About This Trip
Bound Down the Animas River for 2 hours
Hop on a half day trip and enjoy Durango like a local! This stretch takes you through a variety of rapids before floating through the scenery south of town. Along the way you’ll learn the history of the region and stories of local traditions!
Later in the season, water levels do get lower and all rapids are usually downgraded a full Class. This causes the river to become more technical as you bounce and spin-off of rocks that are usually submerged in the river.
A Durango rafting half trip offers a great mild trip option for ages 4+, but if you’re looking for a bit more adventure, try your hand at Inflatable Kayaks!
Durango Rafting Half Day trips start at $79.00.
- See a different and more beautiful view of Durango
- Get the perfect mix of excitement through fun rapids and relaxation during calm sections
- Learn the wild history of the town and Southwest Colorado
- Experience the river with our professional, fun, and entertaining river guides
- Smelter White Water Park’s Class III splashes
- Wildlife: Deer, beaver, fox, birds of prey, river otters
- A team oriented experience in helping the guides paddle and navigate down the river
- A great trip that pairs perfect with our other Durango tours
Durango Rafting – Whitewater Rafting In Durango, CO
Itinerary & Map
Booking Options
Standard Rafts
15 foot self-bailing rafts (up to 10 guests).
We use Oar Boats or Paddle Boats on these trips depending on water levels. Oar Boats, typically used at high water, come with a frame that give the guide more control with oars. With Paddle Boats, typically used at low water, the guide just has a paddle and relies on you to help get through the rapids!
- Ages 4+
Premium Rafts
Experience a smaller guide to guest ratio (up to 6 guests) and a more personalized trip.
Just like the standard option, we use 15 foot self-bailing rafts with Oar or Paddle rig set up depending on water levels. You’ll just have less folks in the boat with you!
- Ages 4+
Per Person
$119
Inflatable Kayaks
Up the adventure level!
This could be you; get ready for a great workout as you navigate your own kayak through the Lower Animas!
- Ages 12+
Per Person
$119
Our Client Reviews from Google
Kim Furry2024-10-27 Miles gave my team a fantastic tour! Lois Weddle2024-10-27 Jay was a fun and educated guide to Mesa Verde! Thank you Alissa Troike2024-10-26 It was great. Miles was incredible. Highly recommend!!! Tom Evans2024-10-25 Great trip to the old mining operations north of Silverton. Very enjoyable. Vicky Guggino2024-10-19 Miles was our guide for both the 1/2 day Jeep Tour out of Silverton and the Mesa Verde Discovery Tour. He did a great job driving, and the history he told us about was amazing. He also gave great dinner suggestions after both tours! Terrye Gorman2024-10-17 It was super. Our tour guide Miles was awesome. Sarah Mcanally2024-10-15 The staff was friendly and went above and beyond to help meet our dates and needs. Their Jeeps were in great condition and took us to see parts of the untouched countryside that I have never seen before. We will certainly use them again on our next trip to Durango. Jane Turpen2024-10-12 We took a jeep trip up into the mountains to enjoy the fall scenery. The colors were beautiful, our guide,Jay, was excellent, and our group of six was great! We even saw them on our train trip back to Durango. There were some health issues for one traveler and a fear of heights for another. Jay was just terrific in handling both! He was caring but didn’t make a big issue of either. Just took the time to make sure everyone was doing okay and made it a good experience for all. It was a terrific day! Margot Wacks2024-10-12 We booked the guided Mesa Verde trip for our family of four. Our guide was Lee, he was INCREDIBLE!!! A wealth of knowledge, kind, considerate, engaging, and wonderful with our two small children (7 and 10) who at times have endless questions. He really made the history come alive for all of us and definitely made the trip a fun historical adventure! He was just wonderful to work with and made the entire experience one we will never forget. This was our first experience with a guided tour and we will definitely do this again. Not having to worry about driving, navigating the park traffic, getting lost, or not making it to the our scheduled palace tour on time was a huge relief. Everything was planned for us, including lunch. We just had to show up and enjoy!
What are you waiting for? Call today (800) 567-6745 OR (970) 247-4789
Payments & Cancellations
Payment Options
- 1/2 down, 1/2 charged 30 days prior to trip.
- 1/3 down with remaining balance charged in thirds.
- Call for other arrangements!
Free Courtesy Hold
We don’t want you to miss out on this trip so we’ll hold your spots, payment-free, for 24hrs while you make your final arrangements & prepare for payment.
Fees
In addition to the listed trip cost, we collect an additional 9% for River and Land Access Fees (ie. Forest Service, BLM, City, Private Land Use).
Cancellation Policy
Receive a 90% refund with written notice 36 hours or more before the trip. Less notice, no refund.
Trip Change Option
Up to 12 hours prior to departure, trips can be rescheduled for a different day and/or time. The price of this change policy is 5% of the total trip cost. Upgrade only available at time of reservation and must be applied to each seat.
What to Wear & Bring
- Swimsuit/Quick drying clothing (avoid cotton because it stays the temperature of the water and keeps you cold)
- Rain jacket
- Water shoes or secure sandals with heel straps (no flip flops or crocs!)
- Hat (that fits under your helmet)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses with a strap
- Water bottle
- Camera with waterproof case
- Warm, dry change of clothes (for after rafting)
Trips from May through June
- Wetsuits (available for rent)
- Wetsuit boots all season (available for rent)
- Fleece jacket and fleece socks (provides added warmth if you tend to get cold)
What To Wear On A Mountain Rafting Trip – Essential Rafting Attire
Important Considerations
- · At high water levels (usually early June) our age limits may increase.
- For safety, 4 and 5-year-olds will be escorted around the Smelter Rapid if your trip goes through the whitewater park.
- Rafting/kayaking is not recommended for ages 80+.
- When water levels rise, we take extra safety precautions which may include walking around one of the rapids where the river narrows or using other river sections.
- Low water season usually starts in late July and rapid classes drop a ½ to a full notch. Our trips become more technical as we navigate through the rocks in the river.
- Wetsuits are often required from May through June, and wetsuit boots are recommended all season. Rentals are available!
- Durango tends to get afternoon rain showers, so sometimes you get more water than you pay for!
- If you’re traveling with a dog, you cannot leave them in your car in the parking lot. Please make arrangements for them beforehand.
- All itineraries are subject to change due to water conditions.
Trip Planning Info
FAQ
Getting to Durango
Lodging
Weather
Best Times to Visit
First Timer's Guide
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