AVA White Water Rafting Blogs
Posted in Industry News for Colorado Rafters
If you’ve been following the news as you plan your Colorado vacation, you may have heard that this year is a drought year. Low snow levels over the winter and minimal rain this summer may have you thinking that there is no whitewater 
rafting. Think again! While water levels on several rivers are lower than usual, there are still plenty of great options for you and your group. At AVA, we’re still running trips from Class I to Class V. Whether you’re seeking a family float or a high adrenaline adventure, we have the trip for you.
Where can I find the most water?
Due to the size of the river and an upstream dam that allows for the release of more water, the Colorado offers the best river levels this year. We are expecting water levels to be fantastic into early-mid August with some trips running until Labor Day. If you’re looking for a great family option, our Upper Colorado scenic float is the perfect way to enjoy a relaxing day on the river. For those wanting to add a little more excitement, our inflatable kayaks, or “duckies,” all you to steer your own individual boats through the mini rapids of the Upper Colorado. Experienced rafters wanting high-adrenaline adventure can take on the Class V+ whitewater of Gore Canyon, scheduled to open on July 27th.
Where can I find the most variety?
The Arkansas River’s levels have recently risen! After several weeks of low water and multiple trip closures, the combination of rain and dam releases has given us consistent flows to offer a wide range of trips. Class III Brown’s Canyon, Class IV Numbers, and Class V Pine Creek are all running and offering fantastic whitewater! While the rapids are still a little bit milder than in past years, they still provide fun whitewater experiences for all ages and ability levels. We’ll be running select trips on the Arkansas until Labor Day, but the water is at its best right now, so get out there! We are also running our mountaintop zip line tours and rock climbing tours, so you’ll find plenty of activities to fill out a day, a weekend or a whole vacation.
What about rafting near Denver?
We are still running trips on Clear Creek! Water levels are low, so we are making decisions on a day to day basis, and we are continuing to hope that we will get more rain to keep the season going. If you book, expect the beginner section to provide a Class II experience with mild rapids. Expect the intermediate section to provide a few Class III rapids. For more whitewater, consider going to the Arkansas River, the rapids are bigger and the river is running more consistently. Our Idaho Springs outpost will continue to offer mountaintop zip line tours daily through September 3rd and on weekends after September 3rd.
Whether you are planning a rafting trip for tomorrow or for Labor Day weekend, we will have trips to offer. Water levels are going to be lower all summer, though, so the sooner you can get to the river, the better the experience will be. If you have questions about current conditions or anticipated conditions, don’t hesitate to contact our reservations office, where we’ll be happy to help you plan your vacation and decide on the best trip for your group.
Posted in Whitewater Rafting Blog
Want to know how to spend your family reunion this year? Perhaps you have a bachelor party to plan and want something a little different. Whatever your group outing may be, get great white water rafting group rates from AVA for fun and adventure this summer.
At Arkansas Valley Adventure we take care of rafting trips that can be specifically customized for your group. If you are out camping for the weekend
with a boy scout troupe, we can help your kids earn merit badges with one of our overnight rafting trips in Brown’s Canyon. Camp under the stars and spend your days white water rafting on the Arkansas River.
Say you’re planning a family reunion and need clever ways to keep the whole family happy. Our group rafting trips range in difficulty so everyone can have a good time splashing down the river.
Maybe you need to plan an adventure for a bachelor party and want it to be really fun and exciting. Take the boys on a daylong adventure through one of our intermediate rafting trips in Pine Creek or the Royal Gorge. Get wet and wild in your send off to the groom-to-be this summer.
Summer time in Colorado is great for a lot of different activities and you and your group can combine them for even more fun. See what other great summer activities are available from AVA so you can combine your rafting trip with another great outdoor sport.
See what the rates are for our group rafting trips and plan the event of the summer for everyone to enjoy.
