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Durango Whitewater Rafting

Lower Animas River

Durango Rafting on the Animas River

25+ Years of Durango rafting adventures on the Animas River.

Experience the excitement of a Durango rafting adventure! With over a million dollars in improvements and additions, new thrills await you in the new Smelter whitewater park! Splash through “Smelter,” “Santa Rita,” “Sawmill,” and “Pinball” rapids as part of your Durango rafting adventure on the Animas River! Your guide will share the history of the region and stories on local traditions. Families, reunions, groups, first-timers and rafting veterans alike find this popular and convenient guided rafting trip to be the highlight of their vacation! No experience is necessary; we provide all you need including safety orientation and instruction. Don’t miss the #1 activity in Durango!

The 1/2 Day trip offers the best bang for your buck, with the 3/4 day trip giving you more time to experience Durango rafting. Choose the econ trip if you just want a quick taste of what rafting is like.

Water levels vary throughout the season. We experience high flow with the spring snowmelt. July through August rapid ratings drop a ½ to a full notch. The river can become a very technical float trip with lots of rocks to maneuver around! We love it at all levels! Lower Animas raft trips start at just $35.00!

Click here for directions to our main office in Durango.

Location/Season

Durango, Colorado

April – October

Adventure Level

Mild-Intermediate: Some swim potential. Some contact with water.

Class of Rapids

High Water: I, II and III++

Low Water: I, II and one III

Restrictions

Raft: Ages 4-84
Inflatable Kayak: Age 11+ or 5’ 2’’

Trip Highlights

Durango Rafting Trip Highlights

  • See a different, even more beautiful, view of Durango
  • Learn the history of Durango
  • Convenient; accommodates tight itineraries
  • Packages available, including jeep trail tours, for the complete Colorado experience!
  • Perfect trip for family reunions with all ages
  • Great trip for youth groups – special bonding/team building trips available

Boat Options

We offer these boat options so that you can customize your Durango rafting trip to the adventure level you desire.

Premium Raft

Our premium boat option provides a more personalized & private trip with a smaller guest to guide ratio. Guests can assist in paddling the raft.

Adventure Level: Our most mild option. Low swim potential & minimal contact with the water.

Standard Raft

Our standard raft option will hold up to 10 guests per boat. Guests can assist in paddling the raft.

Adventure Level: A mild option. Low swim potential & some contact with the water.

Inflatable Kayak

Inflatable Kayaks increase the level of adventure with you paddling your own kayak under the instruction of a trained guide. No experience is necessary.

Adventure Level: Inflatable kayaks increase the adventure level with a higher swim potential and more contact with the water.

Trip Options

Related Packages:

Raft & Zip

Durango, CO

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Combine a 1/2 day Raft tour on the Lower Animas river with the 12 zipline tour at Durango Adventures

The Animas River can rise from snowmelt. 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. For safety, 4 & 5-year-olds will be escorted around the Smelter Rapid if your trip goes through the whitewater park.

Payment Options

  1. Pay in full.
  2. 1/2 down, 1/2 charged 30 days prior to trip.
  3. 1/3 down with remaining balance charged in thirds.
  4. Call for other arrangements!

Cancellation Policy

We know plans change… so we offer a lenient cancellation policy. An 85% refund is issued for cancellations received in writing 48 hours prior to trip departure.

Credit Card Security

Credit card details are heavily encrypted. All information is transmitted via a secure connection.

 

Fees

In addition to the listed trip cost, we collect an additional 7% for River and Land Access Fees (ie. Forest Service, BLM, City, Private Land Use).

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Plan Your Trip

Important Considerations
Reasons to Love the Animas
Things To Do In Durango
Durango Hot Spings
Durango Area Hikes
Durango Lodging

Reviews

I’ve been on many tours with Mild to Wild. We continue to go back every year. Mild to Wild and the staff provide excellent customer service and truly try to find the best trip for…

Jadea Braddy

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Every year I bring our 8th-grade class to Durango and always schedule a rafting trip with Mild to Wild. Everything from scheduling, the raft guides, the bus rides, is all amazing! Our students always have…

Jerry Rotenberg

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I had a lot of fun. All the guides where a blast to be around. The overall rafting as a little cold because of the time of year, but I had a great time. The…

Amira Aquarian

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Everything was great! Our guide was a really awesome guy that made our experience even better!

Chris Sanchez

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Loved the relaxed and fun but still professional and knowledgeable trip. Trey was our guide. Very chill and nice guide. Would definitely use them again but next time would do the class 3 or 4…

Stephanie B

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Looking for a mild trip that lasts longer than one day?? The Colorado River offers the perfect multi-day trip!

Does the Lower Animas sound a little too mild for your taste? Check out the Upper Piedra for more adventure!