arkansas river tours - day tours

245ronaldm

I am back in Harare, but I cannot help but remember the allure and splendor of Arkansas River! That was my first whitewater rafting experience! My friend, Parker Smith, made all the experience possible! That was one of the beautiful sides of the beauty of the USA!

783teresas

Teresa, thanks for the review. We look forward to hosting your family on another trip this summer.

Harleyz

Paul, thanks for the review as future potential guests and readers of this review should pay attention to your experience. First of all, there absolutely IS a prerequisite for booking a Royal Gorge trip, the most demanding trip we offer especially at high water in June! Individuals need to be prepared for a demanding physical experience and have the utmost respect for the power of the river. Unfortunately, your group did not show the ability needed to go through the actual Royal Gorge according to Zach who is a very experienced guide. You noted Zach’s credibility and readers should read the other reviews for Zach who dominates our positive reviews. It is extremely rare that a situation plays out like this and no one wins. It is stressful for the guide and the outfitter as we hope participants come prepared for this demanding activity so that everyone has a great time.Arkansas River Tours has a safety record second to none with no fatalities in our 40+ years. We plan on keeping this record intact even if we have to make a decision like this in a very rare instance.

X171KLmichaelk

Had a really great time on our tour - my mother booked the trip and from what she said they did a GREAT job of recommending a trip and providing her lots of information. Our guide was Julie who was just phenomenal - extremely knowledgable and not in an overbearing, snobby kind of way - not in the least! She was passionate about teaching/educating AND so patient which is awesome. She was extremely personable and great to talk to throughout the trip. She - and the other staff - clearly just love their jobs, always makes the experience that much better. We just wished it was longer haha... but no problem we'll be back! Ready for the next level, bigger rapids, maybe a longer trip next time :)

ellenp_12

Dylan was our guide, and he really made it fun for the campers and I! He showed us the BigHorn Sheep Dance, and sure enough, as soon as he came up for air, we saw 3 BigHorn Sheep! We were part of the RTLC contingent, and I know everyone on the trip (18 rafts?) had a blast! The guides were all very helpful and caring with the kids; made each one feel special. The guides also had fun with each other on and off the river. You could tell they all respected each other. I would do it again with campers or bring my family.

Even_Stephen

Arkansas River Tours runs a fabulous operation. My wife and I went with them for whitewater rafting in Bighorn Sheep Canyon. I believe that is considered their "junior" tour vs. the more intense Royal Gorge tour. No matter. We had a blast!The tour left on time (a big plus for us) and seemed to have good equipment and an emphasis on safety. Our guide was first-class all the way. The river was fun on its own, but she added to it with stories and commentary about the region. Plus we always felt like she had control of the raft and the situation.To top it off, I felt the price we paid was a bargain. I highly recommend this operation.

Q7133XBjohns

Really enjoyed our "family" float in late august. It was just my son and I and we went during off season, but they still made us feel welcome and appreciated. This is a great trip for a family with small children. It has the youngest age for children that I saw offered on the Arkansas river. You go through some rapids, but they are perfect for little kids as young as 6. Our guide was Chase and he was great. Fun conversation, patient with my little one, and enjoys his job. We will definitely return next summer when my son is a bit older for a 1/2 day trip.

Vasdoc

Took this float today with Bob, our guide. He is organized, pleasant, patient, and artful in his approach to river. He can do four things at once, instructing us in fishing, rowing, checking our indicators, and managing the safety of the river. We felt completely safe. I would strongly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn a challenging stretch if water to fish, in a completely safe manner.

awadem61

This was the best adventure our family has ever had together! Our guide, Zach, was knowledgeable, fun-loving & perfectly accommodating, creating an experience where ALL 7 of our family (with kids 8, 10, 11, 13 & 15 yrs. old) were able to participate & have a blast!

827carlyc

I booked a rafting trip with ART at the last minute and I'm so happy I did. It was an absolutely BLAST and our guide, Zach, made it such a fabulous experience. The whole staff was very professional, knowledgeable and fun! I would definitely recommend ART to anyone looking for an exceptional trip down the Arkansas River!

joannea119

We had a fantastic morning trip, although we did the "family" rated trip. I am disabled, and Bob went out of his way to make the trip work for me, and I am deeply appreciate of that. We plan to go again, and maybe go on a longer trip and make it on the next step up of rapids. Can't say enough great things; it was a fantastic trip!

pushesrb

We recently returned from our vacation to Colorado. We did a Pack Trip, and spent our last two days White Water Rafting with ART. The first day we did a full day raft through the Royal Gorge. The second day, we did a half day trip on the top section. We had Blake on our second day and I must say that he was fantastic! He really did a good job of making our last day in Colorado a great time. Very professional outfit, and I would highly recommend them to anyone wanting to enjoy a day on the rapids.

787alland

Was in the area for USAFA Parents Weekend. Had rafted with ART 20+ years ago when was in my 20's. Decided to go with my 21 year old son and was not disappointed. Our guide was Dylan - he is AWESOME! In the morning we had 3 college students from India and had "exciting" trip in sunshine! (Dylan will know what I mean...) In the afternoon we paddled with a family of 3 that had rafting experience. Dylan really took us on a thrilling adventure - SURFING BABY! Dylan was the bomb on both trips down the Royal Gorge. We will be back and will ALWAYS use Arkansas River Tours!

Susan5619

Our July rafting trip with ART was the third time we have used this company over many years and the quality of rafting guides has remained consistent, as well as the ease of booking the tour. We did the half-day Bighorn Sheep Canyon trip with Mike as our guide. He gave us great instructions and commands that allowed us to be active participants in the trip. Fun Class 3 & 4 rapids on the Arkansas River. The new office outside of Canon City was only an hours drive from the Colorado Springs area, so it was more convenient for us than the original base at Cotopaxi; a nice addition.

christinesF829ML

This was our first rafting trip... and everyone agreed it was great..and they want to do it again. (that happens rarely in our family) I was the big scardy cat, but the rapids look crazier when you are driving by in a car then in the raft. We hit some nice class 3 and I wanted more and rougher rapids. Our guide Blake was amazing, as well as the owners Bob & Marsha. Professional, Friendly, Put us all at ease...a great operation! Thank you for a great family trip...now if I could just get the kids to get along for the car ride there and back.