Posted in Whitewater Rafting Blog
If you’re looking for a whitewater rafting adventure in Southwest Colorado, AVA has several rafting trips to choose from in the southwest area of Colorado. While most rafters are familiar with the whitewater of the Colorado and Arkansas Rivers and Clear Creek, there are some lesser-known, but just as thrilling, whitewater rafting trips for all ages and skill levels. AVA has been providing rafting enthusiasts the most exciting, safe and affordable whitewater adventures in the area for well over a decade now, and we want to tell you a little bit about some of our southwest, Colorado whitewater rafting trips.
Animas Whitewater Rafting
The whole family can enjoy Animas River rafting near Durango as it offers a wide variety of rafting for all ages. The Lower Animas is perfect for families and beginners. You can book a half-day or full-day trip down the Class II-III Lower Animas rapids and take in all the beautiful scenery of Durango, Colorado. Your friendly, knowledgeable rafting guides will give you a history lesson as you roll through these mild rapids that even 4-year-olds can raft! If you take the full-day Lower Animas rafting trip, lunch will be provided.
For more seasoned rafters, the Upper Animas may be the best choice for you. You have to be at least 14-16 years of age (depending on the flow and time of season) to participate in the Class III-IV Upper Animas whitewater rafting trips, which are full day or overnight. The peaks of the San Juan range will astound you! The one-day Upper Animas rafting trip is 12 miles of gorgeous whitewater with a shuttle in and out on the Durango and Silverton narrow gauge railroad for easy access. You’ll hit the Class V Broken Bridge Rapid and then navigate through a number of Class IV rapids. At lunchtime, you’ll get a delicious meal and a short hike to a historic mining cabin. This Animas rafting trip just can’t be missed!
If you opt for the overnight Upper Animas River rafting trip, you will raft 24 miles of some of the best, most continuous whitewater in the country. As you head into the Animas River Canyon, you’ll raft Class III, IV and V rapids including Ten Mile and No Name.
Durango provides year-round recreation for outdoor enthusiasts. Kayaking, hiking, rafting, fishing and biking are just a few of the activities you can partake in while in Durango, and, of course Durango rafting is amazing. The Colorado Trail, spanning 500 miles to Denver, crosses seven national forests, five rivers, six wilderness areas, and eight mountain ranges. Durango is one part of southwest, Colorado that must be seen to be believed.
Dolores River Whitewater Rafting
Dolores River Whitewater rafting is an experience you’ll never forget. AVA offers 3-day, 6-day and even 10-day trips, but you have to be at least ten years old to ride these Class II-IV rapids. Plan your Dolore
s River rafting trip in May and June and enjoy breathtaking scenery, yummy meals, and campfire fun under the beautiful Colorado sky.
The 3-day trip is a 47-mile run for ages ten and up. The adventure starts 12 miles below the McPhee Reservoir and runs from Bradfield Launch to Slickrock. The 6-day trip follows that itinerary and then you will continue to Bedrock through 50 more miles of Class II and III rapids. The 10-day trip takes you through the entire 175-mile corridor of Dolores to the confluence of the Colorado River at Dewey Bridge. This 10-day AVA adventure is for the true rafting addict and many call it a “life-changing” adventure.
Salt River Whitewater Rafting
The Salt River in Arizona provides a truly unique rafting experience. Salt River whitewater rafting trips are one day, two days or five days, and trips run from late February to May. You must be 8-12 years of age to raft the Salt River (age depends on time of season and water levels). The one-day Salt River rafting trip will take you through Class III rapids including Baptism, Kiss and Tell and Mother Rock. Finish the day with a delicious meal after working up a huge appetite. The two-day overnight trip brings you deeper into the wilderness where you will camp, eat and sleep like a log after your exhilarating day on the Salt River. The five-day Salt River rafting trip will allow you to experience even more of the amazing scenery and camping on the sandy beaches will make for some great memories. AVA has partnered with Mild to Wild Rafting for the one and two-day trips and Wilderness Aware Rafting for the five-day adventure.
Book now to reserve your spot for the whitewater rafting adventure of your lifetime. AVA offers specials deals throughout the year, so visit our specials & packages page or contact us today!
