The best thing about running rivers in Colorado is the wide variety of difficulty levels you have to choose from. It’s what makes Coloroado the premier rafting destination in the United States. White water rafting in Colorado has something for everyone, from 4 year old children to the experienced whitewater enthusiast.

When choosing a raft trip you should always keep in mind the ability of every member of your group. It is a good idea to choose an adventure that is geared toward the person with the lowest ability level. Remember, every river adventure is fun; even the mellowest experience. Rafting rivers is more than just crazy whitewater and extreme excitement. It is the total experience that creates the memories of a life time. A positive Colorado white water rafting experience is not only excitement but also includes, wildlife, beautiful views, rich history from knowledgeable guides, and most of all enjoying a comfortable experience with friends and family. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not take into consideration the “perfect whitewater rafting adventure” millions of years ago when she formed the rivers of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Keeping this in mind, it might be necessary to adjust your expectations to accommodate everyone’s comfort levels.

Because difficulty levels for Colorado white water rafting adventures can vary depending on water levels and weather conditions, you will sometimes have two different ratings for the same adventure. The rating will often increase (get more difficult) early season during peak water flows do to high water levels and cooler water and weather conditions. High water season can be the best time to raft if you are looking for high adventure. Remember to consider the groups comfort levels when deciding on a difficulty level for your adventure. High water season in Colorado is typically early to mid June, peaking around the summer solstice (mid June). This can differ depending on weather and snowpack. For more detailed information about snowpack, water levels and weather conditions contact a professional river outfitter. You can also look up snowpack and stream flows on the USGS web sites.

Minimum ages are also available to help you find your comfort level. Most outfitters offer minimum ages recommendations, they are a guide for you to use when making a decision about the adventure you are choosing. Factors that go into minimum ages include, but are not limited to, a person’s height, weight, physical ability, and mental ability and maturity levels. These factors, along with years of experience by an outfitter and taking guests rafting over the years have gone into setting minimum ages. Minimum ages can change depending on water levals and weather conditions. Once again, it is important to check with a professinal outfitter to determine the minimum age for the current conditions.

Professinal river outfitters are a great resourse for information about different rafting experiences. Rafting assoiciations such as the Colorado Rafting Assoiciation is another wonderful resource for rafting information. You can get more information about Colorado Rafting at the following web sites:
ColoradoRaftingAssoiciation.com
RaftingColorado.com
GoodTimesrafting.com
These web sites offer alot of helpful information about rafting throughout the state of Colorado.