Kutsu PointWhitewater · 1 hr 20 min from the ridge
Arkansas River Whitewater Rafting
About eighty minutes west, the Arkansas River drops out of the Collegiate Peaks and picks up speed, and the stretch around Buena Vista, through Browns Canyon National Monument, is some of the most popular whitewater in the country. Licensed outfitters run trips all summer, from gentle floats a grandparent can enjoy to rapids that soak everyone in the boat, so a group with mixed nerve can split up in the morning and trade stories over dinner back at the lodge.
What to do
- 01
Raft Browns Canyon National Monument, the classic trip through granite canyon walls and splashy rapids
- 02
Book a mellow family float instead if the crew runs young or cautious; outfitters grade every stretch of river
- 03
Keep your feet dry and watch the boats come through from the riverside park in Buena Vista
Know before you go
- Go with a licensed outfitter. There are many based around Buena Vista and along the river, and they handle guides, wetsuits, and shuttles. The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area page is the official overview of the river.
- Flows peak with June snowmelt and mellow through August. Pick your month to match the trip: bigger water early in the season, warmer and gentler later.
- Best for
- Adventure days, teens, groups who want a story to tell back at the fire
- When to go
- Commercial rafting runs from late spring through summer, with the biggest water usually in June.
- Official site
- cpw.state.co.us
1 hr 20 min from your front door
Reach it, and still be back by the fire.
Kutsu Point sleeps sixteen on forty private acres, the perfect basecamp for Arkansas River Rafting and the rest of the Front Range.
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Bring everyone.
Check the dates, hold the week, and get the whole group up the mountain.