Holiday River Expeditions

Dee Holladay, our founder, was a visionary and passionate river conservationist, who loved and found inspiration in herons. After his passing, the heron became his symbol—a reminder of his belief that we are not separate from the rivers and canyons, but part of a greater whole. This vision shaped Dee’s active land ethic and became the foundation of our mission, guiding our policies, advocacy, and daily practices. As we move forward, the heron remains our guide—in our commitment to stewardship, community, and a future where we honor our place in the natural world. Like the rivers we cherish, our work is ever-flowing, always moving toward a more vibrant and thriving future. 📷 by Noah Wetzel

It’s Election Day!! The Colorado Plateau’s river canyons are some of the last remaining slivers of Eden left on Earth. They present us with a slower, more sustainable, and beautiful way of living that spans millennia and still occurs on their sandy beaches today. They are home to the majority of Utah’s biodiversity even though they account for only 3% of its total area. These natural spaces tell the tale of how the North American continent was formed and transformed over eons and remind us of our place in the cosmos. They are simply spectacular, and as public lands managed by the federal government, they belong to all of us, and ought to be protected in perpetuity for future generations. This Election Day, your vote has the power to help preserve these iconic places. Please, get out and vote like the rivers and canyons depend on it—because they do. #ElectionDay #Vote #ProtectPubliclands #ColoradoPlateau 🎥 by guide Justin M. and caption by guide Matt W.

Stone Creek Falls: a cool desert oasis, lush and green. Red rock walls dripping with ferns and moss. Mist floating refreshingly on the air. The falls drumming a steady, assuring beat. I love this pocket of #grandcanyon. I think one of the reasons I crave adventures so much is that savoring comes easily. It’s natural to relish the waterfall, or the sunset, or the flowers, or the way the evening light falls across the canyon wall. An adventure is always a good reminder of how I could be in the front country; how I *want* to be. Present. Appreciative. Curious. Full of wonder. I wrote about savoring for Holiday River Expeditions — what it is, the benefits, and ways to practice it to increase your #wellbeing (and why the river is the perfect place to practice). And after you read it, I hope you dig your feet in the sand and stare at the clouds, mesmerized. I hope you print out your favorite photos and tape them next to your computer. I hope you tell your favorite tales again and again and again. https://lnkd.in/gB-Uu_5r

This summer, Holiday partnered with Open Roads and Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio, to provide a group of 17 rising seniors an immersive 4-Day Lodore Canyon Rafting Trip in Dinosaur National Monument, as part of their weeklong travel adventure. This group of 17 scholars is a part of a six-month Capstone Adventure program, between their junior and senior years of high school. The one goal of this program is to serve three outcomes, for our trip in particular it is to: reward the scholar’s hard work with an awe-inspiring travel experience that will expand their belief system about what is possible in life. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at our trip by photographer @quamaethecreative ! Learn more about our Youth River Trips in Utah & Colorado at the link below: https://lnkd.in/gFvngfTm #GatesOfLodore #greenriver #dinosaurnationalmonument #youthrivertrip #whitewaterrafting #summertrip #youthgroup

The first snow has begun to fall across the western states and we are in high hopes that it is a sign of good things to come. Each snowflake that falls in our rivers' drainage areas, come springtime, helps to fill those waterways. Utah and Colorado experienced significant snowfall in October of 2010, 2013, and 2018… all of which resulted in high water seasons on the rivers we run. So if this recent trend is any indication, we have good reason to be hopeful. We’re trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves. After all, ski season hasn’t even started yet. But we’re hopeful it’s just around the corner, and we know there are many of us out there who will be thinking about whitewater with every powder turn. If you’re in Utah or Colorado and you dread shoveling snow, here’s a pro tip for making it more bearable: each time you go to clear your driveway, daydream about triple rigging through the high waters of Cataract Canyon! https://lnkd.in/gVkAhdEA

