Upper Animas

Three Day

About This Trip

This trip is currently unavailable. See our Needleton Section for available Upper Animas trips.

Truly disconnect on our 3 Day trip into the Upper Animas River Canyon. You will challenge 2 days of continuous Class II and III with intermittent Class IV and Class V rapids, and also a day to yourself to reflect and enjoy the beauty surrounding you!

The second day of the trip is for you to explore the Weminuche Wilderness where you can fish, hike, and explore in the remote Colorado wilderness. All of your meals, starting with lunch on day 1 and ending with lunch on day 3, are included and prepared for you. Evenings are spent in our established campsites. At high water, this trip is considered extreme.

Upper Animas River rafting Silverton section trips starting at $949.

The Upper Animas River - Durango's Most Extreme Whitewater Adventure

Overview

Season

Late May – Early August

Restrictions

Raft: Ages 16+

Class of Rapids

High Water: IV & V with continuous II & III

Low Water: Continuous, technical II & III with IV+

Meet Time

7:30 AM

Return

5:30 PM

Boat Options

Standard Raft - Up to 6 guests

Book Your Trip

3 Day Upper Animas Rafting Trip

Trip Planning

Itinerary & Map

DAY BEFORE ITINERARY

5:15 PM

Check into our office to get fitted for your thermal wetsuit gear and go on the orientation raft trip where you will take your practice swim in a Class II+ to III+ rapid.

DAY 1 ITINERARY

7:30

Meet at our Office at the time the guides designated at orientation.

Shuttle to Silverton Colorado via the Million Dollar Skyway. Suit up for your river trip! Wetsuits and Booties are required all season and are available for rent.

Hit the river! Warm up through “Animas Gorge” with continuous Class III rapids. Scout and Run “Ten Mile” rapid your first Class V of the day.

Stop for a deli-style riverside lunch.

Hurry back to the river for more continuous Class III rapids. Scout “No Name” rapid and run it, if you dare! More continuous Class III rapid fun!

Arrive at our semi-permanent Needleton Camp. Relax, hike and/or fish while our guides become your gourmet chefs and start to prepare your dinner! Enjoy the night in the true Colorado Wilderness.

DAY 2 ITINERARY

Wake up to fresh brewed coffee and a filling breakfast.

Hit the river! Again! Enjoy continuous Class III rapids as a warm up for your second day of rafting. Scout “Broken Bridge,” a Class V rapid, and run it!

Take a break for a hearty riverside lunch.

Get back on the river for even more Class III fun! Hit more continuous Class III rapids.

Arrive at camp and enjoy the beautiful riverside camp as your guides cook up a delicious dinner.

DAY 3 ITINERARY

Wake up to another hearty breakfast and get ready to raft!

Hit the river! Enjoy continuous Class III rapids as a warm up for your second day of rafting.

Take a break for a hearty riverside lunch.

Get back on the river for even more Class III rapids. Scout & run “Tank Creek.” Run your final Class IV rapids, “Specter” and “The Narrows.”

Arrive at the Tacoma Power Station, take out & de-rig boats for the train ride out of the canyon. Board the train and relax as you take in the sights of the Rockwood Gorge.

Arrive at the Rockwood Station, and shuttle back to Durango.

5:30 PM

Arrive back at our Durango office at approximately 5:30 PM.

* Please note that all itineraries are subject to change due to river conditions.

Booking Options

Standard Rafts

This trip is currently unavailable for the 2023 season. See our Needleton Section for available Upper Animas trips.

13 foot self-bailing rafts rigged as a paddle boat. Be ready to paddle and swim on your pre-trip orientation!

Ages 16+

Per Person

$949

Reviews from our Guests

    
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Jim Wade 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. It was an amazing experience.Jared the guide stopped along the way and explained all the amazing sights that we came to. Highly recommend this trip to everyone.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Christopher Teaf 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent in every respect
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Cindy McCullough 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our guide was Jay. He was great. Lots of beautiful views and a history lesson along the way. Thank you 🥰
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Kimber R 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fantastic!!! The experienced guides made it especially enjoyable. Anthony D. went above and beyond to help coach and encourage me as a first time white water kayaker. He is awesome!! Highly recommend! Highlight of my trip!!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Chris Joyce 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Peyton and Dillon were our guides for our trip. They were friendly and professional. We had a great time!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Deanna Myers 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our guide, Miles, was very knowledgeable. It was a great trip. Would give it 4.5 stars only because it wasn't a jeep and there were 11 people.  We were all compatible, but that is not always the case with a group that large. Overall, the trip was great.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Mr. Debatable 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Such an amazing trip today our tour guide miles was beyond amazing he answered every single one of my questions even though I had about 10,000. He was extremely knowledgeable and courteous and made our trip that much more memorable. I would highly recommend to anyone going to the area and I will definitely do another tour next time I visit
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Melody Urso 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I did the Mesa Verde Tour with lunch and Ann Rapp, our guide, was the best! She not only provided us with in-depth information, history and theories about the sites we were seeing, but also took a lot of time at some of the less “popular” dwellings so we could understand the varied communities. I can’t speak highly enough of our tour and I think this is an ideal way to experience a broader picture of Mesa Verde and its history.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Krystal Folsom 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Tim paid close attention to our conversation on the way to the trail from Durango to Silverton Colorado and used what he learned about us to create the perfect off-roading experience. The route was exciting, scenic, and perfectly suited to our interests—a personal touch we truly appreciated. Even the snacks arrived at exactly the right moment! Tim made us feel comfortable, cared for, and completely immersed in the adventure. It was a memorable experience from start to finish, and we highly recommend both Tim and Mild to Wild!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Alan Phillips 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had an absolutely great time! Tim was our tour guide and he was awesome! Tim was very personable, very informative and super nice. He made sure to keep us hydrated and was always at our need. I highly, highly recommend this tour, this guide and this company!

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 an 80% refund with written notice 5 days prior to trip departure. Less notice, no refund.

At Upper Animas orientation, if determined this is not right for you, for 1 day trips you may apply the trip cost to another available trip, less $250 per person for the nonrefundable train ticket & orientation. For overnight trips, the non refundable amount is $300 per person. Train tickets may be able to be transferred depending on the train’s availability.

Trip Insurance through RoamRight is recommended to help cover unforeseen circumstances.

We conform to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad cancellation policy. Train ticket cancellations are subject to a fee 5 days before your reserved date. There are no refunds issued on reservations cancelled less than 5 days before your reserved date.

What to Wear & Bring

Wetsuit (available for rent)
Wetsuit boots all season (available for rent)
Splash Jacket (available for free)
Fleece jacket and fleece socks
Swimsuit/Quick drying clothing
Hat (that fits under your helmet)
Sunscreen
Sunglasses with a strap
Water bottle
Camera with waterproof case

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