Getting some of your favorite people together to share time on a beautiful river is a worthy pursuit. It takes some planning, but even if you’ve never done anything but an afternoon guided trip before, you can pull it off. Based on my three-plus decades of organizing private river trips, here’s how to plan a multi-day river trip, with links to other resources for additional information.

Intended for new river runners, or experienced boaters looking for river planning hacks, this guide includes:

  • How to research the best rivers for your group
  • How to apply for permits and comply with river management regulations
  • Where to find good river maps and apps
  • Essential gear for a multi-day river trip
  • How to assemble your river trip crew
  • River trip planning timeline

Also, if you’re looking for gear recommendations, check out Rafting Gear Checklist for Multi-day River Trips, a comprehensive discussion of essential and nice-to-have river trip gear.

Two men and two toddlers on the bank of the Colorado River in Ruby-Horsethief Canyon at sunset
Hanging out with friends and family in Ruby-Horsethief Canyon on the Colorado River
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Table of Contents

Decide what kind of river trip you’re planning

In the American Southwest, multi-day river trip options are plentiful. Some of these are permitted by the management agency, typically the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service, the National Park Service, or a state agency.

Controlling access through river permitting limits the number of people who are on the river on the daily basis, which is essential for protecting the river ecosystem but can be frustrating for those looking for permits. For most rivers that run a lottery system, you apply for permits through Recreation.gov.

But if you don’t win a river permit during the annual lottery (December 1 through January 31 for most rivers), you have other options, including picking up river permit cancellations and choosing a non-permitted or self-permitted river.

Check out these posts that dive into more detail about researching multi-day river trip options:

Woman in blue inflatable kayak on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Inflatable kayaking on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, a wildly popular permitted river in Idaho

Short trips vs long multi-day trips

If you’re new at master-minding river trips, consider starting with an over-nighter on some easy, Class I-II water. If you forget something crucial, or things go horribly awry, it’ll be over sooner and you can apply lessons learned to a longer trip.

Cave with waterfall on Escalante-Dominguez Canyon Gunnison River
Cave with waterfall on Escalante-Dominguez Canyon Gunnison River

Here are some recommendations for outstanding, short river trips that you can fit into a weekend or even run as an overnighter, with links to complete planning guides. These rivers have mellow whitewater, beautiful scenery, and relatively easy access for trucks with trailers.

Consider skill level and water levels

If your group is new to multi-day river trips and includes a mix of skill levels, consider choosing an easy Class II river. River rapids are rated from Class I to Class V in difficulty, with Class I denoting no discernible rapids and Class V considered suitable only for expert boaters. Class II rapids are typically gentle riffles that are fun for beginner and intermediate paddlers.

Time your trip to hit the optimal water level, not so high that the river develops dangerous features and not so low that you’ll be bouncing off rocks.

Here are few resources to consult if you’re thinking about upgrading your boating skills or researching water levels:

Understand permits, deadlines, and regulations

Once you’ve identified which river is best for your group, it’s time to dive into the river permit process, deadlines, and regulations.

If you apply for a river permit through the annual lottery process, you’ll receive instructions for accepting the permit, a list of required gear and ancillary permits you’ll need (such as non-invasive species inspections and stickers), group size restrictions, and the campsite selection process.

Do not fail to officially accept your permit by the deadline. Unclaimed permits are usually returned to the pool so other boaters can pick up those river permit cancellations.

We publish detailed guides for most of the popular multi-day river trips in the West in our River Info section. These guides include links to the permit application sites, private boater regulations, shuttle information, and the best maps and guides for that river.

Rafters sitting in camp chairs on the bank of the Middle Fork of the Salmon with woman playing guitar

Choose your team

Deciding who makes the cut on your trip can be an excruciating process, unless you just don’t know very many people who want to run rivers with you. If you’ve been running trips for a long time, you’ll settle into a groove with a group of people who you like to be around for a week or so at a time and who generally have the same attitudes as you about how to have a fun but safe time on the river.

Potential areas of conflict that might arise:

  • Degrees of alcohol/drug consumption. Certainly the imbibers and teetotalers can coexist peacefully, but compatibility usually comes in the mid range. You probably don’t want abstainers constantly passing judgment with pursed lips—or hard cases who seem likely to stumble into the river every night.
  • Differing tastes for after-dinner entertainment. Some folks like to sit around the fire and tell stories. Some like to play guitar and sing until the stars come out. Some like to play glow-in-the-dark bocce. Some like lights out early. Consider whether the group you’re choosing can work it out. (Another point about music: Some people can’t abide any recorded music, podcasts, or other electronic sounds on a wilderness trip. Some want to bring along a speaker and a playlist. This conflict is hard to resolve successfully.)
  • Daily launch timing. Nothing causes more conflict (whether audibly expressed or under-the-breath muttering) than the division between the get-up-and-go folks and the crack-of-noon club. Either choose people from one inclination or the other, or be prepared to be assertive about what time you’ll launch each day.
Several men, women, and children wearing rain gear in a large green tent
River crew waiting out a thunderstorm with good humor

Assembling a compatible river crew can be the hardest but most critical part of planning a river trip. Honestly, you can deal with almost anything that comes up on a river trip if you have a group that generally gets along well. Once you identify a compatible pack, it’ll be tempting to just boat with the same crew over and over. But boating with new people can be fun, too. The great news is the only way to figure it out is to run a bunch of rivers.

Assess your group’s abilities, boats, and gear

Gather info from your crew about what boats they’re bringing and how much gear they can carry. Some situations to watch for:

  • Do you have enough rafts to carry the kayakers’ gear?
  • Will the rafts have enough room to carry all the water you’ll need on hot-weather trips?
  • Do you have a plan for boaters who think they want to be in IKs or paddle rafts, but then change their minds and want to ride in other boats (and is there room in someone’s raft to carry the rolled-up boat that was shunned)?
  • If the trip involves challenging whitewater, do you feel comfortable that you have enough experienced river runners to support less experienced paddlers—picking up swimmers, getting rafts off rocks?
Children playing on a white sandy beach on the banks of the Lower Salmon River in late afternoon sun

Pick your trip leader

Often the person who drew the permit or is organizing the trip also serves as the trip leader (TL) on the river. (We’ve got a discussion about how to be a good TL here.) But you can appoint someone else to plan the whole thing and call the shots once you all assemble at the put-in.

Having one person designated as the leader from the start makes a better experience all around. As a group, you’ll be more organized, less wasteful of resources (food, water, other supplies), safer, and more relaxed with a competent (or at least earnest) TL at the helm.

This person doesn’t have to be the most skilled boater, or the ER surgeon, or the Eagle Scout among you. Just someone who can embrace communicating with the group early and often, from the moment the permit is pulled to the sad point when you’re discussing where to eat that last group meal after you leave the take-out. It’s just one decision after another, so a good TL can help the group cut the dithering and get to the good times. 

If you want to try your hand at leading a private trip but feel like you need to brush up on your boating skills, check out our post on rafting clinics for private boaters, which includes extensive commentary from experienced instructors at OARS, Canyon River Instruction, Northwest Rafting Co., and Adrift Dinosaur.

Group of rafters scouting Fang Rapid on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Scouting Fang rapid in Grand Canyon on the Colorado River

Build your river trip planning timeline

To ensure your river trip planning stays on track, build a timeline that starts at least 3 months out for a multi-day trip with a large group. Here’s the outline of steps and timing:

3-6 months out

  • Apply for the permit
  • Accept the permit
  • Identify the dates for a self-permit river
  • Confirm your group size and identify the crew members (including alternates in case some boaters need to drop out closer to launch)
  • Start communications with your crew
  • Check essential gear for any repairs that will take time, such as raft patching and frame reconfigurations
  • Consult your rafting gear checklist and distribute the list to your group so they can identify what gear they’ll bring (check out our comprehensive rafting gear checklist post, which includes a link to a handy PDF you can use to check items off as you pack)

3 months out

  • Confirm who’s bringing essential gear (rafts, coolers, dry boxes, river toilet, firepan, kitchen setup, etc.)
  • Collect travel information for the group so you arrange car pools, communicate en route to the put-in, and ensure a timely launch
  • Research options for where to stay the night before launch, whether it’s the campsite at the put-in, a nearby campsite, or a local motel
  • Communicate any specific assignments or expectations for individual river runners, such as leading cook crews, being the lead raft or “sweep” raft in the formation on the river, serving as the primary first-aid administrator, or being the primary river toilet manager
  • Establish river cook crew assignments (check out Time-Tested Guidelines for River Trip Meal Planning for tips on how to organize river cook crews and meals)
  • Double-check the river regulations for gear requirements, including firepan, spare life jackets (PFDs), launch timing restrictions, campsite selection process, ancillary permits for camping in specific river sections (such as those managed by Native American tribes), and invasive species inspections
  • Research shuttle options and send out shuttle booking instructions to your group, noting any restrictions for vehicle type (some river shuttles require 4WD vehicles), preferences for tipping (cash is usually preferred), where to leave keys, and other details

