Where to Book Canon City Rafting Tours: the 15 Best

1.Royal Gorge Half Day Rafting in Cañon City (Free Wetsuit Use)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 464 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $162 a head Our pick

Meet Echo Canyon River Expeditions in Cañon City for a roughly three-hour Arkansas River trip through the Royal Gorge area. Your professional guide handles the route while you paddle Class III to IV rapids, take in canyon walls, and use included safety gear, wetsuits, splash jackets, and river shoes. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“Ramsey was a great guide.. for first time it was a great adventure! Very knowledgeable of area history. A wonderful experience for our bucket list.”

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2.Royal Gorge Half-Day Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 328 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $132 a head

Raft beneath the Royal Gorge Bridge on a roughly three-hour Arkansas River trip with Lost Paddle Rafting. Guides such as Johnny, Tyler, Will, and Chris teach paddling, handle the rapids, and share local facts. Bring secure sandals, expect to get soaked, and consider the $10 wetsuit rental in cool weather.

“Tyler was amazing! Rafting down the river was an exciting time and great teamwork! Would do this again but try a little more difficult trip! Thanks! Would recommend Lost Paddle and Tyler!”

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3.Bighorn Sheep Canyon Half-Day Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 317 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $116 a head

Raft 10 miles of the Arkansas River through Bighorn Sheep Canyon with a professional guide such as Gigi, Taylor, Sierra, or Hunter. Expect Class II rapids, calm pools, high-desert scenery, possible bighorn sheep sightings, and a swim stop. No experience is needed, and children age six and older may join.

“This trip was so much fun. Our guide Sierra was awesome and kept us safe and taught us a lot in the process. Everyone in our group enjoyed and walked away wanting to do it again with more higher tiered rapids!!!”

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4.Royal Gorge Rafting Half Day Tour (FREE wetsuit use!) – Class IV Extreme fun!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 296 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

You’ll raft the Arkansas River through Colorado’s Royal Gorge for about three hours, tackling Class III, IV, and possibly V rapids with a professional guide. Free river gear and wetsuit use keep costs in check, while kayak support, a private photographer, and an after-trip slideshow add useful extras. Choose a morning or afternoon departure in a group of no more than six.

“Our guide was amazing. His name was Zulu. He was fun and new all the history of the gorge. This was my second time. We will be back next year and I want Zulu to be our guide again. John was our photographer And he got some amazing pictures for us. I bought the package.”

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5.Bighorn Sheep Canyon Raft and Zipline – Class III Rapids, 9 Zip Lines, & lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 228 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Spend about seven hours rafting Class III rapids in Bighorn Sheep Canyon, then ride nine zip lines across the Royal Gorge plateau. A guide leads both activities, transport between them is included, and the final zip line is a dual race. Bring suitable clothing, a moderate fitness level, and a sense of adventure.

“Very exciting experience and memorable. The crew was excellent and the weather was good too. I will recommend this to my friends as a way to remember Colorado.”

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6.Family Friendly Rafting near Colorado Springs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $149 a head

Meet Arkansas River Tours in Cañon City for a safety briefing, full rafting gear, and a 25 to 30 minute ride to the river. You’ll spend about two hours on moderate whitewater with a professional guide, possible bighorn sheep sightings, and broad Colorado scenery. It suits families with children age 8 and older.

“My family and I had a great time rafting with Arkansas River Tours. Austin was our guide and he was great. He kept us safe and made sure we had a fun time on the river. I would recommend this company to anyone looking to go rafting!”

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7.Professionally Guided High Adventure Rafting Trip – Royal Gorge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $149 a head

Paddle about 10 miles through Colorado’s Royal Gorge with Arkansas River Tours. Your guide supplies safety training, a raft, helmet, life jacket, wetsuit, splash jacket, and shuttle rides. Expect hard paddling, major rapids, a short break beneath the Royal Gorge Bridge, and roughly three to four hours on the water.

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8.Half Day Bighorn Sheep Canyon Rafting Adventure Cañon City CO

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $98 a head Cheapest seat

Paddle the Arkansas River through Bighorn Sheep Canyon on a three-hour Journey Quest trip from Cañon City. Your guide handles the river while you tackle Three Rocks, Spikebuck, and Shark’s Tooth, watch for bighorn sheep, and may swim or jump at Double-Dip. Safety gear, river transport, and a small group are included.

“Our guides were amazing and I loved that they prayed before we started. We were in Colorado Springs for a week and this trip was our favorite part!!!!”

