Sure, the most iconic river in all the land is the Colorado that flows through Grand Canyon National Park.
Indeed, so hallowed is the Colorado that the waiting list for private trips is measured in years, plural.
And why not?
Great white water, that gigantic rift in the Earth that you float through over a period of two or more weeks, the simple thought of retracing Major John Wesley Powell's exploration of the uncharted Western territories in the late 1800s.
Of course, you can avoid that long wait by signing on with one of the permited commercial outfitters that runs the river.
Trips range from as short as one day to as long as 25 days!
Here's the park's list, as of 2012, of permited river outfitters:
Aramark-Wilderness River Adventures
www.riveradventures.com
P.O. Box 717, Page, AZ 86040
(800) 992-8022; (928) 645-3296; FAX (928) 645-6113
Arizona Raft Adventures, Inc.
www.azraft.com
4050-F E. Huntington Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(800) 786-RAFT; (928) 526-8200; FAX (928) 526-8246
Arizona River Runners, Inc.
www.raftarizona.com
P.O. Box 47788, Phoenix, AZ 85068-7788
(800) 477-7238; (602) 867-4866; FAX (602) 867-2174
Canyon Explorations/Canyon Expeditions
www.canyonexplorations.com
P.O. Box 310, Flagstaff, AZ 86002
(800) 654-0723; (928) 774-4559; FAX (928) 774-4655
Canyoneers, Inc.
www.canyoneers.com
P.O. Box 2997, Flagstaff, AZ 86003
(800) 525-0924; (928) 526-0924; FAX (928) 527-9398
Colorado River & Trail Expeditions, Inc.
www.crateinc.com
P.O. Box 57575, Salt Lake City, UT 84157-0575
(800) 253-7328; (801) 261-1789; FAX (801) 268-1193
Grand Canyon Discovery, Inc.
www.grandcanyondiscovery.com
4050 East Huntington Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(800) 786-7238; (928) 526-8200; FAX (928) 526-8246
Grand Canyon Dories
www.oars.com/htdocs/grandcanyon/dories.html
P.O. Box 216, Altaville, CA 95221
(800) 877-3679; (209) 736-0805; FAX (209) 736-2902
Grand Canyon Expeditions Company
www.gcex.com
P.O. Box 0, Kanab, UT 84741
(800) 544-2691; (435) 644-2691
Grand Canyon Whitewater, LLC
www.grandcanyonwhitewater.com
PO Box 2848, Flagstaff, AZ 86003
(800) 343-3121; (928) 779-2979; FAX (928) 779-2973
Hatch River Expeditions, Inc.
www.hatchriverexpeditions.com
HC 67-35 Marble Canyon, AZ 86036
(800) 856-8966; (928) 355-2241; FAX: (928) 355-2266
Moki Mac River Expeditions, Inc.
www.mokimac.com
P.O. Box 71242, Salt Lake City, UT 84171-0242
(800) 284-7280; (801) 268-6667; FAX (801) 262-0935
O.A.R.S. Grand Canyon, Inc.
www.oars.com
P.O. Box 67, Angles Camp, CA 95222,
(800) 346-6277; (209) 736-2924; FAX (209) 736-2902
Outdoors Unlimited
www.outdoorsunlimited.com
6900 Townsend Winona Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(800) 637-7238; (928) 526-4546; FAX (928) 526-6185
Tour West, Inc.
www.twriver.com
P.O. Box 333, Orem, UT 84059
(800) 453-9107; (801) 225-0755; FAX (801) 225-7979
Western River Expeditions, Inc.
www.westernriver.com
7258 Racquet Club Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121
(800) 453-7450; (801) 942-6669; FAX (801) 942-8514