1 month out

  • Confirm your final head count and specific river runners (you will likely need to provide a list of river runners to the river manager)
  • Check the predicted river flows for your launch window and communicate any concerns to your group or contact the local river manager for advice
  • Ensure you have a current river map and send links to recommended maps and apps to your crew with the expectation that each craft has a guide
  • Confirm your shuttle booking and communicate final timing for drop-off and pick-up
  • Confirm meal assignments, gear assignments, launch timing, and latest river flow status with group
  • Examine all your gear to see what needs replaced, such as worn ropes or PFDs

1-2 weeks out

  • Review your meal assignment and make dishes that will be frozen
  • Replenish kitchen items such as dish sponges, hand soap, river toilet supplies, and campstove fuel

2-3 days out

Tips for communicating with your multi-day river trip group

Once you’ve identified your party, figure out a way to communicate with them early and often. We typically just use email and a simple spreadsheet that documents essential information and who’s bringing what gear.

Whatever method you choose, your first task is to send everyone a communication with essential information:

  1. Launch date and time. Name the time you want to launch so that people who have to travel for a day or two can plan accordingly. If you’re launching early, identify where the group should meet up and stay the evening before.
  2. Take-out plan. Set a targeted time for taking off the river on the last day. You’ll want to accommodate those who are facing a long drive to get to the work the next morning, a plane flight, or other real-life unpleasantries. If you’re hoping to gather everyone for a last meal at a restaurant after take-out, identify the place and make sure it’ll be open.
  3. Meal plan. Let everyone know what the deal is with meals, starting from the time you gather until that last meal after you take out. After trying various different meal configurations, our favorite approach is assigning evening meals to specific individuals or couples/families, and letting everyone do their own thing for breakfast and lunch. The upside of this approach is that it cuts down on the number of times a cook crew has to figure out how to accommodate dietary restrictions or preferences. Plus, it allows people to eat when and what they want for breakfast, which seems to be the meal that causes the most friction. For more detailed meal planning tips and recipes for accommodating every kind of eater (carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free, etc.), check out these resources:
  4. Shuttle plan. If your trip calls for a shuttle, decide whether you want to arrange shuttles for all the vehicles, or leave shuttle booking to each driver. Over time, I’ve decided that it’s easier to pass along shuttle company info to the group and let them arrange their own shuttle. Some companies require extensive information, including insurance policy numbers and detailed instructions about where to leave the keys. I’ve found it’s easier to let each driver arrange their own shuttle. (Our River Info section includes shuttle information for specific rivers.)
  5. Fee collection. Gather money from everyone for any upfront costs such as river permits. Venmo or other similar apps make this easy.
  6. Gear plan. Figure out who will bring which pieces of critical gear and clearly spell this out in your communication. A good spreadsheet really comes in handy here so there’s no ambiguity. A few items you don’t want to find yourselves without at the put-in: Fire pan, first-aid kit, river toilet aka groover (check out our post on picking the best river toilet and setting it up in camp), stove, enough water (check out our post on water filters and how to carry water on raft trips), spare lifejackets for every boat, and anything else that’s required by the river rangers. You can find that information on the permit, or by checking the web site of the entity that manages the river, usually the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, or the U.S. Forest Service.
  7. River activities that need special prep. Yes, river trips are engaging enough without any organized activities, and some people hate that stuff. But some of my favorite trips have a little special something, like the time our TL hosted a Best Band T-shirt Contest. She got the word out early about this, so we had months to plot our entries.

After you send that initial manifesto, keep checking in with your crew as needed. When you’re about a month out from the trip, send out another thorough communique that covers:

  1. Expected water level for your trip. If the water looks to be way higher or lower than you expected, start talking about an alternative plan if needed. If the river you chose will be too high or low to run, have a back-up river in mind. If the water level changes where you’ll put in, make sure everyone knows the new plan. (Here’s a guide to predicting future river flows.)
  2. Confirm the crew and assignments. Make sure you have an accurate count of who’s coming, and confirm meal and gear assignments again.
  3. Travel and launch plans. Make sure everyone knows where to gather the day before or the morning of the launch, where to camp the night before, and your targeted launch time.
San Juan River campsite with large group tent on a sandy beach and camp tables with kitchen camp gear
Campsite on the San Juan River

Now that you know how to plan a multi-day river trip, there will be nothing left to do but get in your boats and paddle madly down the river. Once you’re on the river, you or whoever assumes the duties of the trip leader will manage the day-to-day, but that’s another topic.

Keep exploring

Keep exploring