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9.Royal Gorge Full-Day Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 87 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $199 a head

Meet Lost Paddle Rafting in Cañon City at 9 a.m. for a six-hour Arkansas River trip. You’ll warm up on class II and III rapids, eat a riverside picnic, then tackle class IV+ Royal Gorge water with a professional guide. Tyler is one named guide associated with the trip. Bring secure water shoes, sunscreen, and quick-drying clothes.

“The entire staff with lost paddle rafting, was amazing. Our guide, Tyler, was so great. The whole team gave us an amazing adventure , I would do it again in a heartbeat. I recommend anybody use this company, over the big companies. They gave you the small family touch.”

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10.Half-Day Royal Gorge Whitewater Rafting Adventure Cañon City CO

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $119 a head

You’ll raft the Arkansas River near Cañon City through demanding Class III, IV, and V rapids with Journey Quest. Guides such as Mark combine careful boat handling, safety instruction, and stories about the Royal Gorge, railroad, and bridge. The half-day trip includes a PFD, helmet, splash jacket, guide, and transport, but suits experienced rafters best.

“This rafting experience was fabulous! Mark, our guide was so helpful and responsible and extremely tolerant, patient and engaging. We have been raving about the half day trip since we drove out of the parking lot. Good history about the river, the rail system and the bridge.”

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11.Full Day Royal Gorge Whitewater Rafting Adventure Cañon City CO

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $189 a head

Spend about six and a half hours rafting the Arkansas River from Bighorn Sheep Canyon into Royal Gorge. Journey Quest guides you through rapids such as Sunshine Falls and Sledgehammer, with lunch, transport, safety gear, and full-day wetsuit rental included. Strong swimming skills and prior Class III or higher rafting experience are recommended.

“Our trip was Epic! Luke was a terrific guide and very knowledgeable about the History of the Royal Gorge and how to navigate the rapids. I was cold during the morning half of trip and at lunch Luke called in for a dry jacket and a fleece to add warmth. I had no idea that Journey Quest was part of a Christian Wilderness Ministry when I booked, but there really isn’t any religious components to the trip except for a quick safety prayer at the beginning of the trip- which I think was an added bonus. Luke kept us safe- and it was an beautiful adventure!”

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12.Full-Day Bighorn Sheep Canyon Rafting Adventure Cañon City CO

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $169 a head

Spend about six and a half hours rafting Bighorn Sheep Canyon on the Arkansas River with Journey Quest. You’ll tackle Three Rocks, Spikebuck, and Shark’s Tooth, watch for bighorn sheep, eat lunch riverside, swim, and try the Double-Dip rock jump. Nathaniel is one guide praised for his enthusiasm.

“Great experience! Easy booking and Nathaniel was an excellent guide! He enjoyed rafting as much as we did! Thank you!”

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13.Cañon City: Royal Gorge Half-Day Whitewater Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 10 reviews · 3 hours · from $143 a head

Take a 10-mile, three-hour run through the Royal Gorge with a licensed guide and support kayaker. You’ll face Sunshine Falls, Sledgehammer, The Narrows, and the Royal Gorge Arch. Guides including V, Marcus, Berto, and Garrett have earned praise for strong river skills and clear instruction.

“We had a wonderful experience! “V” was amazing!! She is a master rafter and made our trip amazing. We will definitely raft next summer with our son, and we will definitely ask for V! The company rafts as a team, so you never feel alone or unsafe on the river.”

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14.Cañon City: Family Float Rafting With Lunch, Photo & Wetsuit

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 9 reviews · from $109 a head

You’ll float six miles of the Arkansas River near Cañon City with guides such as Mattie and Leland leading the way. Expect gentle rapids, wildlife, river stories, provided wetsuits and boots, a BBQ meal, and up to 20 downloadable photos. It’s a good first rafting trip for families, but not for non-swimmers or children under 2.

“Mattie was a great guide and was great with the kids. We felt safe and had a relaxing ride down the river. We would have liked a little more "white water" action but we will do that the next time. We saw some beautiful cranes along the river and one in flight. That was special! Some cows were wading at one spot and we got a chance to do a little swimming in a shallow pool. Thanks, we will be back the next time we come to Colorado!”

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15.Cañon City: Royal Gorge Rafting with Wetsuit, Lunch & Photos

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 7 reviews · 4 hours · from $157 a head

Join Raft Masters in Cañon City for 2.25 hours on the Arkansas River, including Sunshine Falls, Sledge Hammer, and Boat Eater. Your guide handles the safety briefing and paddle instruction, while the package includes river transport, life jacket, helmet, wetsuit, river boots, splash jacket, BBQ lunch, and one digital photo.

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