About This Trip
Extreme Adrenaline!
Want to paddle through waves of whitewater until your arms fall off? Want all of the Class IV and V rapids that the Upper Animas River has to offer? Are you fit…as in, “Is there also a triathlon in town that I can participate in right now?” fit?
If you answered yes to the questions above, congratulations! The Ultra Upper Animas could be your adventure of a lifetime! Combining the Silverton and Needleton Upper Animas trips into One Day makes for a marathon of a high-adventure rafting trip.
The Upper Animas is our our most wild river. In order to participate, you must be physically fit and pass an on-river orientation the night before your trip. All trip times are approximate and depend on water levels. This combo is not available at all water levels.
Our Client Reviews from Google
Robert Sharp2025-07-24Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Rafting was great for first timers. Dillon was awesome working and helping Tim that was visually impaired. Great job and I highly recommend there service. Ron Howard2025-07-24Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. During our family of four 40-day adventure we spent four nights in Durango, Colorado. My 12 and 13 year old daughters had never been rafting so the Lower Animas Rafting 3/4 day adventure was the perfect choice. Steven was our guide and was the best! He ensured we were prepared before stepping into the raft. Safety, technique, and fun were the agenda for the day. While the river was lower than normal it was fun navigating different ways to get past the many rocks. It was also nice that Steven suggested we grab some trash that washed was stuck in river debris. Tyler was another guide helping kayakers we traveled with and was really nice. It was fun interacting and enjoying the perfect day together. I recommend the 3/4 day which includes lunch and more time on the river. There was plenty of time to jump for a swim and we even surfed one of the rapids. Eric Steinberg2025-07-24Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. All the folks at Mild to Wild are great and clearly love what they do. It’s like rafting with friends. My son, his friend and I had a great time! A special shout out to our guide Ryan who was outstanding and a ton of fun. Michael Barber2025-07-23Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had a fantastic raft ride with Mild to Wild’s guide Toby. He was funny, informative and clearly very skilled at his job. We did a “Mild” ride but he still managed to take us on a class 2/3 rapid for a little wild and talked us through perfectly . 10/10 would definitely recommend Adam Kane2025-07-23Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We did a 3/4 day rafting trip, and had a FANTASTIC time! Our guide was Stephen, and he was AWESOME! Really professional on the water, and worked with us early on to work as a team on the water. The rapids were a blast, and the lunchtime stop was refreshing with some local sandwiches. Would HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Ronny Robinson2025-07-23Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Sam is a great guide! We did the 1/2 day raft, and it was great! Toby was a guide in another raft, and they had good comradery going down the river together! Great time! Jacob Finseth2025-07-23Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ryan our guide was the best captain 🫡. - The Fantastic 4️⃣ Beth Barber2025-07-23Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fantastic time on the River with Toby as our guide. Friendly, knowledgeable, concerned about safety and clear instructions. Great time! Thank you Toby! Mel Garofalo2025-07-23Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My wife and I booked a half day tour of Arches NP with Mild to Wild while staying in Moab. Due to the high temperatures and our age, we were not looking for strenuous hiking so we booked a guided tour on an air conditioned 15 passenger van. It turned out we were the only two who had booked this tour so we essentially had a private tour with Darren, our driver and guide. He was extremely knowledgeable, interesting to talk to and overall provided a great 4.5 hour experience. We stopped frequently, sometimes for short hikes, others for pictures. He left it up to us as to how much hiking we did. Besides doing Arches tours Darren does river raft trips and jeep tours as well. Highly recommend him and his company.
What are you waiting for? Call today (800) 567-6745 OR (970) 247-4789
Payments & Cancellations
Payment Options
- Pay in full.
- 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
We conform to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad cancellation policy. Train ticket refunds/cancellations are subject to a fee cancelled 5 days before your reserved date. There are no refunds issued on reservations cancelled less than 5 days before your reserved date.
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.
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
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