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Arizona Paddle

4.9•363 ratings

Apache Junction, AZ, US

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About us

Arizona Paddle is a MeetUp group for people who like to kayak and paddle board. Both beginners and experienced paddlers are welcome. The majority of our trips will be day trips to the Salt River, Canyon Lake, and Saguaro Lake although we will occasionally go farther afield. Although we will have many more paddling trips during the summer than otherwise, the club will be active year-round.

Unlike most other meetup groups, this one is not solely driven by the group leader(s). Anyone who wants to may lead a trip. Just let me know and I'll make you a trip leader and you can post your own adventure to share with the club.

Please note that neither myself, nor any other trip leaders are professional tour guides, nor do we have any special training in first aid or rescue. You are entirely responsible for your own safety.

Upcoming events

3

Lake Mead, Colorado River, and Valley of Fire
Sun, May 3 · 4:00 PM MST
Location not specified yet
In May we will be exploring Lake Mead, the Colorado River, and Valley of Fire State Park. The itinerary will be as follows:

Sunday, May 3: Arrive and set up camp. I will host a Happy Hour (5:00 pm) at my RV site which is on a plateau overlooking the lake. I will provide beer, white wine, margaritas, and snacks. Just bring a chair and enjoy the sunset over the lake.

Monday, May 4: Kayak Lake Mead leaving from the beach near our campgrounds. This is the southwest corner of the lake.

Tuesday, May 5: Take Hoover Dam tour. Then we'll drive over to Callville Bay on the northeast side of the lake and kayak there for the day.

Wednesday, May 6: Visit Valley of Fire State Park.

Thursday, May 7: Take a backhaul service to the Hoover Dam and kayak down the Colorado River to Willow Beach.

Friday, May 8: Return home.

Further details:

Camping:

Most of us will be camping at the Boulder Beach campground. Jill and Kari already have campsite #79 in D loop so please choose a campsite near to that, and you can all be together. The campgrounds have bathrooms and water spigots as well as tables and fire rings. The cost is $20 per night. Please reserve your spot at: Boulder Beach Campground, Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Recreation.gov. Although the campgrounds allow RVs, I wanted full hook-ups, so I am staying in the RV park adjacent to the campgrounds. If you wish to reserve a spot there the cost is $50 to $70 per night depending on type of site: Lake Mead RV Village. If you wish to camp next to me, I am taking a "Lake View" site. I cannot pick the exact site # in advance but when you reserve the site there is a place for comments and you can request to camp next to me if you wish.

Happy Hour:

So that you can find me, as soon as I pull in and set up, I will post my campsite number to the Meetup group. You can also call me (assuming we get reception) 480-241-6721. Or you can ask at the main office of the RV Village for Adam Scalettar. Or finally, you can easily find me by driving around. Head to the back of the RV village, closest the lake. There is one row of RV spots at the very far end of the park, overlooking the lake. I have an Imagine RV trailer towed by a blue Ford F150 with a blue camper shell, no windows. I hope you come by Sunday evening; it will be a great way to start our trip.

Hoover Dam tour:

I will be going on the guided tour, which costs $40. They take you down the inspection tunnels and other cool places. This tour cannot be purchased in advance; it is first come, first serve. If instead you wished to take the self-guided tour which is more limited but only costs $15, you can purchase tickets in advance here: Exhibits Only — Hoover Dam

Valley of Fire State Park:

The park is a little over an hour drive from our campground. I've never been there before, but people tell me it's gorgeous and the pictures I've seen back that up. We'll do a few short trails to hit the highlights of the park, tentatively: Fire Wave plus Seven Wonders Loop (3miles), White Dome Loop (1 mile), and Rainbow Vista (1 mile).

