The Best Whitewater Rafting Adventures in Moab

The first time I pushed a raft into the Colorado River outside Moab, I didn’t realize how much the water would change the way I saw this desert. Hiking the arches and biking the slickrock are iconic, but on the river, you get a different perspective. Sheer sandstone cliffs tower above, desert silence turns into a roar of whitewater, and every bend hides another story. Over the years, I’ve paddled nearly every stretch near town, from splashing family floats to the kind of rapids that make your stomach flip. If you’re planning a Moab vacation and want the best rafting experience, here are the three trips I recommend most—each tested, loved, and remembered.

Westwater Canyon – Moab’s Wild Ride

If there’s one trip that delivers the perfect balance of excitement and scenery, it’s Westwater Canyon. Just 90 minutes from Moab, this section of the Colorado River is often called a miniature Grand Canyon. I still remember my first run—pulling into Skull Rapid with adrenaline spiking, the boat tipping into a frothing wave, and everyone yelling and laughing as we punched through.

Westwater packs about a dozen named rapids into 17 miles. These range from fun class IIIs to the class IVs that keep guides on their toes and put that white in theory knuckles. Between the rapids are stretches of calm water where you can drift and soak up the sight of jet-black Precambrian rock walls. You are looking at some of the oldest exposed stone in North America. It’s a full-day trip that usually starts early in the morning and returns by dinner. In our humble opinion, it is best in late spring through fall. If you want a taste of real whitewater without committing to a multi-day expedition, this is the Moab rafting trip for you.

Trip Snapshot:

  • Distance from Moab: ~1.5 hours

  • Length: Full day (17 miles)

  • Rapids: Class III–IV (intermediate to advanced)

  • Best for: Thrill-seekers, adventurous couples, groups of friends

The Moab Daily – Family Fun and Easy Adventure

If Westwater is the wild ride, the Moab Daily is the hometown promenade. This stretch of the Colorado River runs parallel to scenic Highway 128. The put-ins are located just minutes from downtown.  floated it with kids, with first-timers, and even on hot summer days when we all just wanted to swim more than paddle. The rapids here are mild class IIs which are enough to get splashed and keep everyone grinning, but not so much that anyone feels out of their depth. Do not be fooled this is still a stretch of river where accidents can happen. Wear you life preservers.

The best part about the Daily is how flexible it is. You can run a half-day trip if your schedule’s packed, or make it a full day with a picnic stop on a sandy beach. You can also camp overnight at one of the campgrounds, on the other side of the river. Don’t have the necessary equipment for an overnight ragging trip? Take a guided trip and let them do the work for you. People often swim some sections, drifting in their life jackets watching the cliffs rise above. It’s as close as you’ll get to a desert water park, with scenery that blows away anything man-made. 

Trip Snapshot:

  • Distance from Moab: 20 minutes

  • Length: Half day (7 miles) or Full day (14 miles)

  • Rapids: Class II–III (beginner friendly)

  • Best for: Families with kids, first-time rafters, anyone short on time

Cataract Canyon – The Big Water Expedition

If you’ve got time for a true multi-day big water rafting adventure, nothing compares to Cataract Canyon. Flowing deep through the heart of Canyonlands National Park, this is where the Colorado River’s power is on full display. Dropping into Big Drop 2 is a humbling experience. Your raft feels like a toy in the waves, water exploding around you as you paddled with an adrenaline fueled gusto. It is the kind of whitewater that keeps you up the night before, but makes your whole body buzz afterward.

Cataract is a multi-day trip lasting three to five days depending on river flows. It combines huge class III–V rapids with long stretches of flatwater, remote desert campsites, and night skies so full of stars they barely look real. This could be considered expedition rafting at its best. Where else can you wake up to silence, float past 1,000-foot canyon walls, then brace yourself for rapids rivaling the Grand Canyon in size. This is not the trip for casual dabblers—it’s for those who want to feel the full force of the desert’s wild heart.

Trip Snapshot:

  • Distance from Moab: ~2 hours to put-in

  • Length: 3–5 days (100+ miles)

  • Rapids: Class III–V (big water, advanced)

  • Best for: Experienced adventurers, bucket-list seekers, multi-day explorers

Which Rafting Trip Should You Choose?

  • Choose Westwater Canyon if you want a one-day trip that delivers the best mix of adrenaline and jaw-dropping canyon scenery.

  • Go with the Moab Daily if you’re traveling with kids, short on time, or just want a fun day on the river without too much intensity.

  • Pick Cataract Canyon if you’re ready to dive into a multi-day expedition with some of the biggest whitewater in North America.

The beauty of rafting in Moab is that you can’t go wrong—each stretch has its own character, its own way of revealing the desert.

Before You Push Off

Every time I step off the river sun-warmed, soaked, and grinning ear to ear I feel like I have lived a little bigger that day. Rafting in Moab is not just about charging through rapids; it is about laughing with strangers who quickly feel like friends, watching canyon walls glow from the waterline, and letting the current pull you deeper into the desert’s wild heart. Whether it’s a half-day river trip down the Moab daily, a full-day adrenaline ride on Westwater Canyon, or a weeklong river journey in Cataract Canyon, Moab’s whitewater leaves you with stories you’ll carry long after the trip has ended and the gear has been stowed.