Holiday River Expeditions

Name

Holiday River Expeditions

Legal name

Holiday River Expeditions

Website

https://bikeraft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & Canoeing Outfitters (THAAADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), Eco-Adventure Multi-Day Expeditions (Trekking, Hut-to-Hut, Pack Trips) (THAAAEAJ)

Keywords

• Whitewater rafting trips
• Guided river expeditions
• Mountain biking tours
• Outdoor adventure vacations
• Multi-sport adventure trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Whitewater Rafting Trip Fees: The primary revenue stream is multi-day whitewater rafting trips across Utah and Colorado rivers. Customers pay all-inclusive trip fees covering meals, equipment, guides, transportation, and camping. Trips range from 2 to 12 days on rivers including the Colorado, Green, Yampa, and San Juan. Additional revenue from day-trip offerings and youth group programs.
2. Mountain Biking Adventure Trips: Multi-day mountain biking trips in Utah's Canyonlands, San Rafael Swell, and surrounding areas. Includes fully supported logistics with 4x4 support vans carrying gear, gourmet meals, and camping equipment. Revenue from standalone biking trips and bike/raft combination adventures.
3. Equipment Rentals: Rental sleeping kits (sleeping bag, sleeping pad, small pillow, rain gear, plastic mug) for $50, with optional two-person tent add-on for $30. Mountain bike rentals with helmets available for $260-$270/bike. Rentals must be reserved in advance. Water bottles and mugs available for purchase at Green River and Vernal headquarters stores.
4. Trip Insurance Sales (Referral): The company earns referral revenue by promoting and facilitating trip cancellation and medical evacuation insurance through Travel Guard partners. Medical evacuations in the backcountry can cost $10,000 or more. The company offers plans covering evacuation, baggage, and cancellation including COVID-19.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Holiday River Expeditions is a family-owned outdoor outfitter that sells all-inclusive, multi-day guided whitewater rafting and mountain biking expeditions across the Colorado Plateau, primarily in Utah and Colorado. Trips range from 2 to 12 days and cover rivers such as the Colorado, Green, Yampa, and San Juan, along with biking routes including the White Rim Trail, the Maze District, and the San Rafael Swell. Offerings include youth group programs, adult-only trips, private charters, dark sky stargazing trips, canyon concert series, and affinity-based trips, with full-service logistics covering guides, meals, gear, transportation, and permits.

