 7:00 am in Peach Springs on Route 66, with check-in at the Hualapai Lodge, 900 Highway 66. A bus takes about an hour down a rugged dirt road of 21 miles to Diamond Creek, where the boats launch. The first half of the trip has the rapids and the second half is calm water. Every trip includes a moderate hike and short climb to Travertine Cavern Falls, with ropes and ladders on the way to the cave; the operator calls it optional but recommends it. Lunch is served on a sandy beach. At the end, Papillon Helicopters flies you from the Pontoon Dock up to Grand Canyon West, and a bus takes you back to Peach Springs, where the day ends around 6:00 pm.

Participants must be at least 8 years old, and the operator says a moderate level of fitness helps; medical conditions should be reported before the trip. Life jackets, large dry bags and a safety briefing are provided, and your own bag may weigh at most 10 lb. Breakfast is not included, so eat before you arrive. The main season runs from April to October, with limited dates outside it, and during the monsoon from June to September trips can be cancelled when the road is not passable. Times are Arizona time, which matches Las Vegas from March to early November. The operator also mentions two-day trips.

Black Canyon below Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam stands in Black Canyon on the border between Arizona and Nevada, about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Willow Beach, the starting point of most kayak tours below the dam, is one of the entrance stations of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The NPS collects a fee per private vehicle there, valid for 1 to 7 days. Blazin Paddles and the helicopter and kayak combination include the fee or the permits, Trek Las Vegas excludes it, together with transport.

Blazin Paddles drives you from the Strip by Mercedes Sprinter to Willow Beach for a 4-mile paddle upstream and back, with a historical overlook, Emerald Cave and a river gauging station about 100 years old. The operator names bighorn sheep, bald eagles and coyotes among the wildlife to look out for. The outing takes about six hours with transfers, and the operator does not recommend it for children under 12. It also points out that the green light in the cave depends on the conditions. Trek Las Vegas keeps groups to at most 12, visits Emerald, Echo and Lover’s Caves on a longer route, provides a 13-litre dry bag and takes children from 7.

A raft is the quieter choice. Black Canyon River Adventures floats for 90 minutes at the foot of the dam, past the old catwalk and a gauging station; the trip is wheelchair accessible and infants ride on an adult’s lap, but there is no hotel pick-up. Papillon combines a helicopter landing at the West Rim with a 2.5-hour motorised raft of 11 miles from the base of Hoover Dam to Willow Beach Marina, through walls the operator says rise nearly 2,000 feet. 5 Star Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours pairs a 90-minute flight with a 4-mile kayak tour to Emerald Cove, not for children under 8 or non-swimmers. Our page on Hoover Dam covers the dam itself.