Half-Day Arkansas River - Browns Canyon Rafting Trip: Local Guide and Included Boating Equipment

Enjoy three hours spent in the clear, sparkling waters as they rush through the Granite Gorge. This half-day journey is guided by a local expert and we include all the necessary boating equipment like rain suits, drinking water, and a personal life vest.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Arkansas River - This is a 12 mile stretch of the Arkansas River which is fully guided by Dvorak Expeditions. Transportation to and from the river is provided by DVK. All trips meet at the main base.
What's Included
  • Boating equipment
  • Professional guide
What's Not Included
  • The listed price does not include a $2 per person administration surcharge and a$5.60 River Usage Fee, payable at the time of tour check-in. The River Usage Fee is required by our local River Authority and is not within our control.
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Gratuities
Location
17921 US Hwy 285
US Highway 285
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(37 Ratings)
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Michelecm5669ng
Aug 5, 2025
Great experience - Guide was fun and knowledgeable. One person fell out of the boat and the guide had her back in the boat in minutes! My first time to go water rafting. I would go again. Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaybr1657dn
Jul 22, 2025
- Matt was a great guide with knowledge of the Arkansas River and surrounding area. The trip was beautiful, exciting, and lots of fun! I highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mwhite1223
Jul 19, 2025
Great family fun! - We had a family of 6, the youngest was 16. It was such a fun day with our guide Matt. We weren’t sure what to expect so we were very happy with the experience. It was great for me personally as I had never done this before. Do it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ahappyvillage
Jul 6, 2025
Great outfitter for an all ages tour - Writing a review after returning home is my way of savoring the memories of an amazing adventure. This was our third white water rafting trip, but our first trip in Colorado. What we now know is that the guide is what makes a rafting trip successful. Josh from Browns Canyon Rafting tailored our private trip with 8 family members ranging from ages 9 to 80 so that we had the best experience possible. Due to the age range, we were unable to do "The Numbers", but that leaves us something to do the next time. We chose to do the 1/2 day rafting trip. Every step of the trip was easy and the staffers making the reservation were prompt, courteous, and well informed. We started the process 6 months before we arrived and I had forgotten all the details but the staff had no problem with resending it all to me with a smile. I try not to be high maintenance, but I do like things to be nice and clean. The changing rooms, the bathrooms, and all the rental equipment were clean and top notch. (We like to travel with carry-on only bags, so it was a definite bonus that the booties, wetsuits, and splash tops were included in our booking fee.) The store selection post rafting was also very good and you could grab a cold beer after the exertions. The raft itself was an upgrade from what we had used before. The rules/training checklist was very thorough and we had to use our training to pull someone back into the raft! Then, we also were given an opportunity to jump into the river and I was able to pull someone back into the raft. My confidence in going on a more difficult trip is now boosted. There's the textbook learning and the reality. The children had a blast. Josh saw that we were really interested in the river and gave us some science lessons and kept us delighted with jokes and stories about the rock formations and the local area. The hours on the river really flew by. My husband and son are very interested in returning for the overnight rafting trip. I would very much like to "run" the numbers. We wove together a campfire story that evening that included Josh, Sam, the rock formations, the class 4 rapids, the Ruby mountains, and a magic otter that caught fish twice his size. This adventure is now part of our family lore. Thank you, Browns Canyon Rafting, for making our trip to Colorado extra wonderful. You all love what you do and it shows. See you again in the future!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hadam1
Jun 11, 2025
Exhilarating Experience / Personalized Attention - My boyfriend and I had SO much fun rafting with Dvorak Expeditions and Justin as our guide. We received personalized attention, so we felt secure on class III and IV rapids. Justin grew up on the river, so he knows it like the back of his hand. How fortunate we were to have him as our guide. He told us a lot about the canyon and the history of the area. You can't go wrong with Dvorak!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorenh68
Jun 3, 2025
Thrilling Adventure - Being Floridians and not knowing what to expect on this experience was scary and exciting all at the same time. We checked in to a very friendly staff who assured us everything will be just fine. When we arrived at the river, Sarah our very experienced raft guide did an amazing job! She explained everything we were going to experience and told us when to paddle and when not too. My family and I are very grateful for this experience as we felt safe under her guidance. I definitely recommend this excursion to anyone which we truly had a great time and enjoyed all the beautiful sceneries. Sarah was very knowledgeable and explain everything we were seeing along the way which made it more interesting. Don’t let the weather scare you. It was 40 degrees water, but with a wet suit you felt very comfortable. I know it doesn’t seem true, but take it from a Floridian who can’t get into 85 degrees water quick. Don’t delay and book your amazing adventure, you will not regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daniel_s
Sep 8, 2024
Amazing staff and guides! - Friendly and respectful people, much thanks to their generosity and kindness. I would love it even more when the water is high lol
Review provided by Viator
Juliejy9504ki
Jul 22, 2024
A wonderful first rafting trip. - We had a wonderful first time rafting experience with our guide Nate. Just enough adventure for my mom who is 66 to enjoy. The river is gorgeous.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Billlv9485rv
Jul 6, 2024
Fun day on the water - Great half day raft trip with family. Beautiful scenery and really fun rapids. Nate was a great guide and very informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ahz00001
Jul 6, 2024
great rafting trip - We enjoyed our family rafting trip on Browns Canyon half day trip. Thank you, Ania and Nate! It was safe (despite high water volume) and exciting. My oldest teenger smiled, which doesn't happen everyday. Nate had some interesting facts to share, though he could have said them louder for people in the back to hear. We saw bighorn sheep. We payed a group rate, but we got a private rafting experience because there were no other groups at this time. I would do this again again, maybe the full day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor