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Rafting and Adventure Travel

Whitewater Rafting Layover Days

Whitewater Rafting Layover Days

Layover days are an incredible addition to multi-day rafting trips providing a day without rafting in the middle of the trip. Our guests overwhelming enjoy layover days when we are able to schedule them which is much easier to do on custom and charter trips. The layover gives everyone a chance to relax, recharge and choose their own adventure. Below we answer some common questions about layover days and half-overs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Layover Days

On multi-day rafting trips a layover day is when a group spends two nights camped at the same location. There is no rafting on the day between the two nights. Instead, the day becomes an opportunity to immerse oneself deeper into the wilderness. After breakfast, the guides will put out a lunch spread so everyone can make a bag lunch and head off for their desired adventure. Common activities include:

  • hiking
  • exploring
  • reading
  • napping
  • swimming
  • fishing
  • relaxing

On most multi-day rafting trips every night is spent at a new camp. This means each morning the entire camp is broken down, loaded into the rafts and rowed downstream. After arriving at the next night’s camp it is all unloaded and set up again. While this is a wonderful way to travel, avoiding all the packing and unpacking for a day makes a nice change of pace and allows for more riverside activities.

This is the tricky part. Most commercial trips don’t have a layover as many people feel they need to raft every day of their trip. The best way to insure a layover day on your rafting trip is to charter a trip. If you bring a group it is easier to request a layover and ensure it happens. On some rivers the outfitter will need to add an extra day to the itinerary to make it happen.

Alaskan Rafting Trips

Most multi-day river trips in Alaska have a layover day or two. The most challenging part of rafting in Alaska is getting there. Once on the river you might as well take advantage of being there. Alaskan lay-over days allow for hiking and exploring remote wilderness.

Tony Point Camps (Selway River, Idaho)

Probably the most famous place for a layover day. The Tony Point Camps are just upstream of Moose Creek (a major tributary of the Selway) and directly below the Moose Creek Historic Ranger Station and landing strip.

Those that want a challenging day will head out early on a big hike (like Shissler Peak) with one of the guides and get back in the mid-afternoon. Most people will stay closer to camp to fish Moose Creek, head up to explore the historic Moose Creek Ranger station and landing strip, or spend the day lounging and swimming in the river. Finally a few people will hike the trail downstream to inspect the large rapids of the Moose Juice that will be run the next day.

Nankoweap Creek (Colorado River, Grand Canyon)

Nankoweap Canyon provides a classic location for a layover in Grand Canyon with multiple hiking opportunities and a year-round side stream. Many layovers enjoy the iconic hike to the Nankoweap Graneries. It is possible to hike all day up Nankoweap Canyon or just go a short ways to soak in the waters of Nankoweap Creek.

Clavey Falls (Tuolumne River, California)

In the summer the Tuolumne River has releases from a dam and every other Wednesday the dam doesn’t release water to do maintenance. A popular trip is to raft down to the Clavey Falls campsites where the Clavey River converges with the Tuolumne River. Here groups will unload knowing they will get to spend the entire next day playing in the warm waters of the Clavey. The following day it is back to some of the best whitewater in the western United States.

Paradise Lodge (Rogue River, Oregon)

Paradise Lodge is a beautiful place to hangout along the Rogue River. This layover is popular for those that want the niceties of a lodge while rafting on a multi-day river. Deep in the Rogue River Wilderness the Paradise Lodge provides access to swimming, hiking, fishing, and general relaxing.

Camas Creek (Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho)

Camas Creek is a major tributary of the Middle Fork of the Salmon . The camp has incredible shade for those that want to lounge, swimming holes in the creek and hiking trails that go for days through the Frank Church Wilderness Area. Anglers find fishing in the creek and the river to be world class.

Jones Hole (Gates of Lodore: Green River, Utah)

An oasis in the desert Jones Hole provides a cool relaxing break in the heat of the summer. It also provides the fishing on the Lodore section of the Green. Like our other favorite layover spots there is excellent hiking, swimming and shady spots to relax.

Most whitewater rafting trips are set up to be the best number of days to run the river with a new camp each night. People don’t understand how nice a layover day is.

A half-over is when a rafting party gets to camp at lunch time. They set up camp and then have lunch. After lunch everyone has the afternoon to choose their preferred activity. Many times a half-over is a better option than a layover day. As it allows a trip to make miles in the morning and then those that don’t want to go on a big adventure have access to all their camp gear.

In order to have a layover day, river trips need to create extra time. The most common way is to take more days then normal to run the river. The other option is to cover more miles per day to create extra time for the layover.

Hiking through Bear Grass to Shissler Peak on a rafting trip layover day
Laying over hiking

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