Aspen Whitewater Rafting
Many people feel that Aspen is Colorado’s most beautiful mountain town. A popular ski destination in the Rockies, Aspen, Colorado is also known for dining, nightlife, art galleries, shopping and for its rich and famous residents. Aspen, Colorado is also home to the spectacular Maroon Bells, one of the most picturesque and most photographed mountain ranges in the world
In addition to skiing, Aspen, Colorado offers a wealth of warm-weather outdoor activities. And when it comes to outdoor adventures in and around Aspen, white water rafting is one of the best, most exciting and most fun adventures of all!
Aspen Whitewater Rafting Options
Highside Adventures Tours offers a number of Aspen white water rafting options. Our closest Aspen rafting offering is a variety of trips down the Arkansas River. White water rafting the Arkansas River can be the whitewater adventure of a lifetime or a relaxing, scenic river trip. Our Aspen whitewater rafting trips can accommodate all ages, all skill levels and all preferences, from a calm and relaxing beginner trip to exhilarating and challenging whitewater rapids.
Our Aspen rafting options include half-day trips, full-day trips and multi-day options that include riverside camping for those interested in an extended river vacation. The Arkansas River is the most popular commercially run river in the United States — and for good reason! Click to learn more about our Arkansas River Rafting Trips.
Getting There — Arkansas River/Buena Vista
From Aspen, rafting clients for Arkansas River trips meet at our Buena Vista Basecamp. A gorgeous 1.5-hour drive from Aspen, the ride takes you over Independence Pass, one of the highest paved passes in North America, and includes some amazing scenery along the way. The drive showcases the Collegiate Peaks, which is the largest collection of 14,000-foot mountains ("fourteeners") in the continental U.S. and one of the top 10 prettiest drives in America.
Unlike other rafting companies who charge exorbitant fees for transporting you to the river, we encourage you to drive there on your own, not only saving you money, but enabling you to take your time to thoroughly enjoy the ride. Make this incredibly scenic drive a part of your Aspen rafting adventure.
From Aspen to our Buena Vista Basecamp, take CO-82 east over Independence Pass. Take a right onto Hwy 24, and head east toward Buena Vista. We’re located two miles north of Buena Vista on the right hand side of Hwy 24. You can also view directions and a map showing how to find us in Buena Vista, Colorado.
Following your Aspen rafting adventure, you may want to explore all Buena Vista and its surroundings have to offer. Quite different from the Aspen experience, Buena Vista (B.V. to the locals) is rustic and largely undeveloped with nothing glitzy or fancy about it. However, like Aspen, the surroundings are beautiful (Buena Vista means "beautiful view" in Spanish.) And don’t miss a soak in Cottonwood Hot Springs or Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, both just minutes outside town.
Other Rafting Choices from Aspen Colorado
The Arkansas River is not your only option for Aspen rafting. Your choices also include:
The Colorado River — This Aspen rafting trip meets at our Breckenridge Basecamp, which is approximately 2.25 hours from Aspen. Together, we drive roughly an hour to our river put-in at the head of a scenic, remote canyon.
The Colorado River is one of the classic rivers in the United States. Starting high in the Colorado Rockies, and eventually flowing through the Grand Canyon, the Colorado is the setting for great mountain and canyon scenery, natural hot springs, old pioneer cabins and more. A great family float trip, the Colorado River Experience is perfect for beginners.
- The Blue River -— Blue River rafting trips also meet in Breckenridge, but the river is only 20 minutes away. The Blue River is Summit County’s only whitewater river and one of the few opportunities for high country river rafting in the state. Exquisitely scenic, our Blue River rafting trip boasts gorgeous views of some of the highest peaks in Colorado, including the mountains of the stunning Gore Range.
- Clear Creek — This trip starts in the historic mining town of Idaho Springs, about 3 hours from Aspen, but only 45 minutes from Denver; it’s a great option for an end-of-trip adventure on your way down from Aspen to Denver. Raft before you head home or on your first day in Colorado. Full-day and half-day trips are offered as well as some terrific combination trips: try rafting combined with mine exploration or rafting combined with a soak in Idaho Springs' famous healing mineral springs.
Idaho Springs is a historic mountain town with a charming main street, shops and restaurants, the Indian Springs hot mineral springs resort, Mount Evans, abundant wildlife and the Argo Gold Mine & Mill. In fact, our office is right inside the Argo Mine building, so it's easy to make a town tour part of your adventure.
