Kayaking Tours

  Kayaking on the Lower Salt River is quickly becoming one of our most popular river recreation tours. Our guests experience the wonder of being in the unique environment of a desert river, which provides a home for the greatest diversity of plant and animal life that our region has to offer. They will also be rewarded by the excitement and accomplishment of piloting their own craft on our fully guided tour; the easy currents and gentle nature of the river make it an ideal setting for both the curious beginner and the experienced veteran to get a little exercise and have a lot of fun! 

Our guides will be alongside in their own kayaks to offer direction and interpretive information during the tour. Most of our guests will be comfortable sharing one of our tandem kayaks with a companion and will enjoy the challenge of working together to maneuver around obstacles and traverse across currents. The tandem inflatable kayak is our tour standard but can also be paddled solo. The single kayaks will be more maneuverable, but also require a bit more finesse to paddle proficiently; they can be requested as an upgrade for an additional fee. For our largest groups, guests will be provided both types of kayaks; our guides will help determine which guests will be best suited to either the tandem or single boat.

Our river adventures are conducted on both the Lower Salt and Lower Verde Rivers; our operations are authorized by permit from the Tonto National Forest. The flow on both rivers is regulated by the Salt River Project, one of our local utility providers, to manage for a variety of demands, including flood control, irrigation and domestic water supply, ecosystem management, and recreation. This means that the amount of water flowing in either waterway fluctuates seasonally, and often not in relation to local weather conditions. With over twenty-five years of river recreation management experience on the Salt and Verde Rivers, you can be assured that we will choose the best area in which to operate your tour to take advantage of the most ideal river level and recreational opportunity.