Arkansas River, Colorado
| Price |
 What's this? |
| Class of Rapids |
Browns Canyon: II-III+; Salida to Cotopaxi: II-III; Cotopaxi to Parkdale: II-III; Royal Gorge: III-IV+ |
| Trip Miles |
Browns Canyon: 12 to 21 miles; Salida to Cotopaxi: 11 to 23 miles; Cotopaxi to Parkdale: 10 to 22 miles; Royal Gorge: 9 to 19 miles |
| Trip Duration |
Browns Canyon: 1 day; Salida to Cotopaxi: 1 day; Cotopaxi to Parkdale: 1 day; Royal Gorge: 1 day |
| Season |
May-September |
| Raft Type |
Paddle Raft, Oar Raft, Inflatable Kayak |
| River Sections |
Browns Canyon; Salida to Cotopaxi; Cotopaxi to Parkdale; Royal Gorge |
| Nearby Towns |
Buena Vista (CO), Salida (CO), Canon City (CO) |
| Driving Times |
Colorado Springs (CO): up to 2 hours; Denver (CO): up to 3 hours, depending on river section |
| Recommended For |
Beginner, Intermediate, Accessibility, Summer |
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On Colorado's Arkansas River, get your feet wet in Brown's Canyon before hitting The Narrows, which is that bit more challenging and continuous.
(courtesy, Wilderness Aware Rafting)
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The Arkansas River is one of the nation's ten most popular recreational boating rivers. Highly valued for its diverse recreation, this 100-mile stretch is used by more than 400,000 rafters, kayakers, fishermen, campers, and wildlife viewers each year. Trips vary in difficulty and length, allowing flexibility.
The internationally renowned "numbers" rapids lie a short distance below Leadville, surrounded by the Collegiate Peaks. These are world class kayaking waters. The river continues through narrow Brown's Canyon. At Brown's Canyon, the river flows away from the highway and is adjacent to a BLM Wilderness Study Area. Although paralleled by the railroad, its remote character and quality rapids make this the most popular segment.
With space at a premium, from Salida to Parkdale, the sinuous river threads its way across pools, riffles, and huge boulders, creating excellent whitewater and trout fisheries. U.S. Highway 50 parallels much of the lower river, providing fishing and boating access, family picnicking, viewing opportunities, and great spots to photograph friends rafting on the river. Fishing on the Arkansas is highly valued and quite pleasurable as one is surrounded by beautiful landscape while enjoying the day's catch.
The 1,500-foot sheer rock walls of Royal Gorge ascend above the last segment as it flows into Canon City. Rapids such as Sunshine and Sledgehammer, make running this stretch an adventure.
Tour Operator Trips on the Arkansas River, Colorado
* Trip price reflects the average cost per day for a guided rafting adventure on a given river (
= $50-$100/day;
= $100-$250/day;
= $250 or more/day) and accounts for half-day, full-day, or multiday rafting excursions. Lodging, dining, and transportation costs (airfare, car rental/shuttle, equipment rentals, etc.) have not been factored into account. Please note that the trip price classification is intended to be an approximate guideline, as the range of prices on a given river can vary based on amenities, services, and customized add-ons offered through individual outfitters.