Colorado River Kayak:

We will be using the touring company Desert River Outfitters. The cost is $80 (assuming you have your own kayak, $110 if you need to rent one) plus a fee for entering the Hoover Dam area which is $18 if you have a National Parks pass or $33 if you don't. Assuming you have a kayak and parks pass; the total cost would be $98. You must have a life vest to do this trip. Dogs are allowed to accompany you, but they are required to have a life vest as well. There is no white water on this paddle; it's an easy trip with plenty of stops to sight see. You must bring ID for this event. Hoover Dam will run a background check on you first and then you must present ID to verify that you are the one that they checked out. They are very careful about allowing people at the base of the dam.

The outfitter has the website fixed and you can now register online. Just go to

DesertRiverOutfitters.com

and sign up for the self-guided Hover Dam Day Trip for May 7. If there is a section for comments or such, mention that you are with Adam's group. Again, they have 15 slots available so if you wish to go, please sign up as soon as you can.

That's about all I can think of for now. If you have any questions or comments, just leave them in the discussion area below.

This trip is cross listed with Take a Hike.
14 attendees
7 seats left
COTTONWOOD WINE FESTIVAL and HIKE
Sat, May 9 · 7:00 AM MST
VERDE RIVER GREENWAY TRAILHEAD, Prescott National Forest · Clarkdale, AZ VERDE RIVER GREENWAY TRAILHEAD, Cottonwood, AZ, US
VERDE VALLEY WINE FESTIVAL and Verde River to Lagoon Loop hike

Cottonwood

THE HIKE: Verde River to Lagoon Loop:

At the trailhead look for a red Hyundai Elantra with a bunch of hikers looking for you.
Starting from trailhead at 9:00

THERE WILL BE NO CARPOOL FOR THIS EVENT:

Distance +- 2.8 mi
Elevation gain 45 ft
Estimated time – 1hr
Loop

MAP TO VERDE RIVER GREENWAY TRAILHEAD :
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Riverfront+Park,+1284+E+River+Front+Rd,+Cottonwood,+AZ+86326/34.7515,-112.01756/@34.7503549,-112.0226917,1786m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x872d0fbd7d6457eb:0x82bfe710ac19f71e!2m2!1d-112.0142158!2d34.7479751!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Hike TRAIL MAP :

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/verde-river-to-lagoon-loop

# After the hike we will proceed to the nearby Verde Valley Wine Festival

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., the Verde Valley Wine Festival will return for its 8th year. Co-sponsored by the Verde Valley Wine Consortium and the City of Cottonwood, wine enthusiasts from near and far will gather to celebrate the best of Arizona’s burgeoning wine industry. In addition to the 20 wineries in attendance, festival-goers will also be able to enjoy local beer, spirits, food from local eateries, shopping with artisans, and live music; all within the charming atmosphere of Riverfront Park (located at 1284 E River Front Rd., Cottonwood, AZ 86326).
The festival organizer, Paula Woolsey, spoke about this year’s event:

“This event is the best way to celebrate Mother’s Day! It’s a wonderful opportunity for families to celebrate mothers while enjoying local wines and delicious food. The chance to meet the winemakers adds a personal touch, allowing attendees to learn more about their favorite wines directly from the source. Make your plans today.”

Attendees can enjoy the beauty of Riverfront Park while sipping on a glass of wine, dining on great local cuisine, and exploring unique creations from artisan vendors. Plus, live entertainment will add to the festive atmosphere, making it a perfect way for families to celebrate and enjoy the day together!

Early Bird tickets start at $20/person and include a commemorative wine glass with 6 tasting tickets, which will also be available at the door day-of for $25/person. Tickets for non-drinkers are available for $10/person at the door day of.
NO PETS PLEASE

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit:

[verdevalleywinefestival.com](https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fverdevalleywinefestival.com%2F/1/0100019d8cf38459-b2cb15ca-5a7f-43af-b4f3-3e0174c470e0-000000/GJfeCG4hDG26409UEVxJannBwvgB3kaTgI4weBu5nkg=452).

Plan for Sunday:

breakfast and hike in and around Jerome.
3 attendees
The Colorado River, Canyonlands, and Arches National Monuments
Mon, Sep 21 · 5:00 PM MST
Location not specified yet
The Colorado River, Canyonlands, and Arches National Monuments

This fall we will drive up to Moab, Utah and spend a week exploring some of the most beautiful landscape in the country.