Posted in Whitewater Rafting Blog
Want to wow your special someone with a holiday gift that will provide hours of excitement in a setting that is simply breathtaking? Get your loved one or special friend an Arkansas Valley Adventures rafting trip gift certificate this year. Instead of perfume, jewelry, sweaters and tools, how about something a bit out of the box and more exhilarating than anything that would come in a box? The recipient of this brilliant gift will be thanking you for months.
For a limited time only, AVA is offering the amazing deal of buy one Colorado whitewater rafting trip and receive half off a second trip, but you must act now as the offer ends soon. There is nothing more festive than rafting the most beautiful and challenging rivers of the Colorado Mountains, and with AVA as your guide, the experience will be remembered for years to come.
AVA provides free wetsuits and splash jackets to all AVA rafters—a $25 value not provided by most companies, and our guides are the best in the business. Not only are they rafting and safety experts, they’re storytellers, historians and tour guides whose sole purpose is to make your Colorado whitewater rafting trip the best one you’ve ever had. First-timers will quickly find out what makes AVA the most popular Colorado whitewater rafting destination for rafting enthusiasts.
For your convenience, you can order your gift certificate online or give us a call at (970) 423-7031 to make someone’s holiday extra special this year.
Posted in Whitewater Rafting Blog
Time is running out to book a fantastic deal from Arkansas Valley Adventures. We are thrilled to offer our rafting enthusiasts a limited-time offer that only AVA can provide: If you buy one AVA Colorado whitewater rafting trip, you receive a second one for half price! This deal won’t last forever, so act now! This exciting offer of discounted exhilarating rafting trips include:
- Brown’s Canyon Sizzler
- The Numbers/Narrows (full day)
- The Gauntlet (Pine Creek + The Numbers)
- The Gauntlet with Rappel
- Clear Creek Beginner/Intermediate (full day)
- Clear Creek Advanced (full day)
For the die-hard whitewater rafting fanatics who just can’t get enough, we offer these overnight rafting trips, but you have to order now to enjoy this amazing deal:
- 24 Hours in Brown’s Canyon
- 2 Day Advanced
- 3 Day Mild to Wild
- Dolores River Trips
In addition to great offers like this, AVA provides the best whitewater rafting experience in the area. Your safety, enjoyment and savings are all very important to us, so you get free wetsuits and splash jackets on all AVA-run trips—a $25 additional value that you’d pay with most other rafting companies.
Contact AVA today to learn more about our amazing packages and special offers and to book the most thrilling whitewater rafting experience the Colorado Mountain region has to offer.
Posted in Whitewater Rafting Blog
If you’re a diehard Colorado whitewater rafting fan and just can’t wait to get back onto that flowing, crisp, cool mountain whitewater, Arkansas Valley Adventures has good news—whitewater rafting season is fast approaching, and in no time at all, you’ll be paddling down the Arkansas and Colorado Rivers taking in the beautiful mountain scenery and wildlife.
But in the meantime, it’s important to stay fit in the off season so that you’re able to keep up at the level you were at last season. Most Colorado whitewater rafting enthusiasts are generally in good physical condition and don’t let themselves go in the off season, but if you’re one of those people who slacks off a little bit in the winter and doesn’t exercise quite as much as you should, you may not have the endurance and strength you once had.
If you’re an experienced rafter you know that Colorado whitewater rafting is a great workout; any type of whitewater river rafting is an intense cardiovascular and muscle-toning workout. Shape magazine has even listed rafting as one of the top 25 fat-burning workouts to get you in shape. The magazine refers to whitewater river rafting as an “extreme workout” that tones your arms, back, shoulders and core. Rafting down the Arkansas or Colorado River burns an amazing 300-350 calories per hour!
Contact Arkansas Valley Adventures today to learn more about our specials, rafting packages, and other outdoor adventures like our zip line tours you can participate in when you’re not rafting.
rafting. Think again! While water levels on several rivers are lower than usual, there are still plenty of great options for you and your group. At AVA, we’re still running trips from Class I to Class V. Whether you’re seeking a family float or a high adrenaline adventure, we have the trip for you.
