Western River Expeditions, River Rafting Pioneer, Heralds 50 Years on American Rivers

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, March 04, 2011 (Press-News.org) Fifty years ago Western River Expeditions (http://www.westernriver.com/) helped pioneer the concept of river rafting vacations, targeting wilderness canyons and white water rivers in the American West that five decades later continue to amaze gadget-driven, world-weary clients who may find themselves in raw nature for the first times in their lives.

From humble beginnings Western River Expeditions (WRE) now offers multi-day rafting itineraries on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, Utah's Green River, the Salmon River in Idaho and the Snake River along the Oregon-Idaho border. WRE has the distinction of being the single largest licensed outfitter offering rafting trips through the Grand Canyon.

To celebrate a half century in business and help guests preserve their extraordinary memories, all guests on 2011 adventures will receive a special gift from Western River and trip-partner Shutterfly. On every multi-day trip guests will help celebrate over freshly baked Dutch-oven birthday cake. Plus, for those celebrating a 50th birthday or anniversary of their own, they will receive a $50 gift certificate from the Moab Adventure Center (a division of the company) for, among others, rafting, hot air ballooning, mountain biking and 4-wheel drive tours.

Said Brandon Lake, WRE vice president, "In addition to the extraordinary natural settings in which we operate, our commitment to professional guides, trip safety, and integrity have secured a position for Western River Expeditions that's second to none in the river rafting industry."

"Every year, Western River Expeditions escorts more people down the rivers we run than anyone else in the business. In addition to thousands of repeat customers each year, more than half of our new guests come each year as a result of the recommendations of past guests," said Lake.

WRE's rafting season runs from March through October on rivers in Utah, Idaho and Arizona. Aside from its river operations, it is also the largest tour provider in Moab, UT, through its division Moab Adventure Center (http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/).

To help document its 50 year history and river legacy, all year long the company will be sharing and collecting stories from managers, staff and guides while also encouraging former guests to share and blog about their own tales. See:
http://blog.westernriver.com/blog/western-river-guest-stories

Western River Expeditions
Western River Expeditions (http://www.westernriver.com/) is an adventure travel company headquartered in Salt Lake City, with operations and offices in Moab, Utah and Fredonia, Arizona. Annually from March through October it escorts more people down rivers on professionally guided rafting trips in Utah, Idaho and Arizona than any other company. It is the largest licensed outfitter in the Grand Canyon and the largest single tour provider in Moab, UT, through its division Moab Adventure Center (http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/).

Western River Expeditions, providing Grand Canyon rafting, Utah rafting, and Idaho rafting trips, was founded in 1961 by Colorado River rafting pioneer Jack Currey. Today it pursues a "guiding green" philosophy and belongs to some of the top environmentally conscious organizations in the world: Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association, American Rivers, Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics, Utah Rivers Council, America Outdoors, and National River Cleanup Week. See: http://www.westernriver.com/whywestern/environment.php

In 2009, Western River Expeditions was named one of the "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth" by the editors of National Geographic Adventure magazine. The company was recently honored as the 2010 recipient of "Best of State" through Utah's Premier Recognition and Awards Program. This is the seventh consecutive year Western River Expeditions has earned this distinction.

For media inquiries, interviews and photos please contact Widness & Wiggins PR:
Sara Widness: 802.234.6704 / sara@widnesspr.com
Dave Wiggins: 303.554.8821 / dave@travelnewssource.com
For a portfolio of past Western River Expeditions press releases please visit: http://www.travelnewssource.com/