Product overview

Holiday River Expeditions operates a single unified service offering: professionally guided outdoor adventure trips. The core portfolio consists of whitewater rafting trips across multiple rivers (Colorado, Green, San Juan, Yampa) and mountain biking expeditions (White Rim Trail, The Maze, San Rafael Swell), supplemented by multi-sport combination trips that blend both activities. The company also offers specialized trip variants including youth group programs, adult-only experiences, private charters, dark sky stargazing trips, canyon concert music experiences, affinity-based trips for underrepresented communities, and wellness/education specialty trips featuring yoga, writing, and art workshops. All trips are provided with full-service logistics including professional guides, meals, camping equipment, and transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whitewater Rafting Trips Guided multi-day whitewater rafting expeditions on the Colorado, Green, Yampa, and San Juan Rivers, including Westwater Canyon, Cataract Canyon, Gates of Lodore, Desolation Canyon, Labyrinth Canyon, San Juan, and Fisher Towers. All-inclusive pricing covers meals, gear, guides, and transportation. For individual travelers, families, and groups.
• Mountain Biking Trips Guided mountain biking adventures on the White Rim Trail, The Maze District, and San Rafael Swell, with fully supported 4x4 van logistics, gourmet meals, and glamping-style camping. For individual travelers and groups.
• Multi-Sport Bike and Raft Combination Trips Combined whitewater rafting and mountain biking expeditions such as White Rim Trail & Cataract Canyon and Moab Mountain Biking & Westwater Canyon. For individual travelers and groups.
• Youth Group Rafting Trips Rafting trips designed for youth groups including schools, scout troops, summer camps, and church organizations, featuring age-appropriate activities, educational components, and family-friendly pricing starting at $138 per person with minimum age 5.
• Adult-Only Trips Rafting and biking trips restricted to guests 18 years and older, offered on Yampa River, Cataract Canyon, Lodore Canyon, Desolation Canyon, White Rim Trail, and Maze District, providing a quieter, more mature atmosphere without children.
• Private Charter Trips Customizable private group trips for family reunions, corporate events, and milestone celebrations, with group-rate discounts available for parties of 10 or more guests and minimum group sizes ranging from 7 to 20 depending on trip.
• Dark Sky Stargazing Trips Astronomer-led stargazing experiences combined with river rafting on multiple rivers including Yampa, Cataract Canyon, Desolation Canyon, Gates of Lodore, Labyrinth Canyon, and White Rim Trail, led by astronomer Tom Beckett.
• Canyon Concert Series River rafting trips featuring live music performances by professional musicians including Pompe n' Honey, Del Sol Quartet, The Last Wild Buffalo, Theoretical Blonde Bluegrass, PickPockets, and Wasatch Valley Drifters across bluegrass, classical, and alternative genres.
• Affinity-Based Trips Specialized trips designed for specific communities including LGBTQ+ Lodore Canyon Rafting and BIPOC Westwater Canyon Rafting, created to provide welcoming spaces for underrepresented groups in outdoor recreation, with sliding-scale pricing to address economic barriers.
• Specialty Wellness and Education Trips Specialized trips combining rafting with wellness and creative education, including Women's Rafting, Music and Yoga in Lodore Canyon, River Read Author Series with Craig Childs, Women's Watercolor Workshop, Writing Workshop on the Green River, and a 12-day Fall Extended Raft and Hike.
• Equipment Rentals Rental sleeping kits ($50) including sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, rain gear, and plastic mug, with optional two-person tent add-on for $30, and mountain bike rentals with helmets at $260-$270 per bike. Available to trip participants with advance reservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning environmental stewardship recognized by Utah's outdoor media (magazine.utah.edu, Winter 2022 issue)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoliday River Expeditions is a National Park Service Authorized Concessioner, holding commercial use permits to operate rafting and biking trips within Canyonlands National Park and Dinosaur National Monument. This partnership is fundamental to the company's ability to conduct its core business operations on federal lands.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoliday operates under BLM permits for various river sections and wilderness areas, including designated wilderness sections of the San Rafael Swell and BLM lands. BLM administers permits for floating certain river sections and accessing public lands.
• Salt Lake ExpressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDaily shuttle service available from Salt Lake City International Airport to both Green River, UT and Vernal, UT. Recommended for guests who prefer not to rent a car. AM departure recommended to arrive in time for mandatory pre-trip orientation meetings.
• Partner Hotels (River Rock B&B, River Terrace Inn, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Microtel, Motel 6)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHoliday has negotiated discounts at affiliated lodging properties near their Green River headquarters. Properties include River Rock B&B (10% discount) and River Terrace Inn (10% discount) with direct booking by phone. These partnerships facilitate pre- and post-trip accommodations for guests traveling to Green River.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Western River Expeditions: Direct peer offering multi-day whitewater rafting and rafting combo trips on the Colorado, Green, and Yampa rivers in Utah and Colorado. Operates similar Cataract Canyon, Desolation Canyon, and Gates of Lodore itineraries with comparable pricing and target customers.
• Wilderness Aware Rafting: Direct peer offering guided whitewater rafting trips in Colorado and New Mexico on the Arkansas and Rio Grande rivers. Similar family-owned values-driven operator serving comparable outdoor adventure customers with multi-day itineraries.
• ROW Adventures (River Odysseys West): Direct peer running guided whitewater and multi-sport adventure trips across the western US. Comparable target customer (outdoor adventure travelers) and similar menu of specialty and themed trips.
• Hatch River Expeditions: Direct peer operating guided whitewater rafting trips on the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon and other Utah rivers. Long-standing family-owned outfitter with similar motor-free philosophy and comparable trip portfolio.
• Sheri Griffith Expeditions: Direct peer offering guided multi-day rafting trips on Utah and Colorado rivers including the Green, Colorado, and Yampa. Family-owned outfitter with similar premium all-inclusive product positioning.
• Grand Canyon Expeditions (GCE): Direct peer operating motor-free oar-powered rafting trips through Grand Canyon. Adjacent product given Holiday's Grand Canyon presence, with similar motor-free premium positioning and guided multi-day format.
• OARS (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists): Direct peer running guided multi-day whitewater rafting trips across the western US including the Colorado River system, with comparable multi-sport (raft/bike) combinations and similar family, youth, and specialty segments. Larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Holiday.
• Adventure Bound River Expeditions: Direct peer operating multi-day whitewater rafting trips on the Colorado and Green rivers including Cataract Canyon. Similar small-to-mid size family-owned operator with comparable trip durations and customer mix.

Emerging players

• Moenkopi River Guides: EMERGING_PLAYER on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon, offering cultural interpretation partnerships with Native communities. Comparable niche specialization in culturally informed guided rafting trips.

Broad incumbents

• Moab Adventure Center: BROAD_INCUMBENT offering a portfolio of Moab-based adventure activities including rafting, biking, 4x4, and hiking. Operates broader adventure offerings but overlaps directly with Holiday's Westwater Canyon and White Rim Trail itineraries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HolidayExpeditions
• Facebookfacebook.com/HolidayExpeditions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holiday-river-expeditions
• Instagraminstagram.com/bikeraft

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holiday River Expeditions