About This Trip
This Trip is Currently Unavailable. See our Needleton Section for available Upper Animas trips.
Are you ready for some of the biggest, baddest whitewater in the country? Then get your neoprene out on the Silverton section of the Upper Animas River! This rowdy run comes with constant Class II and III rapids, plenty of Class IV’s, and pair of Class V’s that you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life.
The start of the Silverton section is incredibly scenic, where snowcapped fourteeners loom along the horizon before rafters float into the river’s first towering canyon. Once you’ve crossed this threshold, bigger waves and technical runs are soon to follow as you drift farther away from the historic train tracks of Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge. Don’t worry though, you’ll meet them again at the trip’s end for your ride back to civilization.
At high water in late May to early June, this trip is considered extreme. All participants must have excellent physical fitness, and will be required to pass a swim test before being eligible to join us on this roaring ribbon of whitewater. After all, Upper Animas is the most difficult commercially run river in the United States.
Upper Animas, One Day Silverton trips start at $499.
Itinerary & Map
DAY 1 ITINERARY
* 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.
15 foot self-bailing rafts rigged as an oar boat with paddle assist. Be ready to paddle and swim on your pre-trip orientation (and possibly on the trip itself)!
- Ages 16+
Per Person
$499
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
- 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
What To Wear On A Mountain Rafting Trip – Essential Rafting Attire
Important Considerations
Orientation is at 4:45 the evening prior to your scheduled trip and is 100% required. Orientation will include a practice raft trip and a swim through a Class II+ to III+ rapid, so come with a swimsuit and be prepared to get wet!
Plan 2 to 3 hours for this orientation. If you need to schedule for a different time, there is a $50/person charge.
All participants must be in outstanding physical shape. When rafting, it is important to choose the trip that matches the level of the least adventurous and least physically fit person in your group. It is dangerous to ignore physical limitations.
After orientation, if it is determined that the Upper Animas is not the right trip for you, we will move you to a more suitable river. See our Cancellation Policy for rescheduling fees.
As the season progresses and water levels change, we reserve the right to change river sections based on the type of trip you are looking for and your abilities.
All itineraries are subject to change due to water conditions
Travel Guides
Adventure Junkies
Mountain Biking
Off the Beaten Path
Upper Animas History
National & State Parks
Weather in Durango
Related Adventures
Animas River
2hrs on water, 3hrs and 45min from meet to return
Standard Raft: Adult $89 | Youth $79
Premium Raft: $129
Animas River
4hrs on water, 6hrs from meet to return.
- Standard Raft: Adult $149 | Youth $129
- Premium Raft:$189
Animas River
4hrs on the water, 6hrs from meet to return. Lunch included.
- Per person: $189
Animas River
2hrs on the water, 3hrs and 45min from meet to return.
- Per person: $119
Animas River
1hr on water, 2hrs and 20min from meet to return.
- Per Person: $99