Sometimes it feels as though the desert wildflowers bloom and within the stroke of an oar, the colorful leaves are falling from the trees.⁠ Earlier this month, our river season concluded with Cataract Canyon, and this week our final bike trip rolled back in from White Rim. ⁠ ⁠ On the river, we're surrounded by so many eras... a billion year old rock, a thousand year old petroglyph, a hundred year old cabin, a thirty year old guide, a ten year old guest... Even after 58 years in operation, we're still learning how to slow down and appreciate it all.⁠ ⁠ When we do get a chance to slow down, overwhelming gratitude sets in... ⁠Gratitude for the lands and riverways to which we travel, as well as our wonderful guests, whose infectious joy inspires and affirms our mission!!⁠ ⁠ To everyone who floated downstream with us this year, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you! We can't wait to do it all again next year. In the spirit of toasting to a great season, here are a handful of our favorite guest photos from the second half of our season.⁠ ⁠ Share your favorite memory with us this season in the comments below!⁠ ⁠ May you Go With The Flow until we meet again on the river next season.⁠ #myholidayway #endofseason #rivertrip #whitewaterrafting #customerappreciation #guests #riveroutfitter #holidayriverexpeditions #gowiththeflow

Wrapping up my second season rowing boats with Holiday River Expeditions, I couldn't be happier with my decision to jump ship from the professional hamster wheel and make 12-year-old me proud. I'm feeling more peace, joy, and gratitude than ever before, and I have some hypotheses as to why. Check out my latest essay if you're curious to hear more!

Despite being a male dominated profession, there is a rich history in river running of strong women making their impact. Our company is lucky to have been shaped by many powerful females, far too many to picture here. This season, our full-time guide staff reached an equal ratio of male to female, with many of our most experienced veterans being brilliant, hard-working ladies. The original trailblazer in this tradition was "a woman who, in her 70s, could still be found racing full-tilt down the canyon in a leopard-print leotard, a beer in her hand." That woman's name was Georgie White. We stumbled upon an older blog post chronicling Georgie's story and felt like it needed to be shared again. To read the wonderful piece written by friend of Holiday's, Kate Savage, head to the link below! https://lnkd.in/gGYUpypm

Check out our recent 4-Day LGBTQ+ Lodore Canyon Rafting Trip with The Venture Out Project , and hear from Janet, a guest on the trip:⁠ ⁠ “I've always loved being on a river. It puts my head in a quiet place unlike any other experience. But as a solo LGBTQ adventurer, I hadn't found a comfortable, accepting way to go multi-day rafting until The Venture Out Project partnered with Holiday River Expeditions.⁠ ⁠ "We bring the queer and they bring the gear" isn't just a catchy phrase ~ it's really how it works! I've now completed two TVOP trips: Cataract Canyon and the Gates of Lodore, and met wonderful people who are all seeking the safe experience of simply being who they are in the midst of breathtaking wilderness.”⁠ ⁠ We are incredibly grateful for this four-year partnership, which brings together rafting adventures and community in such a meaningful way. Here’s to many more years of LGBTQIA+ affinity trips and helping to create safer spaces in the outdoors!⁠ ⁠ 📸 by @samwellwoo⁠ Learn more about our LGBTQ Affinity Trips here: https://lnkd.in/gDyDByVv #LGBTQAdventures #GatesofLodore #GreenRiver #DinosaurNationalMonument #diversifytheoutdoors #affinitytrips #rafting #NatureIsForEveryone

There’s something magical about hearing firsthand accounts from our guests about their river adventures. We’re thrilled to share a recent gem from Kristine McGowan, who captured her experience in the blog “Five Days on the Colorado: Our Rafting Trip through Cataract Canyon.” Here’s a glimpse:⁠ ⁠ “It’s so big.” Nick breathed the words on one of our hikes, at the top of a rocky promontory overlooking a horseshoe bend in the Colorado. “From up here, you can really see how high the water is,” he said while gazing down at the river. He pointed to spots along the water’s edge. “Usually there’s a sandbar there. And one there, and one there. Right now, they’re all underwater.” Those sandbars will emerge later this summer, when snowmelt from the Rockies runs dry and the river’s level drops, as it does every year. Still, on that afternoon in late June, I couldn’t help but smile at how the Colorado had left our seasoned river guide in awe. That’s one of this river’s greatest powers, I think: the way it’s drawn people, across millennia and from afar—from California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Montana, Texas, and Utah, if you’re counting just the guests on our trip—and how it beguiles us all into a humble silence resembling its own. You can read her full blog at the link below! https://lnkd.in/gRdXu9V9 #CataractCanyon #ColoradoRiver #CanyonlandsNationalPark #RiverStories #RaftingTrip #blog