am interested finding some easy river floats of 12-20 miles where i can kayak down and then use my bike and trailer to get back to the truck
i have an ebike so kayaking back 20-30 miles to the truck after 6 hours in the water is no problem
really like doing the river floats but it always requires 2 people and 2 cars, often half a days drive from Tucson where most of my friends are
this is my solution for that so i can go by myself
i travel the state for work
planning to do some trials of this set up the next couple of weeks on the lower salt river from saguaro to granite reef
was thinking needles to lake havasu
saw a float in page but need to drive the roads and think it may be too far because of the way the roads are built
hoover dam to willow beach looks like one
spend a good bit of the summers in flagstaff and could go north from there
i always drive the roads first to see if they will be safe for the bike/trailer on the return trip
any other suggestions in these areas? and/or feedback on how some of these rivers are
little concerned about needles to lake havasu with powerboats
We canoed Black Canyon, Hoover to Willow, thru a livery service in February. Fantastic trip for a bucket list - Hoover Dam, that bridge, bighorns and bathing in a hot spring.
Can’t comment on biking back especially in the summer heat and may be some serious climbs.
Heads up though, at the time (and probably still) you need to get a permit from Homeland Security to launch at the base of Hoover Dam. Remotely possible that the rafting outfitter at Willow could shuttle you up to the dam to begin your float.
There aren’t that many. The Colorado below Willow Beach. The Green River and San Juan River in Utah. Truckee, Carson and Walker Rivers in Nevada, but only certain stretches. Maybe the Virgin River at the right time.
I have paddled the lower 50 miles above Yuma from Blythe. We went in February. Some of the river has rip-rap added by the ACOE. It is awkward to land, but there are long stretches that are not modified at all.
Power boats were no problem. We saw wildlife and found places to camp where not one light was visible.
I grew up in Utah, and live there part time now. I lived for a couple of years in Tucson. Honestly Arizona is not great for easy floatable rivers ( I don’t think the Grand Canyon is what you have in mind.) The lower Colorado has a lot of power boat traffic but there are nice parts. The Gila, Salt and Verde usually only have sufficient water part of the year and biking along nearby highway access would be nuts. Topcock gorge is a nice spot. Nice areas to paddle upstream near Lake mead (Black Canyon) not good for bikes either. Northern Utah has much better Class I and II paddles that you can bike back and forth. Green River, Bear and Weber Rivers - but those are quite far from Tucson area.
I spend a lot of the summer in flagstaff so need to look up how far the utah floats are from me
Looks like the hwy down from needles to lake Havasu has a decent sized shoulder, need to clarify i can do the interstate on that last few miles and to drive the whole thing and check it out really well
Was hoping the hwy shoulder south of lake mead was wide and that was doable but have not driven it yet plus not sure how complicated that is with the guides having to put you in at the top etc
I am fine with paying for back hauling if i can get someone, but not sure that is the case everywhere
The lower salt river is a huge biking area with big shoulders, it is totally doable from granite reef back up to water user recreation site, definitely the best i have seen for that and i am hoping to do that a lot spring and fall
Wont be surprised if there are not many other places that good…
There is no part of drifting the Colorado in Arizona that is as dangerous as riding a bike on the highways in Arizona. I’ve done both and I would not recommend the bike part of it. I think too many drivers believe that bikers are fair game and if they can’t get you with their vehicle they’ll try to knock you off with projectiles (bottles, etc.).
I’ve done numerous trips down the Green and Colorado in Canyonlands. I’ve always used a shuttle service. Costs quite a bit, but saves a ton of time and hassle. Fantastic trips. Multiday.
There is a stretch of the Colorado above Moab that can be done as a day trip. It has some minor rapids. Follows highway 128.
My advice is take five days, float one of the sections of the Green or Colorado and use a shuttle.
If you float down the Green to Spanish Bottom, they’ll take you back up the Colorado on a jet boat.