15 Canon City Rafting Tours Worth Flying For

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

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

Spend about three hours rafting the Arkansas River through Royal Gorge country near Cañon City. A professional guide steers you through Class III to IV rapids while you take in towering canyon walls. Wetsuits, splash jackets, river shoes, transport, and safety gear are included.

“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

Meet Lost Paddle Rafting in Cañon City, gear up, and spend about three hours on the Arkansas River beneath Royal Gorge Bridge. Guides such as Johnny, Tyler, Will, Chip, and Chris handle safety and paddling instruction while you tackle rapids, watch for wildlife, and may jump from a riverside rock.

“Best. Rafting trip. Ever! I've been whitewater rafting on the Arkansas easily half a dozen times., but I went into this trip thinking it might be my last. After this trip, I'm already planning another within the next few weeks. Lost Paddle is a great company! I had THE best time on the river on Friday, May 16. Great time of year to go down the river! The snowmelt raised the water level, the rapids were a blast, the weather was perfect, our guide was amazing, and the half day trip was PERFECT! I'll be joining the Lost Paddle group again SOON for another trip!”

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3.Bighorn Sheep Canyon Half-Day Rafting

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

Spend about three hours rafting 10 miles through Bighorn Sheep Canyon with guides such as Gigi, Taylor, Sierra, or Hunter. Expect Class II rapids, calm pools for swimming, high desert scenery, and a welcoming first-time experience for adults and children age six and up.

“It was our first time rafting we were 13 in group youngest 17 and oldest 78. It was so much fun and the guide Taylor was excellent he made everyone felt comfortable . I must say lost paddle is the very reliable small family company with best service. Will definately recommend my friends and family and will definitely come back. Lost paddle rafting was the highlighted activity and fun of our trip. Such a memorable moment. Thank you Taylor.... 😊”

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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 spend about three hours rafting the Arkansas River through Royal Gorge, with Class III and IV rapids, free wetsuit and river gear, transport, a professional guide, kayak support, and a private photographer. Guides such as Zulu and Joaquin are noted for calm, safety-focused leadership.

“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.Family Friendly Rafting near Colorado Springs

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

Meet Arkansas River Tours in Cañon City for a guided 2 to 2.5-hour Arkansas River run. You will receive a helmet, life vest, splash jacket, and wetsuit if needed, then ride moderate rapids with a guide such as Austin. No rafting experience is required.

“The guide was great. The water awesome. It was 1st class all the way, from our stepping into the office and being greeted like we were friends, to the river team, and all. Thanks a ton (of fun).”

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6.Professionally Guided High Adventure Rafting Trip – Royal Gorge

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

Paddle about 10 miles through Colorado’s Royal Gorge on a 3 to 4 hour guided rafting trip. You’ll get a safety briefing, wetsuit, helmet, and splash jacket, then work with your boat crew through demanding rapids. Guides such as Sam, Ethan, Kyle, and Kristina have earned strong praise for safety and spirit.

“Our guide, Ethan Marsh was an amazing guide who taught us how to work together to safely get through the level 3-4 rapids. No one bounced out and yet we enjoyed exciting rapids. Ethan was cheerful and provided history about the river and its surrounding areas along the way. The route included more rapids than many of the area rafting companies. We would return.”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $98Best value

Join Journey Quest on a roughly three-hour Arkansas River trip through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Guides such as Steve, Elijah, Mark, and Ella teach first-timers to handle class II and III rapids, with swimming at Double-Dip and possible bighorn sheep sightings.

“Great staff, very informative & beautiful experience. We want to come back in July for an in season experience.”

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8.Royal Gorge Full-Day Rafting Trip

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

Meet Lost Paddle Rafting in Cañon City for a six-hour Arkansas River trip. Your guide, possibly Tyler or another member of the small team, leads you through class II and III water in Bighorn Sheep Canyon before the class IV+ Royal Gorge. Lunch is included, but bring strapped water shoes and expect to get wet.

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

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

Raft the Arkansas River near Cañon City with Journey Quest guide Mark and a trained crew. This three-hour trip tackles Class III, IV, and V rapids such as Sunshine Falls and Sledgehammer. Families are welcome, but you need strong fitness, strong swimming skills, and previous Class III rafting experience.

“Mark, our tour guide/raft captain was the absolute best. Our safety was his #1 concern. He was fun and personable. One of the highlights of our vacation.”

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

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

Spend about six and a half hours rafting the Arkansas River from Bighorn Sheep Canyon through Royal Gorge. Guides such as Luke and Mark lead the run, with lunch, transport, helmets, PFDs, splash jackets, and free wetsuit rental included. Strong swimming skills and Class III+ 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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11.Full-Day Bighorn Sheep Canyon Rafting Adventure Cañon City CO

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

Meet Journey Quest in Cañon City at 9:00 am for a six-and-a-half-hour Arkansas River trip through Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Your guide handles the rapids while you watch for sheep and waterfowl, swim, jump at Double-Dip, eat lunch, and enjoy a Christ-centered outing.

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

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12.Royal Gorge Half-Day Whitewater Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 10 reviews · 3 hours

Raft 10 miles through the Royal Gorge on a demanding three-hour run featuring Sunshine Falls, Sledgehammer, The Narrows, and the Royal Gorge Arch. Your English-speaking guide handles the river and safety briefing, while wetsuits, booties, splash tops, transport, and a support kayaker are included.

“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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13.Family Float Rafting With Lunch, Photo & Wetsuit

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 9 reviews · from $109

Float six miles down the Arkansas River near Cañon City with guides such as Leland and Mattie, using supplied wetsuits, river shoes, splash jackets, and life jackets. Expect mild rapids, wildlife, a BBQ lunch, and up to 20 downloadable photos.

“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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14.Royal Gorge Rafting with Wetsuit, Lunch & Photos

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

Raft the Arkansas River through Colorado’s 1,100-foot Royal Gorge on a four-hour trip from Cañon City. Raft Masters supplies wetsuits, river shoes, splash jackets, helmets, lunch, and a digital action photo. Expect 6 to 8 people per raft, steep drops, and major rapids.

“Experience overall was okay. We had a group of 7 and were assured we would all be on same raft. That did not happen upon arrival. Was given some excuse of water levels. However, other rafting companies we saw on water route had groups of 7. So we felt we were misled in order to gain sale. Wetsuits were not provided nore was lunch. A digital photo (singular) was provided at the end of excursion. The remainder photos and video could be purchased for $99+tax.”

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15.Half-Day Royal Gorge Adventurous Rafting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 3h 30m · from $149

Join Arkansas River Tours for a 210-minute Royal Gorge rafting trip from Cañon City. Guide Austin has earned strong praise, and you’ll tackle class 3, 4, and 5 rapids, swim in the Arkansas River, and pass beneath the Royal Gorge Bridge.

“Awesome!!! It was our 1st white water rafting trip for our whole family. We wished it had been longer!!”

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