Ready for the Adventure of a Lifetime?
Join Us in Spring 2026 for the 51st Grand Canyon Colloquium. Immerse yourself in the splendor of the Grand Canyon on a 188-mile trip down the Colorado River. Explore the geology, biology, history, and anthropology of the southwest in this unique trip, where the living classroom gets grander than anything you’ve ever experienced before!
The Class
In the Spring 2026 Semester COLQ 4120 students meet TR from 3:30-4:45 p.m. to explore the Grand Canyon region with expert faculty in the Earth and Environmental Science, Anthropology, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Departments. You have the opportunity to fulfill the writing intensive requirement. Furthermore, the course fulfills elective requirements for majors in Environmental Studies, Environmental Earth Science, Geology, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Anthropology.
The Trip
You will spend seven days on 188 miles of the Colorado River where it travels through the Marble and Grand Canyons.
We begin our adventure at Cliff Dwellers, Arizona on May 24th. From the boat launch at Lee’s Ferry on May 25th to the end of the trip on May 31st, you will be provided for by Hatch River Expeditions, including an amazing journey on motorized rafts, expert guides, camping gear and top-notch meals. Tulane has 50 years of experience with Hatch, one of the oldest, safest, and most reliable outfitters in the Grand Canyon. We will go through over 200 rapids, hike upside canyons, sleep on the beautiful riverbank, and feast on the best camp food anywhere!
We will helicopter out of the canyon on the morning of June 1st to the Bar-10 Ranch. A commuter plane will return you either to Cliff Dwellers (if you drove out west) or to Boulder City (if you flew). Those flying to Boulder City will be taken by van from Boulder City to the Las Vegas airport. The cost of this post-trip flight is covered by Hatch River Expeditions.
Pricing:
The cost of the river trip is $4423 plus getting yourself to Las Vegas, Nevada or Cliff Dwellers, Arizona on May 24. Round trip flights to Las Vegas run about $400 from New Orleans. People who drive out to Cliff Dwellers have varying expenses depending on length and time of the drive, lodging, and meals. Costs at Cliff Dwellers for the day before the trip starts will run about $50. In addition, funds should be budgeted for tips for the Hatch River guides (about 10% of the river trip cost).