Arizona and Utah-question about trip activities

[kmc33]

Hi! We are leaving in two weeks for Cowboys and Canyons and I am looking for information regarding the level of physical activity for some of the tours on this trip, especially from those of you who have done this trip.

In particular, I am wondering how rough/bumpy the ride is for the Sedona jeep tour and the Monument Valley off-road excursion?

How rough is the Colorado river rafting and do you wear helmets?

And how far is the hike at Arches National Park?

Thank you in advance for the information! I am an active person, but I am recovering from an injury. I am hoping to be fully recovered in time for the trip, but just in case I have limitations, I am trying to get a better idea of what is involved so I can make informed decisions.
Thanks!
Kim

 

[carpenta]

Hi! We are leaving in two weeks for Cowboys and Canyons and I am looking for information regarding the level of physical activity for some of the tours on this trip, especially from those of you who have done this trip.

In particular, I am wondering how rough/bumpy the ride is for the Sedona jeep tour and the Monument Valley off-road excursion?

How rough is the Colorado river rafting and do you wear helmets?

And how far is the hike at Arches National Park?

Thank you in advance for the information! I am an active person, but I am recovering from an injury. I am hoping to be fully recovered in time for the trip, but just in case I have limitations, I am trying to get a better idea of what is involved so I can make informed decisions.
Thanks!
Kim

We did this trip last year and it was our favorite. The jeep ride was a hoot and the drivers were as if Disney did a casting call. The ride itself is not that bumpy. The drivers take it easy as you enjoy the scenery. I have a lower back fusion and I did not feel uncomfortable. If you do have worries than I suggest taking the front seat. (more support). The rafting trip was very pleasant and most jumped out of the raft and floated down the river holding onto the raft. One or two little rapids but nothing to write home about. The hike in Arches is maybe a mile if that. Our group split into two groups and those who wished to take a longer hike it was offered and we just took smaller hikes that stayed on a loop type trail which was amazing. On our trip we had quite a span of ages and even had a DVC couple who were grandparents and had a great time and never fell behind. No worries for this trip is a great mix of abilities and physical attributes and nobody ever fell behind. Love, love, love this trip and hope you will too. One tip is you may want to make reservations at the El Tovar restaurant at the Grand Canyon for dinner because it does fill up and having made reservations for us helped a lot. Any other questions I will try to answer. Have a wonderful trip Kim.

 

[tchrrx]

No helmets while white water rafting. I absolutely do NOT like water, but it was more like a float trip. I never got nervous, which is unusual for me.

DD and I found the Arches hike quite difficult. Actually, several people in our group opted to do a bus tour instead. Although they missed taking pictures with Delicate Arch, they seemed to have seen quite a few other arches.

 

[sayhello]

When I did this trip, the water for the river rafting was fairly high, so they offered 2 options. One group went through all the rapids (which honestly weren't that bad) and the other went around them, and had more of a float trip. Both groups thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

I have a very bad lower back, so I actually brought a foam seat cushion with me, and it really helped. I agree to ask to sit in the front for the Sedona Jeep tour. It was definitely more stable. You don't have that option at Monument Valley, but that is a much smoother ride.

Sayhello

 

[kmc33]

Thank you so much for the responses! This makes me feel better that I will be able to participate in many of the activities. I have read so many good things about this trip and we are really looking forward to it.

And yes, thanks to all of the good advice on these boards, we got our El Tovar dinner reservation at the 30 day mark