Salt River Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Salt River. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Kayaking the Salt River Foxtail Trip

• Scottsdale, UTV Sand Buggy Off-Road Tour in The Sonoran Desert

• Half-Day Lower Salt River Rafting Tour

• Sonoran Desert UTV Sand Buggy Off-Road Adventure, Scottsdale

• Scottsdale & Phoenix Desert H1 Hummer Tour

If you want to park and explore the Salt River, you’ll need either a Tonto National Forest day pass (US$8) or an America the Beautiful pass (US$80). To get on the river via tubing or kayaking, tours start around US$60 and usually include transportation.

From March 1 to May 15, a Tonto National Forest Upper Salt River boater permit is required. A lottery application—with three dates of your choice—costs US$16; the permit fee is $125. White Mountain Apache Tribal Permits are required on the Upper Salt River year-round. Book a tour to skip the hassle.

Yes—kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are permitted and popular along the Lower Salt River from May to October. Unlike the rougher Upper Salt River, the waters are mostly beginner-friendly, with Class I and occasional Class II rapids. Widely available rentals and guided tours allow you to enjoy yourself without logistics or transportation worries.

Enter the Salt River permit lottery via Recreation.gov from January 3–31 for March 1–May 15 launches. You’ll pay a US$16 application fee, and lottery winners are announced around mid-February—if you’re selected, an additional US$125 is due by late February. Any unclaimed permits will then open on a first-come, first-served basis.

Yes, you can tube the Lower Salt River, provided the water levels are safe. Independent tubing is free beyond the US$8 Tonto Forest pass—bring your own tube and shuttle. Or, take a tubing tour with provided tubes and shuttles. Tubing season opens late April–September, with social floats and events.