ITINERARY:

Monday, Sept 21:
Drive to Moab, set up camp. I will host a Happy Hour. I'll provide beer, wine, margaritas, and snacks.

Tuesday Sept 22:
Kayak the Colorado River. We will paddle from Dewey Bridge to Hittle Bottom, a stretch of about 8 or 10 miles of flat water. Because it's an unfamiliar river and the water is really cold, kayaks are preferred over paddleboards, and life vests are REQUIRED TO BE WORN. There are shops in Moab that rent kayaks if you need one.

Wednesday, Sept 23:

We'll hike Arches National Park, leaving from the Devil's Garden Trailhead at the far end of the park. The trail passes by about half a dozen or more of the park’s most impressive natural arches. As we drive back through the park from this hike, we will pass a ton of small ¼ mile to 1-mile trails that lead out to other arches. If you have energy left, we can visit as many of these as we like, otherwise we can simply drive by and head back to camp.

Thursday, Sept 24:

Kayak the Colorado River again. We will either do the flat-water section from Take Out Beach to the Moab Bridge (about 10 or 11 miles) or the section with half a dozen rapids, from Hittle Bottom to Take Out Beach (this is known as The Daily), depending on water flow and the skill level of who attends. Sit on top kayaks are highly recommended for the rapids.

Friday, Sept 25:

We will drive the Schafer Canyon Road through Canyonlands National Park. This is a dirt road that stays just under the edge of the plateau and travels along it for a bit before switch-backing thousands of feet to the valley floor. It then travels along the bottom with red rock cliffs towering above. We hit a fork and turn onto the White Rim Road that will then take us out to amazing overlooks of the Colorado river as well as to some short trails to some natural arches. We can have a picnic lunch on a plateau overlooking a bend in the river. When it’s time to head back, we can rejoin the Schafer Road and continue on it out of the park, past the Potash mines. It lets out onto the paved road just a few miles from our campsite. If we haven't done so yet, we can take this opportunity to take a short hike out to Corona Arch as the trail head is directly across the road from the campsite.

Saturday, Sept 26:

Head home.

CAR CAMPING:

We will be camping at the Gold Bar Recreation Site. To get there you will drive through the town of Moab on Hwy #191 N. After passing through town, just after crossing the bridge over the Colorado river, you will turn left onto Potash Road (UT-279). About 10 miles down this road on the left is the Gold Bar Recreation Site. It is right across the road from the Corona Arch trail. If you drive to the Salt mines, you have gone a few miles too far. The price will be $20 per campsite per night. Share campsites to fit everyone in and save money. Each campsite has a pit toilet, a fire ring, and a picnic table but nothing else. You must bring all your own water and supplies, although we are not far from Moab if you need to run into town for anything.

The sites are not reservable. I will be getting there a day early to make sure that the weekend crowd clears out and there is room for everyone. If by any chance there is not (unlikely), I will make other arrangements and post them here.

As an added note, I am not going home after this but continuing my adventures into Utah. Some people have asked about continuing on with me, or even just joining me for the next part of my trip. Anyone who likes is more than welcome to join me, but I am designing the remainder of this trip in a fashion best suited for a person with a dog and large RV who just spent the last week boondocking, which might not be ideal for someone without a pet and camping in a tent. In any case, my remaining itinerary is:

Sat, Sept 26:
Drive to the KOA outside of Zion (Hurricane KOA in St. George)) and set up camp.

Sun, Sept 27 - Friday, Oct 2:
Explore Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Snow Canyon State Park.

Sat, Oct 3:
Drive to Goblin Valley State Park and set up camp.

Sunday, Oct 4 - Wednesday, Oct 7:
Explore Capital Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park.

Thursday Oct 8:
Head Home
14 attendees

Past events

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Organizers

Adam and 15 others

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