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Arkansas River |
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FREE Continental Breakfast at our facility! |
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BROWNS
CANYON 
1/2 AND FULL DAY
RAFTING - Class III-IV
Located adjacent to our office in Buena Vista, the Arkansas offers
many sections of thrilling whitewater which attract river enthusiasts from all
over the world and is the most popular rafting river in America. The most
popular of all the Arkansas' sections is Browns Canyon. Here, you can
experience whitewater rafting for the first time or enjoy returning time after
time to this beautiful boulder-strewn canyon. Exciting rapids like Pinball,
Zoom-Flume, Big Drop, Seven Stairs and Widow-maker punctuate the canyon. Full
day trips include a delicious smorgasbord lunch and approximately 8 more miles
of rafting than our ½ day.
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DOWNLOAD BROWNS CANYON PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
Our Browns Canyon Pre-trip information is available in .pdf format by clicking on the icon below. If you are not able to view the file or are not sure if you have the right software you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Arkansas River -
Browns Canyon Pre-trip Information |
MULTI-DAY
RIVER TRIPS
2, 3, 5 DAY RAFTING -
Class III-IV
Combine several of the Arkansas' best whitewater sections into a great multi-day trip and experience the fun of self-contained overnight camping by the river. Having specialized in running multi-day rafting trips since 1976, Wilderness Aware has run more overnight trips on the Arkansas than any other outfitter. This experience gives us the competitive edge when it comes to organizing your adventure.
Two-day trips include both the Narrows and Browns Canyon, or Browns Canyon and calmer waters downstream. Three and five day trips offer you the opportunity to sit back and rest after the excitement of Browns Canyon and to enjoy the spectacular views of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Before long, we encounter yet another great whitewater section called Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Big, powerful waves with relatively few rocks characterize this section. Three-day trips include Browns Canyon and Bighorn Sheep Canyon or the Narrows, while in five days you can run them all.
See our Common Questions page under "Why are our multi-day trips special" to see why this may be the trip you are looking for.
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DOWNLOAD ARKANSAS RIVER MULTI-DAY PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
Our Arkansas River Multi-day pre-trip information is available in .pdf format by clicking on the icon below. If you are not able to view the file or are not sure if you have the right software you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Arkansas River - Multi-day pre-trip information |
THE
NARROWS
1/2 DAY AND FULL DAY
EXPRESS RAFTING - Class III-IV
If you have experienced the thrill of
Browns Canyon and are ready for a new challenge, consider The Narrows
Express. The Narrows Express combines the Narrows half-day and the Browns
Canyon full-day for the longest, most action packed, full-day trip around. This
is high mileage, nonstop action, especially at high water. Here, the thrill is
in successfully making the technical moves between boulders in fast, choppy
water. The Narrows half-day is a great opportunity to experience the
excitement of the Narrows in just a morning's trip.
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DOWNLOAD
NARROWS PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
Our Narrows Pre-trip information is available in .pdf format by clicking on the icon below. If you are not able to view the file or are not sure if you have the right software you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Arkansas
River - Narrows Pre-trip Information |
THE
NUMBERS
FULL DAY RAFTING - Class
IV - V
One of the preferred training and competition runs of many World Class kayakers, we love this as a raft run. Extremely rocky, this steep and very technical series of drops requires pinpoint precision paddling. Be prepared to make radical maneuvers as you punch powerful hydraulics and make lateral raft moves to thread the needle in boulder-choked drops. If you have time to look around you, the views of the 14,000 foot Collegiate Peaks are awe inspiring. We will finish the day in the relatively moderate non-stop whitewater of the Narrows section.
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DOWNLOAD NUMBERS PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
Our Arkansas - Numbers Pre-trip information is available in .PDF format by clicking on the icon below. If you are not able to view the file or are not sure if you have the right software you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Arkansas -
Numbers Pre-trip Information |
THE ROYAL
GORGE
FULL DAY RAFTING - Class
IV-V
The Royal Gorge is known for its big powerful drops. Sheer walls, over 1000 feet high, channel the river into narrow unforgiving rapids. We start this trip upstream in Bighorn Sheep Canyon and have the morning to prepare our skills before tackling the Gorge. Our advanced trips are tougher than the more playful Browns Canyon and previous experience is recommended.
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DOWNLOAD ROYAL GORGE PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
Our Royal Gorge Pre-trip information is available in .pdf format by clicking on the icon below. If you are not able to view the file or are not sure if you have the right software you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Arkansas River -
Royal Gorge Pre-trip Information |
BIGHORN SHEEP
CANYON
FULL DAY RAFTING - Class
III-IV
Bighorn Sheep Canyon is located downstream of the more popular Browns Canyon section. The rapids are comparable to Browns Canyon in difficulty, although waves can be somewhat larger and rapids less challenging. With a highway on one side and railroad tracks on the other side of the river, we don't get a lot of requests from individuals for this section, therefore, we only offer this option to groups of 10 people or more that are looking for a new stretch of great whitewater and that aren't concerned about remoteness.
