Tag: Whitewater Rafting
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Troubled waters: An uncertain rafting season gets underway in Colorado
On the last day of May, along the Arkansas River that he has been paddling for 30-plus years, Mike Harvey found himself in a kayak he would not typically use this time of year: his racing boat, which is longer, narrower and lighter. It was better suited for this very atypical start to summer. The…
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A look at what rafting season will look like following a year of low snowpack
It’s no secret that Colorado’s winter snowpack broke all-time-low records around the state. Given that snowpack leads to snowmelt, which fills the many rivers and waterways around the state, many people are curious how rafting season will shake out this year. Bob Hamel, the Executive Director of the Arkansas river Outfitters Association, seemed optimistic in…
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Arkansas River rafting season begins early in Colorado as rapid snowmelt boosts spring flows
With snowmelt accelerating the start of the 2026 rafting season, Arkansas River outfitters are rolling out early trips and a new marketing campaign to draw visitors to what has become one of Colorado’s top whitewater destinations. Most rafters won’t start trips until early May, but some have already started hosting limited trips due to water…
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Colorado’s whitewater rafters gear for early snowmelt — and a potentially shorter season
Ahead of Colorado’s whitewater season, the Clear Creek Rafting Co. bought about a dozen new Gumotex rafts designed to swim through shallower water. It’s narrower, has smaller tubes and is built to withstand rockier terrain, said Dale Drake, owner of Clear Creek Rafting Co. in Idaho Springs. Clear Creek — the body of water that…
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A guide to the Royal Gorge: The bridge, thrill rides and adventures
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save In Colorado Springs, there’s “America’s Mountain.” About an hour’s drive to the southwest, there’s “America’s Bridge.” The Royal Gorge Bridge officially established the trademark in 2019 — 90 years after the stunning achievement that was its construction. In 1929, the bridge opened as the world’s…
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What a rush: 4 bucket list whitewater rafting trips in Colorado
Whitewater runners hope always for years like last year, when unusually gracious snowpack melted to swell Colorado’s rivers. It meant days on the Dolores River, which only rarely rises through the remote, desert canyon of the southwest. The Dolores is but one river on this state’s bucket list. Gunnison Gorge: The late, prolific landscape photographer…
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Boat-in campground to offer new possibility on Colorado River
Two years ago in an obscure part of the Western Slope, Kathy Haas came to 7½ acres for sale on the banks of the Colorado River and saw potential through the overgrowth. “My husband thought I was crazy,” Haas recalls. “He just looked at me and goes, ‘This is a lot of work.’ And I…
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Amid harsh drought, Colorado whitewater enthusiasts have high hopes for rafting season
From her home in Dolores, Rica Fulton has been looking around at a strange scene, as if from a dream. “There hasn’t been dry ground since December, which is sort of unheard of around here,” she said. “A lot of the old-timers are saying this hasn’t happened since the ‘90s.” New Colorado Springs mountain bike…
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With sooner snowmelt, Colorado rafting industry hoping as ever for summer reprieves
Mid-May saw abnormally low snowpack in Colorado’s southern mountains, leaving the whitewater rafting industry to wonder about enough runoff to sustain iconic rivers through the summer. “The heat is bringing a little extra snow down,” David Costlow, executive director of industry-stewarding Colorado River Outfitters Association, said this week. “We’d rather that stay put there right…
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Fun awaits at these 10 adventure parks in Colorado
Summer fun in Colorado doesn’t always involve biking, rafting or backcountry camping. These adventure parks offer different thrills for the whole family. Before you go, check websites for reservations. The Broadmoor’s Soaring Adventures, Colorado Springs It’s the trip of a lifetime along the so-called “Grandest Mile of Scenery.” Ten zip lines are spread out along…