Western Colorado's Best Rafting Trips
Western Colorado hides a plethora of outstanding outdoor adventures. To learn more about what this region has to offer boater we reached out to our friends at Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep tours to learn more about why they love this corner of the rafting world. They were stoked to share their top 3 river sections for most popular rafting trip, best adventure rafting trip, and best multi day river trip in south Western Colorado.
Most Popular River Trip: Lower Animas River
The Lower Animas is worth paddling because it really immerses you in the history of the Durango as a Wild West mining town. The tracks from the historic steam powered train that travels into the mountains north of Durango follow right along the river through town.
You’ll be rafting down the river and pass right under a trestle railroad bridge. If you time it right you can see the steam powered train chug right by as you are paddling down the river.
Another great thing that brings people back season after season is the fact that the river changes as the season changes. No two trips down the river are the same.
In June you can find some massive waves and big holes. Then you’ll take a trip in September where you’ll need to navigate amongst rocks and really pick clean lines. The river will change from day to day like it’s a living breathing creature.
What is the best part of the Lower Animas?
“Just a beautiful river that is sometimes nearly still and other times moving enough to keep you going and having fun, but not worrying about losing grandma. Durango and the surrounding mountains are gorgeous” -Nathan“Paddle board it, kayak it, raft it, fish it, stroll it, or just sit and ponder it. The Animas is both a beehive of activity and a source of tranquility. The choice is yours.” - David S
What is rafting the Lower Animas like?
The Lower Animas is your quintessential “daily” stretch for paddling. A scenic ride right through the center of Durango; a historic wild west town. This trip is great for all ages and abilities with options for 1 hour on water all the way up to 5 hours on water. You’ll get to experience calm sections for swimming and water fights, awesome views of the San Juan Mountains, class I - II splashes right through the center of historic downtown, class III waves through our whitewater park, and you’ll get into more of a remote canyon as the river heads south out of town giving the trip just a taste of that more wilderness feel.
Mild to Wild River Guide Sam: “In June it’s wild, it’s crazy, it’s fun, it’s splashy, Then in August it’s serene and calm and placid and peaceful. Just a couple inches down or a couple inches up makes a great deal of difference.”
Best Southwest Colorado Adventure: Upper Animas River
Billed as one of the toughest commercially run river trip in the U.S. the Upper Animas is the real deal. With commercial trips only starting to be offered in 1981 it’s a relatively young stretch of river for paddlers.
Dropping at a rate of 85 feet per mile the Upper Animas requires use of a historic steam train to either get into the river our get out of the river canyon from your takeout point. Divided into three sections; Silverton Section, Needleton Section, and Rockwood Section, the upper Animas can be done as a single day trip so any one section or as a multi-day trip for all sections.
What is the best part of the Upper Animas?
The highest adventure section is the Silverton Section. Starting in an old mining town at nearly 10,00 feet you’ll encounter nearly constant class III rapids with intermittent high risk class IV and V rapids. Safety boats and kayakers are used on all trips. You are in a completely remote canyon with one way in and one way out: The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Once we reach the takeout we’ll haul all of our rafts and gear up onto the train tracks, pack everything up and load it into a boxcar. Guests and guides will board the steam train and ride the highline out of the canyon back to the meeting point. It takes a lot of logistics to run the trip but the incredible whitewater and scenery are worth it on the trip. Here is an article we wrote about the history of running the Upper Animas
We have an intense qualification process and guests must pass an on water orientation the night before the trip. Generally guests will have some jitters before they get out on the water, but the fast paced nature of the trip with constant rapids doesn’t even give you time to be scared. Almost all guests are amazed by the pristine nature of the wilderness they are travelling through and the ability of the guides to safely navigate what seem to be insurmountable rapids.
What is rafting the Upper Animas like?
Freezing cold snowmelt charging down a steep grade in a remote mountain setting is classic Colorado Whitewater. Getting to use the historic steam train to get to and from the river really completes the experience. It really feels like you are an explorer tackling a great challenge few have done. If that’s not enough reason, the class IV and V rapids with nothing but class III in between will get you adrenaline flowing.
“Despite our pre-rafting jitters before rafting class IV-V rapids for the first time and a pretty intense orientation the night before, we had the time of our lives. The Upper Animas is an absolutely pristine run of class IV-V rapids. There is the most AMAZING whitewater to be experienced in Southwest Colorado and the Upper Animas might be at the top of the list” - Callie H.
Mild to Wild River Guide Ellen: “The Upper Animas is the perfect combination of thrilling whitewater and awe-striking scenery. You are crushing continuous big rapids as 14,000’ peaks rise out of the river banks and waterfalls are cascading down the canyon walls. You can’t help but hoot and holler all the way down.”
Best Colorado Multi-Day Rafting Trip: Dolores River
Once a free-flowing and mighty river, the Dolores River ran reliably every Spring through the magnificent Dolores River Canyon. The Dolores River Canyon is the longest flowing canyon in the U.S. only second to the Grand Canyon. Known for its playful whitewater, legendary class IV “Snaggletooth” rapid, ancient Anasazi ruins, and stunning scenery. These features combine to make for the trip of a lifetime.
What is rafting the Dolores like?
Rafting the Dolores River is a special treat that few ever get to experience. Ironically, the Dolores River lives up to its name, the “River of Sorrow”. Due to limited releases of water from the McPhee reservoir, the Dolores isn’t always runable. Impounded by the walls of Mcphee Dam only every few years does mother nature overwhelm the heights of this blockage to allow water to cascade through the red rock and gold walls.
Tucked away in the Southwest Corner of Colorado, far away from the racing pace of everyday life, is the Southwest’s Dolores River Canyon. We run 3, 4, & 5-day trips on the Dolores and here is a short documentary we created about the Dolores River:
What is the best part of the Dolores River?
Guest’s are generally surprised by what they find out on the Dolores. Because it doesn’t run every year the entire terrain feels untouched and pristine. People have no idea that this great river canyon exists in Colorado. They are surprised by the geology out there as well. You start out in the high desert, but before you know it you are in a 1,000 foot deep slickrock canyon. It feels like you have been suddenly transported to arches. It’s possible to raft all the way through to the Colorado River in Moab on a good water year. One interesting thing that is cool to experience and watch guests experience is that since the river doesn’t always run, trees and shrubs will grow up right in the middle of the riverbed. We’ll be rafting along and then there is a tree or bush half submerged right in the middle of the waterway. It’s a great way to introduce guests to the preservation of these waterways and not letting industrial interests outweigh recreation and environmental interests.
The Dolores River was once one of the greats. The Grand Canyon, The Salmon River, and The Dolores River. These days it’s somewhat rare to be able to be able to raft it, and very rare to be able to have a commercial season on the river. With climate change, it’s anyone's guess how many more seasons we will ever get to be able to raft all the way through this incredible canyon. You’ll get to travel through some terrain that can only be accessed by raft. Some years you might be one of the first people to pass through the area in several years. This day in age that is a pretty rare experience that few can claim.
“Dolores Canyon is absolutely beautiful and such a surprise considering the surrounding landscape” - Brad T.
Mild to Wild President Alex Mickel: “The Dolores River is one of the west great multi-day trips. It flows through some amazing geology all the way down to the Colorado River in Moab. The First time I rafted the Dolores was in 1992. It’s a memory that I will treasure because it opened my eyes to everything the canyon is and why it is such a historic river run. The Dolores was at one point the most rafted river in the state of Colorado which really speaks to how spectacular it is. The whitewater is just fun follow by more fun. Class II, III, IV and lots of it.”
