Colorado River Whitewater Rafting
Exciting River Rafting in Colorado!
The Mighty Colorado River
Upper Colorado River Whitewater Rafting Season: May thru September
(Gore Canyon: August & September)
Experience the excitement and beauty of the state’s namesake river. Our Upper Colorado River rafting trips offer mountain scenery beyond compare. From fun float trips for all ages to challenging, pounding waterfalls, the Colorado River has sections for everyone.
Call 800-370-0581 today for reservations on the Colorado River.
AVA offers two very different Upper Colorado River whitewater rafting trips. The first is Gore Canyon, a class IV and V full-day whitewater trip in a wilderness environment (see full description below). The other is the Upper Colorado Scenic Float Trip, which offers more mellow terrain for all ages. We also offer inflatable kayak trips on this stretch of the Colorado River where you get to command your own raft! If you are vacationing in the Summit County, Steamboat or Winter Park areas, a day of Colorado River rafting is a great addition to your itinerary. These trips leave from our office in Kremmling, about 45 minutes north of Silverthorne or 50 minutes from Steamboat and Winter Park. We also offer transportation from Keystone and Breckenridge in Summit County for a full day Colorado Scenic Float Trip.
Upper Colorado Scenic Float
- Beginner Class I & II
Half Day: Meet at 9 am or 1 pm, AVA’s Kremmling Outpost: Map It
Full Day: Pickups Breckenridge & Keystone
Watch Video
This section of the Colorado River is a gently flowing river that is inviting to all ages. You’ll encounter a few small rapids as the Colorado River winds through the Gore Range and Mountain Ranchland. If you want to get your heart racing, leap from Jump Rock or Little Jump Rock, perfect for all levels of bravery! There may even be time for a stop at some historical cabins along the river. This is a relaxing day with time to sunbathe, swim or just relax and enjoy the day. Half day available two departures per day. Lunch included on full day only. Minimum weight 30 lbs (approx 3 yrs). (AVA reserves the right to change age requirements depending on water levels and individual qualifications.) Reservations required.
Book or quote the full day Upper Colorado Scenic Float!
Book or quote the half day Upper Colorado Scenic Float!
Upper Colorado Inflatable Kayaks
- Beginner Class I & II
Half Day: Meet at 9 am or 1pm at AVA’s Kremmling Outpost: Map It
Full Day: Pickups Breckenridge & Keystone
Want a little extra excitement or independence on the Colorado River Scenic Float? Try our inflatable kayaks. You can explore the beauty of the Upper Colorado River while splashing through the riffles in your own stable, rubber kayak! A guide will accompany your group but you’ll paddle your own boat. No experience necessary. Half day available two departures per day. Lunch included on full day only. Reservations required.
Book or quote the full day Upper Colorado Inflatable Kayaks!
Book or quote the half day Upper Colorado Inflatable Kayaks!
Gore Canyon on the Colorado River
- Full Day
- Advanced + Class V
- Meet at AVA’s Kremmling Outpost: Map It
- Book or quote the Gore Canyon trip!
- Watch Video
Colorado’s ultimate challenge in commercial whitewater rafting is only for serious paddlers. This remote wilderness canyon on the Colorado River serves up the steepest gradient drop per mile, including a vertical waterfall. Gore Canyon has long been known as one of the most advanced whitewater excursions in the country. Dropping an astounding 120 feet a mile with a vertical waterfall in the heart of the canyon, this trip is strictly for the adventurer. Meet at AVA’s Kremmling Outpost (about 40 miles north of Silverthorne, 50 miles south of Steamboat), then we’ll drive out to the put-in of Gore at the confluence of the Blue and Colorado Rivers. The group will float through a couple miles of stunning mountain scenery to get to this remote canyon that cuts sharply through the Gore Range. This allows for time for a thorough safety talk and paddle talk from your guides. At the mouth of the canyon, the team will do a swim practice through a class III rapid, a flip drill, and work on getting back into the boat on their own. Next we head into the canyon, navigating through Apple Sauce, Gore, Scissors, Ship Wreck, Pyrite, and several unnamed Class IV rapids until we reach the top of Tunnel Falls. Here we’ll scout our run and each boat will go one at a time with safety set below the falls. After a safe run we’ll break for a light snack. We’ll then finish up with one of the biggest rapids of the day: Kirshbaum. This is the longest and most technical rapid in Gore Canyon. We’ll float out of the canyon where a late gourmet lunch will be waiting. We’ll feast and relive the amazing day. Then it’s back to our Kremmling office. Excellent physical condition required. Availability is limited, depending on water flows. Season generally runs July through September and depends mostly on dam releases on the Colorado River. Don’t miss the hardest whitewater you can run commercially in Colorado! Lunch included. Minimum age 15 years. (Arkansas Valley Adventures reserves the right to change age requirements depending on water levels and individual qualifications.)
Call 800.370.0581 for details and questions. Reservations required.
Book or quote the Gore Canyon trip!
Shoshone Rapids
- Half Day
- Intermediate Class III family rafting
- Meet in Glenwood Springs
- Book or quote the Shoshone trip!
Shoshone Rapids are an awesome blast of Class III whitewater accompanied by the stunning scenery of Glenwood Canyon, and is easily accessible to anyone traveling through or staying in the Vail/Beaver Creek/Glenwood Springs area. This action-packed trip will thrill you with rapids such as Man Eater, The Wall, and Tombstone. Minimum 6 years and 50lbs*. Note: Shoshone Rapids trips are run by our partner company, Rock Gardens Rafting.
The Colorado River is the primary river of the American Southwest, draining somewhere in the vicinity of 242,000 square miles of land, from the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. The Colorado River contains alternating sections of rapids and calm sections. The depth of the river varies from 6 feet to 90 feet, with the average being about 20 feet. The rapids on the Colorado River are the shallow sections and the calm sections tend to be the deepest parts. Some deep holes have also formed at the base or foot of some of the more major rapids. The rapids represent only 10 percent of the river’s total length but are responsible for more than half of the total gradient. The Colorado River, once known as the “Red River” offers some of the most magnificent rafting in Colorado.
