The Tonto National Forest is the largest in Arizona and the Lower Salt River runs right through its heart. On this tour, admire the natural scenery from the water on a thrilling kayaking excursion. Set out from Saguaro Lake Ranch, paddle along the Salt River, and look out for native wildlife, including the park’s herd of wild horses.

Spectacular views of Tonto National Forest from the water
Incredible wildlife sightings including the Salt River wild horses
Unguided kayaking experience. While this is primarily a scenic float there are sections of swift water and kayakers often tip out – so be prepared to get wet.
Choice of tour departure times

What's Included

Return transport by air-conditioned shuttle

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch
13020 N Bush Hwy, Mesa, AZ 85215, USA
Your launch time is the time we leave. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes or more, before your time to complete the check-in process. Waivers are required to be signed prior and verified on arrival before parking passes and wristbands are given for your trip departure.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum age is 12 years
Maximum weight is 275 lbs
No tandems/doubles available

Not recommended for participants who do not know how to swim.
Participant must be comfortable with an UNGUIDED river excursion. While this is primarily a scenic float, there are sections of swift water and kayakers often tip out - so be prepared to get wet.
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Must sign a waiver prior to arrival. Waiver link email will be sent to you after booking, please call if you do not receive the email.
Dress to be in the heat and to get wet!
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Susan_O

Amazing scenery, got to see many wild horses. The whole experience was very fun! Well definitely be coming back, highly recommend.

Reviews

5.0

1,632 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,632 reviews

So peaceful and if you...

Marco_A, Sep 2023

So peaceful and if you have the chance to see Mustangs horses...Wow! I recommend this experience once in a lifetime.

Awesome experience

Crista_P, Sep 2023

My husband and I loved this! So much fun on the river, we even saw a lot of wild horses! The staff was great as well, explained everything perfectly and made everything seamless

Lovely scenery including...

Angela_N, Sep 2023

Lovely scenery including the stunning wild horses in and near the river. A few white caps in the river made this trip perfect! Liked that it was seldom guided

Wildlife viewing by the river

Marie_D, Sep 2023

Great way to see wildlife along the river. The wild horses are an awesome site. Great trip for beginner kayakers.

The kayak company was...

Lynette_C, Sep 2023

The kayak company was FANTASTIC! We happened to be there on Labor Day and the river was excessively full of college students. Next time, we’ll shoot for a quieter day.

Fun kayaking

Dawn_F, Sep 2023

Was a great time. They had waters and towels for us at pick up. The employees are very friendly and helpful.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming out to spend some fun in the sun while kayaking with us. We appreciate your review and the rating and we hope to see you back for more summer adventures.

Worth it!

Jill_K, Sep 2023

Excellent adventure. Just a great experience. I will be back. One of our group needed some help and experienced staff were on top of everything.. Thanks again.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Glad we were able to help you and that you had a fun and memorable time while you were out here. We appreciate your review and the rating and we hope to see you here again.

Best river !

Travis_N, Sep 2023

Amazing views and the staff was awesome! I recommend booking this, you won't regret it! This is my favorite river and you always see the horses out there!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thanks for coming to enjoy the beautiful Salt River. We appreciate your review and the rating and we hope to see you back for more adventures!

Excellent experience

Angela_V, Sep 2023

The staff was amazing. Truly cared for safety. Was an amazing trip. Saw lots of wild life. Wild horses, otters, lizards. And just a beautiful day on the water. We will definitely return and refer people to go

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for your review and wonderful rating! We are glad you had a fun and memorable trip while here with us. Hope to see you here again soon.

Family Fun!

Melissa_E, Sep 2023

Serene! Beautiful! Wild horses along river banks and in river at times. The rapids were a great time! Staff was very friendly and helpful with all safety issues and exiting the river! Whole family enjoyed! Will be back!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming to enjoy kayaking on the peaceful Salt River with us. Thank you for your review and the rating and we hope to see you here again for another fun adventure.

Relaxing and beautiful

Bethany_D, Sep 2023

The river was amazing and relaxing. We got to see wild horses in the water and on the shore!!! My daughter and I had a great memorable trip.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming out to enjoy kayaking on the Salt River with us. We thank you for your review and the rating and we look forward to hopefully seeing you here for your next adventure!

Amazing scenery, got to...

Susan_O, Sep 2023

Amazing scenery, got to see many wild horses. The whole experience was very fun! Well definitely be coming back, highly recommend.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming out to enjoy kayaking on the beautiful Salt River! We are glad to hear you had a fun and memorable trip while out with us. We appreciate the review and rating and hope to see you back for more summer adventures!

Had a great time

Amy_M, Sep 2023

Very nice and relaxing! My brother even liked going and he lives in the area he would like to go with his wife again!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thanks for coming to enjoy a day on the Salt River with us! We appreciate your review and the rating and we hope to see you all back for more fun in the sun.

Family Float

Paul_H, Sep 2023

Went kayaking with my son and daughter in 97 degree weather, no better place to spend the day than on the Salt River!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

What a great way to escape the heat of the summer! Thank you for coming out to kayak the beautiful Salt River with us. We greatly appreciate your review and the rating and we hope we get the chance to see you here in the future.

Fun adventure!

Valerie_L, Sep 2023

Beautiful scenery! Staff was very friendly and it was a well run operation. I would recommend this experience to anyone looking for a fun activity. All around great experience!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming out to enjoy kayaking the beautiful Salt River with us. We appreciate your review and the rating and we hope we get the chance to see you here again for more fun in the sun!

Breathtaking!

Vicki_G, Sep 2023

Loved the beautiful view of the water and mountains. Saw wild horses drinking along the way. The small rapids were just enough for a quick thrill. Mostly easy going.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming out to enjoy Salt River kayaking here with us. We thank you for your review and the rating and hope you will be back for more river adventures!

I went with my child...

Tiffany_Z, Aug 2023

I went with my child first time kayaking. Easy enough and beautiful! We saw horses in the river drinking. The water was clear and cool.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for coming out to enjoy kayaking the beautiful Salt River with us. We appreciate your review and the rating and we hope to see you here again soon!

Amazing

Karen_P, Aug 2023

Staff was wonderful! This whole trip was amazing!! Perfect day on the river. Only recommendation is be sure to drink lots of water and apply tons of sunscreen often. Beautiful scenery and the wild horses come down to the river to drink. Fabulous experience would definitely do it again! ❤️

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Great tips! Thank you for coming out to enjoy the beautiful Salt River with us. We appreciate your review and the rating and we look forward to seeing you here again in the future.

Over priced

Tim_H, Aug 2023

Over priced for what you get I wont go back for that reason. They make you wait at the end till they get a full trailer which can take a long time.

I'll be back for sure!

Vicki_K, Aug 2023

Saw a couple of wild horses while rafting with my 13 yr old daughter. It was such a beautiful scene! Mountains, cranes, everyone having fun. Would do it again next time we are in AZ!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thanks for coming out to kayak the beautiful Salt River here with us. We greatly appreciate your review and the rating and we hope we get the chance to see you here again your next visit!

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