Late Summer Rafting in Moab
Why Late Summer Is One of the Best Times to Raft in Moab
By late summer, visitors to Moab learn something quickly: the desert sets the schedule.
Mornings are great for hiking and exploring. By afternoon, the sun is high, the red rock is hot, and the Colorado River starts looking pretty inviting.
That is one reason August and September can be such good months for rafting in Moab. The river is generally warmer than it is during spring runoff, the pace often feels more relaxed, and getting wet becomes part of the fun.
When Moab Gets Hot, Head for the River
Moab is hot in summer. Average highs near Arches National Park are around 97°F in August, dropping to about 88°F in September.
Instead of spending the entire afternoon looking for shade, the Colorado River gives you another option.
Float through the canyon. Cool your feet over the side of the raft. Swim when conditions allow. Get splashed in a rapid. Then climb back aboard and watch the red-rock walls, Professor Valley and surrounding mesas drift past.
Late summer is when being in the water can become just as much a part of the experience as rafting down it.
The River Changes With the Season
The Colorado River is never exactly the same trip twice.
Spring snowmelt typically brings higher, colder and faster water. As summer progresses, flows generally decrease and the river takes on a different character.
That does not mean the rafting season is winding down. It means the experience changes.
Early summer may bring bigger waves and a quicker ride downstream. Later summer often gives us more time to slow down, enjoy the scenery, talk about the area, swim, and simply spend time on the river.
For families and first-time rafters, that can be a very good combination.
There Is a Reason They Call It the Moab Daily
The stretch of Colorado River northeast of Moab is commonly called the Moab Daily because it works so well as a day trip.
It is also one of Utah’s most popular river sections. Federal recreation-management information shows the Hittle Bottom-to-Takeout Beach area averaged roughly 55,000 commercial passengers per year between 2018 and 2022.
Once you see the canyon from the water, it is easy to understand why.
Highway 128 follows much of the river, but rafting gives you a different view. Instead of watching the scenery through a windshield, you’re down at river level with the cliffs, mesas and Fisher Towers country rising around you.
It Isn’t All About the Rapids
The Moab Daily has splashy rapids, but it also has long stretches of calmer water.
That balance is part of what makes it a good introduction to rafting.
There is time to look around. There is time to ask questions about the river, geology, wildlife and Moab’s history. There may be time to jump in and float beside the raft.
Then another rapid comes around the corner and wakes everybody back up.
A good river trip does not have to be nonstop whitewater to be memorable. More frequently asked questions here.
August Is Made for Cooling Off
A forecast in the upper 90s can make visitors hesitate about outdoor activities. Understandably so.
But spending an afternoon on the Colorado River is very different from spending the same afternoon hiking across exposed desert rock.
By late summer, the water is generally warmer than during spring runoff, and swimming can become one of the highlights of the trip.
For many of our guests, the rhythm is simple: float, splash, swim, look around, repeat.
Kids often love it. Adults usually do too.
Don’t Forget About September
September can be one of the nicest transition periods in Moab.
Average daytime temperatures begin dropping, but the days are still warm enough to enjoy being on the river. Summer travel crowds begin to change, and the lower sun gives the canyon a slightly different look.
If your schedule allows a September Moab trip, don’t assume rafting season is finished.
The river is still moving, the scenery is still here, and the cooler air can make spending several hours outside particularly comfortable.
Build a Smarter Moab Day
Rafting does not have to replace Arches, Canyonlands or the other places you came to see.
It can fit around them. Explore early while temperatures are cooler. Have lunch. Then head toward the river for the hotter part of the day.
That is one reason Way to Moab offers both morning and longer afternoon rafting trips.
Some guests want to start their day on the Colorado. Others would rather spend the morning sightseeing and cool off on the river later.
We like having enough flexibility to make either work.
So, Is Late Summer a Good Time to Raft?
If your goal is the highest water of the season, spring and early summer may be a better match.
But if you want:
- Warm summer weather
- Opportunities to swim and cool off
- Family-friendly rafting
- Splashy rapids mixed with calmer stretches
- Red-rock scenery
- Time to learn about the river and Moab area
- A relaxed way to spend several hours outside
then August and September are worth serious consideration.
Lower water does not mean less fun. Sometimes it simply means there is more time to enjoy being on the river.
Find Your Way to the River
At Way to Moab, we keep our river trips personal and flexible. Our guided trips on the Moab Daily leave room for scenery, questions, swimming and family time—not just getting from the put-in to the take-out. If you’re visiting Moab in late summer, don’t spend the whole afternoon searching for the next air-conditioned building.
