The best time of year to go rafting in Colorado
Colorado Whitewater Rafting Peak Runs
Colorado rivers in the Rocky Mountains offer terrific white water rafting anywhere from April until late September. Winter storms lead to spring runoff that leads to summer high water – and then there are late season river releases that make for some of the best adventure whitewater to be found all year! So figuring out the best rafting month of our whitewater season isn’t easy, but there are almost always options. Because AVA has whitewater rafting trips available on 8 rivers across the state of Colorado, it’s a pretty good bet we’ll find an adventure for you. We have great whitewater rafting trips for you throughout the spring and summer, so let us help you find the perfect river trip for you and your group.
— James Swoboda…Your firsthand knowledge and availability to address any questions we had from required gear, to travel routes, to lodging options in the area for the night before made putting such a large group on the river a cinch. Here’s to you all at AVA! Hope the rest of the season is as big a success as it was for our trip!
Throughout most of the river rafting season, beginner river rafters can start in Brown’s Canyon , the Clear Creek Beginner rafting near Denver, or the Upper Colorado. The rapids at these locations are for any level paddler, are great for families and are available throughout our rafting season. These trips are also convenient to almost all of central Colorado mountain resort, Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs. Bring sunscreen – Colorado has over 300 sunny days a year!
Those looking for more adventure have many trips to consider. AVA runs more Class IV and V whitewater commercially than any rafting company in Colorado. This means we have highly experienced guides who spend a lot of time on advanced rivers sections. From May to August, consider the Class IV Numbers rafting trip or the Class IV and V “Gauntlet” trip through Pine Creek and The Numbers on the Arkansas River. The Clear Creek Intermediate and the Clear Creek Advanced are two great whitewater rafting trips near Denver – just 25 miles away! – and typically are available from mid-May through mid-August, although this year we are expecting to run these trips through Labor Day because of the strong snowpack. The ultimate advanced rafting trip in Colorado – Gore Canyon – runs for the shortest season of any of our trips, for just the month of August and the first week of September. It’s worth scheduling a special trip for this one though!
The most versatile of our rivers with the longest seasons are these:
Arkansas River Rafting Trips: May 1-Sept 5
Clear Creek Rafting Trips: May 1- Sept 5
Colorado River Rafting Trips: May-September
Other rivers, such as the Blue River, Animas River, Poudre River, Eagle River and Dolores River, have shorter seasons, but they may be the perfect season for you so let us help you figure it all out and find just the right whitewater rafting adventure for you. Email us or call us (970-423-7031) and we’ll gladly answer all of your questions.
River trip pricing varies depending on the time of year, but right now we have some great river trip discounts on some of our most popular rafting trips!
Arkansas Valley Adventures strives to provide you the highest level of guest service on tours that promote the world’s natural resources. Our Arkansas River rafting and adventure vacations will help connect you with the natural environment while offering adventure experiences with a unique perspective. We want to share our passion with you. Let us help you create the memory of a lifetime with one of our whitewater or land-based adventures!
