SALT LAKE CITY — Whitewater rafting is a thrilling hobby that can be addicting. People are seldom satisfied with one river trip, as veteran river rats admit. There’s always another river to run, always bigger rapids to conquer and survive.

Utahns are lucky because their state offers a complete menu of river experiences, from the very calm sections on the Green River to some of the most formidable rapids on the Colorado River.Utah also provides lead water into what is considered the ultimate white water adventure — the Grand Canyon.

River adventures do require a commitment. Multi-day trips call for sleeping and eating outdoors, a very relaxed dress code and a tolerance for temperatures — ice-cold water and baking heat.

This year, despite reports of droughts, Utah rivers are running at “very good’’ levels, which translates to “very good’’ river running. The Colorado River, for example, ran as high as 50,000 cubic feet per second this spring, but has now settled down to a constant flow of around 15,000 cubic feet per second.

“Even though they’re holding back water (from Flaming Gorge), water levels on the Green (River) are also very good for this time of the year,’’ said Myke Hughes, owner of Adrift Adventures out of Moab.

Passengers do have river travel options. Tight schedules and a trend for doing more than one activity have led outfitters to broaden their services. Many river companies now offer half-day trips with small sections of white water, one-day trips down Cataract and even 3 1/2 day trips into the Grand Canyon. All of which leave time for more adventures.

Here is a list of six popular river trips in Utah.

Cataract Canyon

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The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and for good reason. Yearly, millions of people come from all over the world just to see it, and strangely, most of them pause on the South Rim long enough to take a few pictures before roaring off to their next destination.

“Cataract Canyon runs through the heart of Canyonlands National Park and the river is the only way to see this amazing country.”

The standard rowing trip runs 127 miles, takes anywhere from one to five days and encounters 29 major rapids. The trip begins south of Moab on the Colorado River and ends on the upper reaches of Lake Powell. Jet boats and motors have made it possible to cut the time to one or two days. The most popular is the four-day trip, which allows travelers to do some on-shore exploring.

Desolation Canyon

“Desolation Canyon is as deep in some places as the Grand Canyon and offers an abundance of wildlife and pioneer history.”

This section of the Green River features several Native American ruins and historical sites, including abandoned ranches, one of which was a hangout for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It’s a great family trip with long sections of calm water. It also holds 60 class I to III rapids (with VI being too high to run.)

Fisher Towers

“Fisher Towers is a great family adventure. This is also a great trip for first-time passengers and last-minute schedules.”

This can be a half-day or full-day trip on the Colorado River. Many trips include rides in small inflatable kayaks. Rafters engage five rapids along the river. Several major movies have also been shot along this section of river.

San Juan River

“The San Juan River is one of the most beautiful sections of river that offers a number of archaeological sites and big sand waves.”

The river is also one of the few places in the world where a long string of large rolling sand waves appear and then disappear. It is considered one of the most exciting rivers, but often draws few passengers. The river feeds into Lake Powell and has several class II and III rapids.

Westwater Canyon

This is a popular river rafting area offering two-day trips that begin at the ranger station and end at Cisco Takeout. The river offers roughly 17 miles of rapids that include several Class IV rapids and can also give 15 to 25 miles of calm water. The nice thing about this canyon is it’s a great ride at any water level. However, it's not recommended for children under 12. Travelers can tailor their trips to their timetable.

There are also great hikes, petroglyphs, caves and history along the way.

The Grand Canyon

“The Grand Canyon trip is the ultimate river adventure, with incredible country and huge rapids.”

It is a laid-back trip fused into a high-adventure ride. It is challenging, threatening and, perhaps best of all to those who live near cities and their power supplies, it's primitive with no cellphone service. It is a trip where travelers float through 1.7 billion years of the Earth's geologic history. There are more than 100 major rapids on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

The river is divided into two sections of the Colorado River. The first runs from Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch and the second runs from the ranch to Whitmore Wash. The sections cover some 280 miles and includes 112 named rapids, many class IV and V. Trips range anywhere from three and a half to 18 days.

Grand Canyon trips, covering the full 280 miles, can run up to three weeks.

In addition to taking a river trip, travelers can ride horses, throttle up an all-terrain vehicle, ride in a Hummer over rugged slick rock, take a hike or tour one of five national parks in Utah within the same week, sometimes even on the same day. The introduction of stand-up paddle boards and smaller sit-on kayaks have opened up a seven-mile section of flat water from The Big Bend to the Bridge on the Colorado above Moab, Hughes said.

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