DO NOT go past Lees Ferry when floating down the Colorado River. On the other hand, the Grand Canyon portion of the Colorado River has some of the biggest, most technical rapids in North America. There are no rapids to speak of, common summer wind conditions could turn this into a Type II Fun experience.

The water through Marble Canyon tends to be smooth and even glass-like through much of the 15-mile stretch. There is no charge for the permit nor limit to the number of permits available. You can obtain a permit to float the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry year-round at the kiosk located at the entrance of Lees Ferry.

The part of the canyon upstream from Lees Ferry is Marble Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park officially begins downstream of Lees Ferry. People can do partial river trips that start at Phantom Ranch with a permit or through a professional river tour operator, but all commercial river boats put-in at Lees Ferry. These are difficult to come by and must be applied for in February to be able to be part of the permit lottery. Lees Ferry is where all full Grand Canyon river rafting trips begin on the Colorado River and where a Grand Canyon Colorado River Rafting Permit is required. How is this Different from Grand Canyon White Water Rafting? This stretch of the Colorado River has always been known to be a popular spot for some of the best fishing in the Southwest, but with the growing popularity of outdoor recreation, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon, this part of the river has become a more well-known and accessible Arizona experience. Until recently, there were no official tourism boats designated to backhaul people up to the dam, resulting in this being kept as one of Arizona’s best secret adventures.

The unofficially named Horseshoe Bend float trip or Marble Canyon float trip consists of floating on the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry.

Boat tour arund horseshoe bend