Desert River Outfitters -

kristin violette

Blair was super accommodating since the first phone call several months back. He was kind and friendly and very informative. I was able to book my trip and reserve it without issue. My permits were secured by the company which was super helpful. A Couple days before my trip I asked for my permit to be shifted to an hour earlier which is kind of unheard of but the company went out of their way to see if this could be possible and fortunately it was. Most companies would just say sorry the permit has already been secured, but this company went the extra mile. The email communication leading up to the trip was excellent and the reminders were clear and concise. I had questions that were readily answered by this company via email before my trip. The day before the trip, I received a text message with the meet up details which was helpful. The company was on time. They provided great equipment. In good shape. Love that I had a wilderness pungo 140 kayak. They did have the option to rent dry bags but we brought our own. Best thing about this company was the flexible end time. Most companies have a hard stop at 3:30 and when you're paddling 12 miles down a beautiful river that just doesn't seem like enough time. This company will work with you if you want to definite pull out time or if you want to be flexible. This, for me, is a game changer and what made me choose this company over all the others. Driving to and from the pickups the owner was pleasant and informative. I would highly recommend not only this adventure but this company. We chose to do the excursion on our own without a guide and a map and detailed information was provided for us. I am sure if you opt for a guide, it would be epic! Five stars!

Sage Chimo

I had the best experience with Desert River Outfitters! As a part of a group of 10, I expected our ‘put in’ to take a while, and was surprised when we were unloaded and on the water in less than 30 minutes. Blair and the other shuttle drivers jumped in and helped us carry all of our gear for our 5-day trip to the loading area.
The weather for our trip was not as great as we expected. We decided to cut our mileage almost in half while on the river…Blair was easy to get ahold of and had no issue with our request to pick us up at a different beach. I super appreciate the accommodation and excellent service that ‘DRO’ gave us for an unforgettable trip on the Colorado River!

I will definitely call on Desert River Outfitters for my next adventure in the area!

Dylan Prins

Incredible experience with the crew at Desert River Outfitters. They made our trip extremely easy and told us about all the coolest spots to check out before we got on the water. I would recommend this group to anyone!

William Clontz

Had an awesome time on the 2 night self guided tour. Blair gave us a map and some awesome pointers on what to see along the journey. Tons of cool stops, including hot springs, hikes and good campsites. We saw tons of wildlife along the way. Would highly recommend!

Kelly O'Dowd

I joined a group trip for a kayaking, camping, and yoga retreat with EJ as our guide and he was incredible. The experience was unlike anything I have done before, and EJ made sure to create an environment that eased my anxiety and challenged me to explore further along the river. We started our trip at the Hoover Dam (so mind-blowing) and made our way through multiple hot springs, hiking spots, waterfalls, and little out coves your traditional tourist group wouldn't show you. There were options for how "hard" you wanted to explore (more challenging hikes and climbing) and EJ did a great job surveying the group to get us all the experience we wanted. His knowledge of both the land and the river helped us all see sights unlike anywhere else. We camped at two different locations along the river & our retreat group had meals planned - EJ was our chef and he made some wonderful food that made me feel like I wasn't even camping! We had a blast at both of our overnight sites, and with his recommendations for setting up camp we had beautiful views, access to hot springs, and I felt safe with the wildlife/ any worries were washed away thanks to his expertise. EJ quickly became a part of our retreat group and he was way more than just a "guide".

This company (hi Blair & the team!!) provided transportation from the lodge to the launch point, kayaks (gear/life vests), camping gear (tents, sleeping bags), plus all of EJs personal touches for our group. They also took group pictures for us so I did not need to be on my phone to capture memories & I was able to stay in the present moment. I traveled into Vegas via plane, and I felt like I had more than enough provided for me to pack lightly and enjoy this trip. Their whole team was so kind, organized, and kept me laughing + relaxed ? There was continued historic information shared and EJ once again gave us more background than other outfitters would (and we overheard some on our last day as we kayaked past). I highly recommend you book your outing with this group to have THE MOST unique experience. I am a beginner to kayaking, and felt supported and ready to explore. Can't wait for the reunion trip ?

Blake H.

My friend booked the trip with Blair and had nothing but good things to say about how helpful and informative he was with any questions she had for planning and accommodations. The day of launch Blair helped us make last minute changes to our paddle plans and change our end pickup location that was purely in our favor and not his. because of his intimate knowledge of the river, campsites, and every point along the way that ensured we had an even better trip than we had originally planned. He was on time for pickup on both ends of our trip, the canoes, paddles, and PFDs were basic but in great shape, and above all he’s just a great guy to work with.
Very likely to book with Blair again.

Cecilia Findley

Let's start with me acknowledging the team/crew that kick-started and ended our river adventures. They are AMAZEBALLS! They were patient and stern making it feel very structured and safe. We had a timeline to start off right and end strong, which really takes a great kind of people skill that isn't shown well very often. They ensured we had our necessary camping gear (clean, great condition and organized) and basic necessities for our camping portion. Thank you so much for this!
Now for our Main Guide EJ! Words are very hard to come by, because of so much adventuring, fun and support we had at every moment. I mean, he shared info about the DAYUUUUUUM ? that we would have never known about otherwise. He shared tips and guidance with what to expect, where we were and what we were doing (or needing to do) and is what I feel was essential for this type of trip...
However, he absolutely went above and beyond just being a "guide" and THAT is why I was blown away and felt like a spoiled child. ? He emersed himself with our group being interactive with activities, joining our shenanigans, sharing stories and experiences. He is THE BEST sandwich maker and a great chef ensuring we were nourished accurately with what we were doing throughout the day. He saved our lives on multiple occasions with being direct with warnings and preventative measures we can do to stay safe during this experience. My favorite was how safe and comforted I felt, being a first timer in "roughing it" out in the wild with absolutely no prior skill in being on the water, let alone trucking against windy conditions. (Thanks mother nature for an extra core workout) He seriously made this trip feel absolutely safe, full of adventure and supported all the levels of experience we had, from me (with no experience) to skilled adventurers (who would go on tougher/more challenging hikes). It is crazy cool knowing absolutely nothing to start and ending with so much appreciation for this experience! Seriously, Thank You EJ for making this an EPIC Adventure!

Joel Giannola

Don't let those 1 star reviews from 7 plus years ago cause doubt!!!! Blair is the new owner of this company and five stars is all he knows. Desert River Outfitters were kind, knowledgeable, punctual, and professional. Desert River Outfitters made the logistics of our trip happen with ease and we plan to use them every year now. See you next year Desert River Outfitters and Blair keep up the great work!