North platte river, Colorado River Rafting, Whitewater Rafting, white water, arkansas river, gunnison river, dolores river, salt river, rafting

North Platte
1 and 2 day rafting trips
RATES IN USD VALID THROUGH 11/1/08

NORTHGATE CANYON
1 and 2 DAYS RAFTING - Class III-IV (Federally Designated Wilderness Area)

Flowing through the Northgate Wilderness Area, the North Platte is one of Colorado's best-kept secrets. This gem combines untracked wilderness with an abundance of Colorado's finest whitewater to deliver an outstanding early season adventure. The canyon begins near the border of Colorado and Wyoming where the river spills from its source in North Park. Completely inaccessible, the "gate" of Northgate Canyon stymied French trappers in their upstream efforts to reach North Park. The North Platte, one of Colorado's only remaining free-flowing rivers, contains many challenging rapids including Cowpie, Narrow Falls and Stovepipe. Full-day trips include upper Northgate Canyon, while two-day trips continue on through forested canyon wilderness, emerging late on the second day into the remote hill country of southern Wyoming. Sightings of eagles, antelope, coyote, elk, and deer are common.

Regular Launches:	Late May to late June
Length:	30 miles
Meeting Time:	9:30 am
Please arrive 30-45 minutes prior to departure.

1 DAY TRIP		2 DAY TRIP
Adults:	$ 103.00	Adults:	$335.00
Children (10-16):	$ 83.00	Children 10-16):	$280.00

GETTING THERE

See our North Platte Map page for specific directions. The nearest major airport is Denver International Airport (4 1/2 hours). A smaller airport in the area is in Steamboat Springs (Yampa Valley Regional Airport - American, Continental, Northwest, TWA, United Airlines, United Express). Lodging and lots of interesting Colorado information is available on our Links to Other Businesses page.

LODGING & LOCAL INFORMATION

For information on local accommodations and other activities, call Walden Chamber of Commerce at 970-723-4600 or Steamboat Visitor Information at 970-879-0882 or you can visit their websites 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?

Upon your arrival you will sign liability releases, then pack your river gear (see our packing list page) into the waterproof bags that we provide. Once this has been completed we will conduct an in-depth participant orientation, finish loading the rafts, and launch our trip. Upon completion of the trip we will transport you back to your vehicle - usually between 3:00 and 5:00 pm.

DOWNLOAD NORTH PLATTE RIVER PRE-TRIP INFORMATION

Our North Platte River 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.

North Platte River Pre-trip Information

DESCRIPTION

The North Platte River begins as a trickle in the mountains surrounding Walden, Colorado. Walden lies in a high, broad valley known as North Park. It was called "New Park" by the trappers and mountain men because it was discovered after South and Middle Parks had been trapped and hunted out.

The North Platte flows 618 miles before joining the South Platte River in Nebraska. French Trappers named it the Riviere de Plat, meaning "Flat River". That name characterizes much of the rivers course. Early travelers on the Oregon Trail followed it to near the present day town of Casper, Wyoming. They considered it too shallow to float, too deep to ford, and too wide to bridge. However, this river would have surprised those pioneers had they followed it into the mountains.

It is here, deep in the Medicine Bow Mountains, that we will float the river as it is turned on edge. The North Platte spills out of North Park into Northgate Canyon, the locked "gate" for fur trappers traveling along the Platte into the rich New Park area. We will encounter rapids rated up to class IV on the international class scale of I through VI. These include Windy Hole, Stovepipe, and Narrow Falls -alias OFR- ask your guide what that stands for.

The canyon walls are 400 to 1000 feet high. They are steep and pine covered, hiding healthy populations of deer, elk, bighorn sheep, beaver, and coyote. Often, we encounter eagles, ducks, and Canada Geese searching for food and raising young along the banks. In the cool mountain morning, a heavy blanket of fog often comes off of the relatively warm river water and lends a somewhat primordial atmosphere to this wildlife haven.

Federal designation as the "Northgate Wilderness Area" promises that future generations will be able to enjoy what we have now. This designation also guarantees that we will have a primitive wilderness experience. Only 13 outfitters have permits to run this section of the river. They take an average of about 1500 people through Northgate Canyon annually. Compare this to 250,000 people on the Arkansas River. We are indeed fortunate to have this national treasure in our own backyard.

Wilderness Aware is an equal opportunity service provider and all or part of our operation is conducted on public lands under special permit from the Routt and Medicine Bow National Forests.

Colorado River Rafting, Whitewater Rafting, white water, arkansas river, gunnison river, dolores river, north platte river, salt river, rafting

Wilderness Aware Rafting
P.O. Box 1550WS, Buena Vista, CO 81211
Phone 800.462.7238 or 719.395.2112 | Fax 719.395.6716
e-mail:rapids@inaraft.com