Upper Animas One Day Needleton Section
Upper Animas River
Upper Animas
One Day Silverton Rafting Trip
About This Trip
Conquer non-stop Colorado whitewater rafting on continuous Class II and III rapids with intermittent Class IV and two Class V rapids on the Upper Animas River. Creeks and streams cascade into the river as you continuously paddle. Your trip starts near Silverton, Colorado, and ends with a ride on the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. You must be a strong swimmer and able to paddle while the boat bounces, spins, and submerges for this high adventure trip. At high water, this trip is considered extreme.
You don’t want to miss any part of the spectacular Upper Animas, so check out the Silverton and Needleton sections by combining them on a Two Day or Three Day river extravaganza! Upper Animas River rafting Silverton section trips starting at $305.00
Season
Late May – Early August
Class of Rapids
High Water: IV & V with continuous II & III
Low Water: Continuous, technical II & III with IV+
Extreme to High Adventure
Meet Time
7:30 AM
Return
6:00 PM
Boat Options
Standard Rafts
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+
New Flexible Payment & 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.
Cancellation Policy
A 90% refund is issued for cancellations received in writing 48 hours prior to trip departure.
If you do not pass your orientation, we will charge $250 per person for the train ticket and orientation fee. Those who do not pass are still welcome to ride the train.
If it is determined that the Upper Animas is not the right trip for you, we will arrange for you to go on a better suited river and give you the nonrefundable train ticket, but there will be no refunds.
Fees
In addition to the listed trip cost, we collect an additional 8% for River and Land Access Fees (ie. Forest Service, BLM, City, Private Land Use).
Itinerary
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 AM
Meet at our main office.
Shuttle to Silverton, Colorado via the Million Dollar Skyway
Suit up for your river trip! Thermal wetsuits and booties are required all season and are available for rent.
Hit the river! Warm up through “Animas Gorge” – continuous Class III rapids. Scout and run “Ten Mile” rapid, your first Class V of the day.
Take a break for a yummy 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 Needleton Camp, take out & de-rig boats for the train. Board the Durango & Silverton Train and relax as you take in the sights of the Rockwood Gorge.
Arrive at the Rockwood Station, and shuttle back to Durango.
6:00 PM
Arrive back at our Durango office at approximately 6:00 PM.
* Please note that all itineraries are subject to change due to river conditions.
Trip Map
