Upper Animas One Day Needleton Section
Upper Animas River
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, 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 $449.
Late May – Early August
High Water: IV & V with continuous II & III
Low Water: Continuous, technical II & III with IV+
Extreme to High Adventure
7:30 AM
5:30 PM
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+
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.
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).
A 90% refund, less the train ticket fees, is issued for cancellations received in writing 5 days prior to trip departure.
At the orientation, if it is determined that the Upper Animas is not the right trip for you, there is a $250 nonrefundable train ticket & orientation trip fee per person. Train tickets may be able to be transferred depending on the train’s availability. After the $250 nonrefundable fee, the remaining trip balance may be applied to any of our other trip options or kept on your account in a trip gift certificate for future use.
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.
* Please note that all itineraries are subject to change due to river conditions.