Gold Rush Clear Creek Rafting Adventure

Splash down the Clear Creek mining valley on our 1/3 day Gold Rush trip. Just a short half-hour trip from Denver, this family-friendly rafting adventure offers a fun outdoor adventure that everyone in your group will enjoy.

The Gold Rush rafting trip is a fun trip for all abilities, packing in eleven rapids as you paddle your way down the historic Clear Creek mining valley. If you’re looking for an adventure for a family trip, work event, school event, or scouting trip the Clear Creek Gold Rush is the perfect introduction to beginner whitewater rafting.

Trip Highlights

2026 Expectations

2026 River Conditions

What to Expect

• 1/3 day trip covering about 7 miles on the water
• Family-friendly fun through 11 class III rapids
• Convenient rafting less than 30 minutes from Denver
• The opportunity to engage with Idaho Springs’s unique mining history
• Wildlife spotting on the banks of the Clear Creek
• Experienced raft guides

Trip Itinerary

• Check in, gear up, and meet your guide at our Idaho Springs outpost
• Shuttle to the water with your group
• Receive basic paddling instructions from your guide
• Hit the water and enjoy splashing through these mellower class III rapids
• Shuttle back to our Idaho Springs outpost
• Review photos from your Gold Rush rafting adventure

Who will love this trip?

• Families with kids as young as 6 hoping to get everyone out on the water
• School groups, sports teams, or scout groups looking for a fun outdoor adventure
• Groups near Denver searching for a convenient adventure close to the city

Related Packages

1. Gold Rush Rafting+ Zipline

     Join us on one of our best family trips, and experience Colorado fun on the river and in the air. From our Idaho Springs outpost, paddle Clear Creek's best family-friendly whitewater and soar through the trees on our cliffside zipline course.  

2. Colorado River Float Trip: Scenic Half-Day Adventure

   <span style="font-weight: 400;">A Colorado River float trip is the perfect way to experience the natural beauty of the Gore Range, featuring gentle Class II rapids that are safe and fun for all ages.</span>

3. Mount Blue Sky & Argo Cable Car Scenic Tour

   <p data-start="415" data-end="710">Discover the beauty, history, and scenery of Colorado's Front Range on AVA's Mount Blue Sky & Argo Cable Car Scenic Tour. This guided adventure combines stunning mountain landscapes, historic mining heritage, and one of Colorado's most unique attractions for an unforgettable day in the Rockies.</p> <p data-start="712" data-end="935">Travel through the mountains west of Denver, explore the legendary mining town of Idaho Springs, and soar above the valley on the Argo Cable Car while taking in spectacular views of Mount Blue Sky and the surrounding peaks.</p> <p data-start="925" data-end="1218"></p>

4. Gold Rush Rafting + Via Ferrata

   On our Gold Rush rafting and Via Ferrata multi-adventure package, adventure starts strong and keeps coming. Climb high into the cliffside above Idaho Springs and the Chicago Creek on Via Ferrata course, a unique form of climbing with features built into the mountainside. You'll then cool off over the course of 7 miles of moderate rapids on the historic Clear Creek.

5. Browns Canyon Half Day Rafting

   <span style="font-weight: 400;">Browns Canyon half-day rafting trip delivers the perfect blend of family-friendly adventure and thrilling white water action. Paddle through Class III rapids on Colorado's Arkansas River while passing through the stunning granite walls of Browns Canyon National Monument, located just 2.5 hours from Denver and 1.5 hours from Colorado Springs. This 10-mile journey is ideal for first-time rafters, families with children ages 7+, and anyone seeking an accessible yet exciting white water experience.</span>  

6. Inflatable Kayaks Half Day

   Looking to take charge of the river? On AVA’s Upper Colorado Inflatable Kayak ½ Day trip you can do just that! Whether you want to try something new or are seeking a little extra excitement or independence, the Upper Colorado Inflatable Kayak trip is perfect for you!

7. Stand Up Paddleboard Half Day

   Try the newest, most fun activity on the river - Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)! On this half-day trip, you'll SUP 5 miles down the Colorado River. You'll stand up or kneel on a large, surfboard-shaped board and steer with a long paddle as you navigate down the river. Prepare yourself for falling into the water, as it's highly likely that you'll go for a swim!  

Not sure yet? Here are some other activities

1. Cliffside Zipline Half Day

   <p class="isSelectedEnd">Experience one of the most unique zipline adventures near Denver on our Cliffside Zipline Course in Idaho Springs. Your adventure begins in historic downtown Idaho Springs before boarding our signature Safari Truck for a scenic ride up the mountain. From there, you'll soar across six exhilarating ziplines built directly into the rugged Rocky Mountain landscape above Chicago Creek.</p> As you travel from platform to platform, you'll fly past towering granite cliffs, forested slopes, and sweeping mountain views while tackling exciting aerial features including a hanging bridge, log cross, jungle bridge, and dual race line. This half-day adventure combines adrenaline, incredible scenery, and family-friendly fun, making it the perfect Colorado mountain experience for first-time zipliners and thrill seekers alike.

2. Mount Blue Sky, Colorado Via Ferrata

   <p class="isSelectedEnd">Get your heart racing on one of Colorado's most unique aerial adventures. Our Mount Blue Sky Via Ferrata takes you high above Chicago Creek on a guided cliffside climbing experience built directly into the rugged mountains surrounding historic Idaho Springs. Clipped into a continuous safety system, you'll traverse exposed rock faces, cross suspended bridges, and navigate a series of exciting features while taking in sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains below.</p> Throughout the adventure, you'll move across dramatic granite cliffs overlooking the canyon and downtown Idaho Springs, experiencing terrain typically reserved for technical climbers. Combining hiking, climbing, and aerial elements, the Mount Blue Sky Via Ferrata delivers an unforgettable mountain adventure just 30 minutes from Denver.

3. Browns Canyon Rafting + Via Ferrata

   Excitement and scenery await on your Browns Canyon + Via Ferrata full-day adventure. Climb into the Rocky Mountains and rush the rapids of the mighty Arkansas River.

4. Browns Canyon Sizzler

   The full-day Browns Canyon Sizzler represents the ultimate Colorado rafting experience! This trip offers a full day of classic white water rafting through class III rapids on the Arkansas River, complete with a riverside fajitas lunch.  

5. Starlight & Full Moon Zipline

   Join us for one of the most exciting and popular Colorado mountain summer adventures - ziplining! The starlight zipline adventure allows you to experience AVA's same cliffside zipline course after dark, with the moonlight zipline taking place under a full moon.

6. Colorado Via Ferrata – Granite

   Adventure awaits as you conquer the cliffside on this unique mountaintop climbing experience. Feel a rush of adrenaline as you traverse across and above the Arkansas River Valley, using iron rungs, bars, and other features to ascend. Your stomach will drop on our hanging bridge and freefall flight line!

7. Mountaintop Ziplining In Colorado – Half Day

   Fly between towering old-growth pine trees and cliffs on our Mountaintop Zipline, a unique Colorado experience fun for all ages. This course may be the most incredible way to see the Arkansas River valley as you experience Colorado from a unique vantage point.