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DOWNLOAD BIGHORN SHEEP CANYON PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
Our Bighorn Sheep Canyon Pre-trip information is available in .pdf format by clicking on the icon below. If you are not able to view the file or are not sure if you have the right software you can click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Arkansas
River - Bighorn Sheep Canyon Pre-trip Information |
GETTING THERE
See our Arkansas Map page for specific directions. If you fly to Denver, Colorado (3 hour drive), or Colorado Springs,(2 hour drive) you will need to rent a car or charter a van or bus to get to Buena Vista. Colorado Springs also has a daily shuttle at 3:30 p.m. Charters and shuttles can be arranged with Timberline Express at www.go-timberline.com. The Buena Vista Airport can accommodate small private planes and jets. There is plenty of off street parking at our office. Lodging and lots of interesting Colorado information is available on our Links to Other Businesses page. You can also get information on river flows, weather, road conditions and other cool sites from that page.
MULTI-DAY GUESTS
If you wish, you may check in at our office by 7:00 PM the day before your trip, and pick up your waterproof storage bag and rental items so that you can pack at your leisure in your motel room or campsite. This avoids having to pack your bag at the office in the morning. See our packing list page for more info.
LODGING & LOCAL INFORMATION
For lodging information call the Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce at 719-395-6612 or you can visit their Web Site from our links to other businesses page. You can also get information on river flows, weather, road conditions and other cool sites from that page.
... AND THEN WHAT?
After you arrive at our office, you will need to check in at the front desk, sign a liability release, and decide if wetsuit, splash jacket or wetshoe rentals are appropriate (see our packing list page). Wetsuits and/or splash jackets are usually a good idea when the water is over about 1000 cfs (cubic feet per second) or if rain showers are expected. Wetshoes are a good idea anytime to keep your feet warm and your traveling shoes dry. Also available at our office are sunglasses, retaining straps, and waterproof cameras. After checking in, you will be fitted into a lifejacket designed for whitewater and then hop on to our vehicle and leave your car and cares behind. We will transport you to the river put-in, conduct an in-depth participant safety and paddling orientation, load the rafts, and launch your trip. Next is the good part - RAFTING! Upon completion of the trip we will transport you back to our office in Buena Vista, where you may use our changing facilities. 8x10 photos of your boat will be available for purchase as are souvenir tee-shirts, hats, and mugs.
HISTORY / ECONOMY
The Arkansas River in central
Colorado begins in the high mountains of the Mosquito and Sawatch Ranges near
Leadville. It winds its way south and east through the mountains and eventually
onto the Great Plains. There, the river meanders across Colorado, Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Arkansas before becoming the Mississippi River's second largest
tributary.
The Arkansas Valley has a long and colorful history. Explorers, trappers, miners, ranchers and railroad men all came to find their fortunes here. Mining has played the largest role in shaping the valley as we know it today. Men such as Tabor and Brown found millions in gold and silver here. They built grand houses and prosperous towns. A stage road was built along the river and provided access to the Leadville area for many years -it can still be seen today. The railroad soon followed in order to transport people and supplies. This new high-speed link with the rest of the nation hurled the Arkansas Valley into the twentieth century. That link is soon to be abandoned by the Union Pacific Railway. It is expected that a hiking and biking path will take its place in the near future.
The area has seen many changes through the years. With the layoffs from the Climax Molybdenum Mine (the areas major employer), tourism has become the backbone of the economy. River rafting is the biggest single attraction, and with good reason. The Arkansas River boasts the most and, mile-for-mile, the best whitewater in Colorado. Among the many raftable sections of the river, Browns Canyon is the most popular. The river leaves the broad valley here and plunges into a beautiful, boulder-strewn chasm. The rapids are of the pool-drop variety, each rapid is followed by a pool where boaters can regain their composure before plunging into the next one. The rapids have names like Zoom-Flume, Big Drop, and Widowmaker, to name a few. These class III-IV rapids, combined with outstanding scenery, make a float trip through the canyon an unforgettable experience.
While you are visiting the Arkansas Valley, relax and enjoy the mild climate. The high mountains to the west capture most of the moisture, leaving the valley sunny and dry. There is only an average of 9.8 inches of precipitation per year -compared to 15.5 inches for Denver.
The Arkansas Valley offers beautiful mountains, an excellent climate, and the best whitewater in Colorado. No wonder it is a playground for thousands of Colorado visitors.
Arkansas River | Dolores River | Gunnison
River | North Platte River |
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