Spring Sale: 15% Off All Trips. Use Code Spring At Checkout
Spring Sale: 15% Off All Trips. Use Code Spring At Checkout
4.9 · 1,800+ Google Reviews
Buena Vista rafting covers the widest trip range on the Arkansas River — Class II family floats, intermediate runs through Browns Canyon National Monument, and the continuous Class IV(V) Numbers, all launching from the same riverside outpost. Browse the five trips below and pick the one that fits your group.
Twenty-one miles through a national monument, with named rapids including Pinball, Zoom Flume, Big Drop, Seidel’s Suckhole, Widowmaker, and Staircase coming at you in quick succession with little flat water between. Granite spires rise above the canyon walls, bighorn sheep show up regularly, and the action rarely lets up. The run most people picture when they think Colorado whitewater.
Seven Class IV rapids back to back, numbered by the first guides because nobody could agree on names. The most continuous technical whitewater on any commercial run in Colorado, and at higher flows it earns every bit of its reputation. Come back for this one once you know what you’re doing.
Three miles of wide-open Class II water with views stretching up to the 14ers. Calm enough for a 3-year-old, scenic enough for everyone else. A real river trip on one of Colorado’s most beautiful stretches.
Late afternoon light on the canyon walls, a stretch of genuine Class III whitewater through the heart of the monument, and cold drinks waiting at the takeout. A half-day on the river that delivers the full experience.
Two days and one night inside a national monument, with the river as your only road. Camp on the bank, watch the bighorn on the cliffs at dusk, and wake up before anyone else is on the water. The named drops, the granite walls, the 14er views above the canyon rim. The version of this trip that sticks with you.
Two days on the most demanding commercial stretch in the state, with a night camped under the stars on the riverbank. The canyon looks different when you sleep in it. Wake up to the sound of the water, run it again with fresh eyes, and come out the other side having done something most people only talk about.
Hwy 24 west the whole way — Woodland Park, Wilkerson Pass, Hartsel, into Buena Vista.
I-70 west to Copper Mountain, Hwy 91 south through Leadville, then Hwy 24 into Buena Vista. Or take US-285 south through Fairplay for a more direct route.
I-70 east to Copper Mountain, Hwy 91 south through Leadville, then Hwy 24 into Buena Vista. You drop off Fremont Pass right into the Arkansas headwaters.
The Arkansas River starts just north of Leadville and runs 150 miles through the center of the state before dropping into the Royal Gorge. Buena Vista sits at the top of its raftable stretch — 7,965 feet above sea level, between the Collegiate Peaks and the Mosquito Range. More commercial rafters launch from this valley than any other put-in on the Arkansas, and more rafters run the Arkansas than any other river in the United States. You’re looking at the most-rafted water in the country.
Most outfitters base out of either Buena Vista or Cañon City. The reason the BV side matters: it’s the only spot on the Arkansas where four distinct runs — family float, intermediate, advanced, and overnight — launch from the same outpost. A group with a nine-year-old and a twenty-five-year-old can actually paddle the same weekend without one of them getting bored or overwhelmed.
Browns Canyon rafting tours push off the beach right at River Runners, start small on a family float, or challenge continuous whitewater on The Numbers.
The Beach restaurant & bar is the perfect hang out before or after your tour. Extend your river time with lunch, dinner, or drinks and appetizers.
Rent out the space for a unique riverside wedding, family reunion or corporate retreat, or check out the dates and lineup for the River Runners Music Series.
The season runs May through Labor Day. Conditions can change week to week. Here’s what each window looks like.
Snowmelt off the Collegiate Peaks pushes flows through Browns Canyon well over 2,000 CFS. The Numbers hits its most continuous, and some features stack into Class V territory at the biggest water. Age minimums can bump up during peak flows — we’ll let you know at booking if your date is affected.
Releases from Twin Lakes Reservoir — coordinated under the Arkansas River Voluntary Flow Management Program — hold flows between roughly 1,000 and 1,700 CFS through the heart of summer. That’s the sweet spot for most paddlers: real rapids, warm air in the 70s and 80s, and full-length trips running every day of the week.
Flows drop, the water clears, and Browns Canyon turns into more of a technical read — picking lines between exposed rocks instead of charging through big-water hydraulics. The rapids are still real, but mellower. Crowds thin out, last-minute bookings open up, and the late-afternoon light along the canyon walls is worth the drive on its own.
Trips run rain or shine. Rafting is a wet activity regardless of weather — a little rain just adds to it.
River Runners started in Buena Vista in 1972 — before Browns Canyon was a National Monument, before the Voluntary Flow Management Program existed, before commercial rafting was a real industry. We’ve guided hundreds of thousands of guests down this river since. What five decades on one stretch of water actually gets you: every trip we run has been refined across thousands of flow conditions, and nothing about the river will surprise the guide in your raft.
Every River Runners guide carries current CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and Swiftwater Rescue certifications. Before opening day each May, our guide team trains on the specific rapids they’ll run that season — not a generic industry curriculum. They know where the safety lines are, where the fun lines are, and how the river reads differently at 2,500 CFS in the morning than at 800 CFS in August.
You’ll paddle a self-bailing raft with a commercial-grade PFD and helmet (helmets are required on all whitewater trips). Wetsuits and splash jackets come free at high water. Before you launch, your guide walks through paddle commands, high-siding, T-grip handling, swim position, and re-entry — the basics that keep the day running smoothly if anything doesn’t go according to plan.
We don't cut corners on equipment — your safety is built into every decision we make, from guide training to gear maintenance to real-time river assessment.
About 2.5 hours via I-70, Hwy 91, and Hwy 24 — or the more direct US-285 south through Fairplay. Most trips work as a long day from Denver; if you’re booking a full-day or The Numbers, plan to stay over locally.
It depends on the trip. Family Float is 3+, Browns Canyon is 6+, Happy Hour is 12+, and The Numbers is 14+. At high-water flows, age minimums can shift upward — we’ll flag it at booking if your date is affected.
Browns Canyon is an intermediate Class III(IV) run with pool-drop rapids and recovery sections between features — our most popular trip and a strong first whitewater experience. The Numbers is a continuous Class IV(V) stretch upstream with seven rapids back-to-back and no real flat water between them. Two different rivers, effectively.
Buena Vista if you want the widest trip range (family floats through Class V), higher-elevation alpine scenery, and proximity to Salida, Leadville, or the Collegiate Peaks. Cañon City if you want the 1,000-foot granite walls of the Royal Gorge and you’re driving from Colorado Springs or Pueblo. Both are great — the call usually comes down to which direction you’re coming from. You can also shuttle between our outposts to do both in one trip.
You need to be comfortable in moving water. If you go overboard, a PFD floats you, and your guide coaches you through a self-rescue. Strong swimming isn’t required on the easier trips. On The Numbers, we recommend it.
Synthetic quick-dry layers. Skip cotton — it stays wet and cold. Secure footwear with a heel strap (water shoes, sport sandals, or old sneakers you don’t mind soaking). Bring a swimsuit to wear under, a towel and dry clothes for the drive home, sunscreen, and sunglasses with a strap. We provide wetsuits and splash jackets free at high water.
Late June through mid-August hits the sweet spot for most paddlers — warm air, ideal flows, long days. Late May and early June if you want the biggest water. Late August into Labor Day if you want smaller crowds and clearer water.
Trips run rain or shine — you’re going to get wet anyway. We only cancel for genuine safety issues, like lightning on the river or extreme flows. If we cancel, we reschedule or refund.
Not recommended on the raft — even waterproof cases get tested hard. We have professional photographers on the river shooting each trip, and photos are available after you’re off the water. If you must bring something, tether it or keep it in a dry bag inside the raft.
Yes. PFDs, helmets, and paddles are included on every trip. Wetsuits and splash jackets come free at high water. You bring footwear and clothing; we bring the rest.
