Whether or not you consider yourself to be a big “outdoorsy person” (spoiler alert, I was not), a multi-day rafting trip makes for an exciting, relaxing, jaw-dropping, and adventurous couples trip!
This summer, we went on a weekend rafting trip down Browns Canyon in Colorado, then did an 8-day rafting trip on the Upper Alsek River (goes through part of Alaska and the Yukon and BC territories of Canada) with Chilkat Guides, and both were brilliant couples trips.
We’ll focus more on the Alsek trip, since it was a longer trip that only a few hundred people partake in each year (as opposed to, say, the Grand Canyon that gets 20,000+ each year). But after reflecting on our experience, John (who has also done a Grand Canyon trip, among many others), confirmed that there are a few positive similarities among every overnight, multi-day rafting trip.
So why should your next couples trip be a multi-day rafting adventure? Typically, they are…
1) REMOTE
Overnight rafting provides access to remote locations, even in parks that have a lot of visitors. Traveling on the river means that you can get to places that you can’t get to by car, let alone by foot. A good indication of a remote trip is that it includes a helicopter ride at the end (which is exciting on its own, but mostly because there’ll be no alternative way back up the river!).
2) WILD
Wilderness is at a whole other level on an overnight trip, especially due to the remote locations. Since there are fewer visitors and foot traffic, the areas you camp are typically less disturbed. On the Alsek, we saw a grizzly (that was *terrified* when it saw us), along with a black bear and hundreds of bear prints – a bit chilling, but exciting nonetheless!
3) BEAUTIFUL
Nature-lovers appreciate the outdoors for a wide variety of reasons – connection with other life forms, environmental interests, opportunities for physical challenge, spiritual reasons, etc. But one thing we can all agree on is how absolutely beautiful and scenic nature can be. Overnight raft trips give you the opportunity to soak up all that beauty, day and night.
During the day, you’ll be able to see more than you can see on a hike, since going down a river on a raft is quicker (pro tip: try not to get “scenic overload”, in which you stop really appreciating the gorgeous views because there are just so many!). And at night, given the remote location away from unnatural town lighting, the stars are AMAZING. We were lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis (aka Northern Lights) FOUR NIGHTS IN A ROW. INSANE.
4) INCLUSIVE
A rafting trip consists of about three hours of rafting each day. Sometimes the clients paddle, and sometimes not. But typically, rafting trips are more inclusive of different ability levels and physical conditions than, say, a hiking trip, a scuba diving tour, or other forms of outdoor adventure. You don’t even have to be a particularly good swimmer.
Depending on the trip, rapid class/intensity, and the expectations of the guides, you could choose anything from a wild paddling/difficult day-hiking trip to a smooth-sailing (just sitting there on the raft and enjoying your surroundings) and lying-around-the-campfire type of trip. The Upper Alsek was everything in between, which make it an amazing couples trip.
5) DELICIOUS
If you’ve ever been on an overnight backpacking trip, you know how little food you can bring and how limited you are in cuisine options due to weight. Another great aspect of a rafting trip is that *you don’t carry your own gear, or any gear* – the raft does that for you! There’s beauty in roughing it a bit, eating peanuts and other scraps out of your backpack, selecting only the most necessary food items, etc. But there’s ALSO beauty in a steak dinner, nahmean?! Eating loads of delicious food every day was something I for one did not expect but GREATLY appreciated.
6) UNPLUGGED
This one is self-explanatory, and is an advantage in many types of nature trips. There is freedom in having no service, no ability to connect with your “normal world”, so that you can be all the more focused on the real, raw world around you.
7) SOCIAL
Although number 6 is a huge plus, humans are still social animals! So it’s nice to have a good group on your trip. John here: Having been on about 20 rafting trips, I can say with confidence that raft guides are always pretty great – fun to talk to, easy- going, nature-minded, and in love with their jobs!
8) ADVENTUROUS
This might be one of the more obvious reasons, but rafting is FUN! Paddling through the water, going up and down with the rapids, feeling an adrenaline rush with the heavy waters (especially class 3, 4, or 5 rapids) – the experience can certainly be thrilling if you’re up for that kind of trip! There’s of course some safety precautions that the guides will walk you through beforehand, and it can be dangerous. But just like anything else (driving a car, hiking in bear country, going on a Tinder date….) if you’re aware of what to do when faced with a bad situation, chances are you’ll be okay.
9) RELAXING
If you hated everything just mentioned in number 8 then NO WORRIES. You can choose a more relaxing trip (class 1 or 2 rapids) and just cruise along. When the waters were calmer, I found myself lying on the raft, looking at the 360 beauty, and being in an almost meditative state. Pure gold.
10) PERSONAL
All in all, an overnight raft trip is the perfect environment for doing whatever it is YOU want to do, with nature and without distraction. When you’re not on the raft, there’s ample time to do whatever you want. Some people like to do day hikes and continue the adventure, but you also have the ability to just relax in your tent, read a book, do yoga, journal on a rock (e.g. pic above), or simply drink beer by the campfire.
Have we convinced you yet? 😛 – If you’ve been on a rafting trip and have more reasons or suggestions, please comment below!
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Loving the old; exploring the new,
Imani
It was a real pleasure to take you guys down Browns Canyon, and I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment of the post. I can’t wait to share another riparian adventure with y’all. Shout out to Independent Whitewater in Salida for the boat, and Erika Land for some of the photos!