Be bold and get in on one of the wildest Colorado whitewater rafting trips. The Colorado whitewater rafting experience is what many people vacation in Colorado for. Colorado whitewater rafting is the wildest ride in the state. Spring snow melt brings adrenaline junkies and river rats flocking to Colorado to enjoy the adventures of the roaring rivers and find whitewater rafting at its best.
There's something alluring about Colorado's whitewater rafting. Whether it's the comforting sound of rolling rapids, the heart-pounding, hair raising anticipation of hitting a huge frothing hole in the river, or the humbling, scenic vistas that Colorado presents to the river rafters, Colorado whitewater rafting gives vacationers what they're in Colorado for.
Thirteen major river basins contain over two dozen whitewater raft-friendly areas and a wide variety of rafting runs that range from Class I to Class V all spring and summer long. There's a perfect whitewater rafting experience out there for every adventurous rafter.
The Colorado whitewater rafting season extends from May to September. May and June are considered the premium period for the best whitewater due to the heavy snowmelt waters that fill the rivers at this time. Early July can also have heavy water flows in cooler years. By mid-July the water flow is beginning to drop. This make for a different, more technical challenge to Colorado's whitewater rafters. It also makes some rivers more accessible as they are impossible to run during the earlier part of the season.
One of the nice aspects to the sport of whitewater rafting is that it is accessible to beginners as well as experts. Most whitewater rafting outfitters do have a minimum age requirement though. Depending upon the classification of the whitewater river and time of year, this ranges from 4 to 18 years old.
Where to Whitewater Raft in Colorado:
Colorado whitewater rafting can be experienced in any part of the state. Even right outside the Metro Denver area. Just 30 minutes from Denver you will find Clear Creek. This is a narrow, steep, and technical Class IV-V whitewater rafting adventure. Along the 18 mile run through the historic Idaho Springs mining area, the whitewater rafter will encounter and astounding 1,300 drop in vertical feet and find 30 major rapids.
North of Denver, and to the NW of Fort Collins, the Colorado whitewater rafter will find the Poudre River. This area is one of the newly discovered rafting rivers but made famous when used as the backdrop to a Chuck Norris, Texas Ranger river rafting episodes. Spring and early summer is the best time for rafting the Poudre. This is a great river to begin your rafting career and get your water legs for the sport.
The Arkansas River is among the most prime Colorado whitewater rafting rivers on the Front Range. The Arkansas River is found amongst a number of 14,000 foot peaks of the Rocky Mountains and features more than 100 miles of prime rafting. You will find sections of the river suited from beginner to advanced expert. The most advanced of these sections of river is known as the "Gauntlet". This begins in the aesthetic mountain town of Granite and quickly drops and flows into Granite Gorge.
Further down the river, the whitewater rafter will encounter the gorge known as the "Rite of Passage" where the river is narrowed by half and the rapids are spectacular. The string of rapids in this part of the river are the most continuous rapids available to whitewater rafters in all of Colorado.
It's not just the whitewater rafting that makes the Arkansas river so spectacular. This scenic region of Colorado is noted for gorgeous mountain views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and for viewing bighorn sheep and other wildlife on the steep canyon walls and meadow areas that the river flows through.
One of the great Colorado whitewater rafting rivers is the Animas River. You will find this river in the Southwest of the state. The Animas River is a ferocious serpent of a whitewater rafting river. From the peaks above Silverton Colorado it plunges mor than 2,000 feet over a 30 mile stretch that provides some of Colorado's best whitewater rafting adventures. In fact, many rafters believe the Animas River to be the most challenging in all of Colorado.
Eventually, it becomes calm as it crosses the floodplain and heads towards Durango. But further south of Durango the river picks up again. The Animas River is one of the most picturesque whitewater rafting trips in Colorado. It flows through 14,000 foot peaks and pine and aspen covered hillsides and canyons. Along your trip down this river, you will see the famous Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as it passes though the canyons with you.
The Piedra River is another notorious Colorado whitewater rafting river. It is divided into the tumultuous upper section and the meandering lower one, both which provide different rafting experiences. The upper section provides Colorado whitewater rafters with some of the biggest drops of any river in Colorado. Piedra is the Spanish word for "rock", so you can imagine what you will experience rafting through its rapids.
For the stoutest and brawniest Colorado whitewater rafting adventure in the state, the Gore Canyon on the famous Colorado River is the place to go. This wilderness canyon provides whitewater rafters with a churning water, spectacular Class V Colorado whitewater rafting experience that roars through one of the steepest gradient drops per mile of any river in the state. This includes a vertical waterfall drop.
This section of the Colorado river is not for the weary hearted. For experienced whitewater rafters only, the Gore Canyon is challenging and infamous for its 12-foot plunges like Nightmare and Tunnel Falls. But those that do take up this thrilling adventure will experience Colorado whitewater rafting at its best.
Tips for Colorado Whitewater Rafting:
As with all outdoor adventure activities, Colorado whitewater rafting should be done properly. Make sure you are in safe hands and have a licensed rafting guide. Check with the Colorado River Outfitters Association for a complete list of approved whitewater rafting guides and trips.
You're in luck with this one. Colorado has one of the most aggressive and advanced outfitter and guide licensing programs of any state. You're Colorado whitewater rafting trip will be safe and secure thanks to this program.
Prepare for any type of weather when you're Colorado whitewater rafting. Choose the whitewater rafting river based on your skill level. If you're prepared and have the proper whitewater rafting guides, you will find that the high point of your vacation to Colorado will be your Colorado whitewater rafting adventure.
