River rafting excursions through the Grand Canyon have been our specialty for years. Folks love our 8-day motorized trip, but we also offer a rowing trip for those who want a longer, more in-depth and up-close experience. Since most people raft the Grand Canyon only once, it makes sense to have time to drift, to wander, and to ponder.

On our rowing trips, we decided we wanted our guests to run the river much like Major John Wesley Powell experienced it in 1869. Powell’s group used wooden boats not designed for the rigors of the Colorado River’s white water. For the next seventy years, explorers that followed Powell tinkered with designs and techniques, refining to a science the art of rowing wooden boats in white water.

The World War II-era produced the inflatable raft, which were inexpensive, tough, forgiving, and easy to patch and transport. By the end of the 1960s, hardly anyone used the old wood boats, except for a few adventurous boatmen, including conservationist and writer Martin Litton. Litton introduced the Dory to the Grand Canyon after rowing similar boats on the Mackenzie River in Oregon. The Dory exhibits the grace and heritage of the old wood boat, providing an exhilarating, responsive ride that only a rigid boat can give. They demand full respect for the river, its currents, and obstacles, but in turn, passengers feel each nuance of the riffles and can rocket off the top of some of the greatest waves in the canyon.

Our Dory trips are incredible.

Our Grand Canyon Dory trips are more than just sightseeing tours. We leave the world behind and leave ourselves open to discovery: the beauty of a particular spot that everyone else walked right by; the peculiar way lizards do push-ups; the way light and form ripple across the water; parts of your own self that you had long forgotten. Away from the modern world, you will enjoy experiences such as stargazing on the beach, viewing ancient Anasazi ruins, or watching a sudden summer cloudburst turn into a series of raging red waterfalls.

If you yearn for the adventure of a lifetime, contact us today to book a Grand Canyon Expeditions Dory trips, rated among Peter Guttman’s “Top Ten Most Thrilling Adventures in North America.”

Grand Canyon Expeditions Dory Trips Rated in Peter Guttman's List of Top Ten Most Thrilling Adventures in North America. See listing. Click here to view our brochure.