Difference Between Oar & Paddle Boat

There are two main types of Colorado river rafting boats used on the rivers here in Colorado. A paddle boat is controlled by the crew as your guide calls out commands. The crew maneuvers the raft down river. Crew participation in the rapids is elemental.

If you prefer to hold on and relax, the oar boat raft is for you. Only the guide does the main work in a oar boat.

All oar boats will have paddles on them so guests and children may participate if they choose to while the guide controls the raft with his/her oars. These rafting trips are most popular amongst families or older riders.

Breckenridge Rafting Video

Here is a great video showing the wet wild fun Breckenridge rafting trips have to offer.

Breckenridge River Rafting

When most people think about Breckenridge, Colorado, they think skiing. But Breckenridge has so much more to offer visitors. There’s great biking, hiking, horseback riding and fly fishing, plus year-round shopping and dining along Breckenridge’s charming Victorian Main Street. But perhaps the most fun warm weather activity available is Breckenridge rafting.

Breckenridge Rafting Options

From Breckenridge, rafting is close, convenient, fun and one of the best ways to experience the Rocky Mountains. There are four fabulous rivers to raft close to Breckenridge, all of which offer half-day and full-day rafting trips, as well as choices that are appropriate for beginners, intermediate rafters and expert whitewater enthusiasts. Highside Adventure Tours offers the following Breckenridge rafting choices:

• Blue River — The most convenient rafting trip begins in Breckenridge. The Blue River is Summit County’s only whitewater river and one of the few opportunities for high country river rafting in the state. Exquisitely scenic, our Blue River Rafting trip boasts gorgeous views of some of the highest peaks in Colorado, including the stunning Gore Range. This is a great Breckenridge rafting trip for a half day adventure.
  
• Clear Creek — Clear Creek is the next most convenient choice for Breckenridge rafting. This trip starts out about 50 minutes east of Breckenridge in the historic mining town of Idaho Springs and offers full and half-day rafting trips for all ages and all levels. This trip includes all of your rafting options, including some fun such as half day rafting followed by a tour of an historic mine, a half day raft trip followed by a relaxing soak in the natural hot springs of the Indian Springs resort, or a half day Vail Pass bike ride followed by a river run.
  
• The Colorado River — This Breckenridge rafting adventure meets at our Breckenridge Basecamp. On this trip, rafting companies drive roughly an hour to our remote canyon put-in. The Colorado River is one of the classic rivers in the United States. Starting high in the Colorado Rockies, and eventually flowing through the Grand Canyon, the Colorado is the setting for some great mountain and canyon scenery, natural hot springs, old pioneer cabins, wildlife viewings and more.
• Arkansas River — This Breckenridge rafting trip starts about 1.25 hours south of Breckenridge in Buena Vista, Colorado. Buena Vista means “beautiful view” in Spanish, and they’re not kidding! The 14,000 foot Collegiate Peaks and the Arkansas River valley are simply beautiful. Along with the thrill of rafting the most popular commercial river in the U.S., the surroundings help make the trip even more worthwhile. Buena Vista is a town worth visiting as well, not to mention the two fabulous hot springs right outside of town.

FAQ for Blue River Rafting

The Blue river 1/2 day trip offers class 3 whitewater through beautiful alpine scenery. The season is from late May through early July ( varies slightly from year to year ). All of our Breckenridge rafting trips depart from our Frisco office.

Can I bring my child on this trip?
Recommended minimum age is 7 years old and 50 lbs. The minimum age may be adjusted upward at higher flows and downward at lower flows.

Are there many injuries?
In any outdoor adventure activity involving risk and inherent dangers there is always the possibility of injury. We take many precautions to minimize the risk, resulting in very few minor injuries each season. There is a low potential for injury on our mild to moderate trips. The potential for injury would increase with the level of difficulty of the trip. We give a very informative river orientation/safety talk prior to each trip that familiarizes the guests with some of the potential risks.

What should I Bring/Wear?
Wear comfortable, quick drying clothing ( swimsuit, shorts), and protective footgear ( sneakers that you don't mind getting wet ).We also recommend sunglasses, hat, sunscreen and a fleece or capilene on cooler days. We have wetsuits, booties, and whitewater splash jackets available for rent. Dry storage bags are provided for small items, such as sunscreen, and sweaters. We recommend bringing a dry change of clothes for after the trip.

When and where do we meet?
All of our Breckenridge rafting trips will meet 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time at our office in Frisco.

Once you have arrived at the office that your trip departs from, Performance Tours will provide all shuttles. We have ample parking at all of our offices.

Need to know more? What about lifejackets, lunches, equipment you can bring and equipment you'll need? Our FAQ page has all the answers you need.

For more information about Breckenridge rafting or about Blue River, check out their website: www.performancetours.com

When Is The Best Time to Go River Rafting

We get asked quite frquentely, "when is the best time to go river rafting" and the answer to the question really depends on what kind of Colorado river rafting trip you are looking to go on.

Most river rafting trips run from early April to mid September and we consider these months to be the best. Typically April and early May water levels are lower and begin to rise into the middle of May.

As the water gets higher in volume typically from late May through June and into July the water gets swifter and rapids become larger creating some of the best whitewater in the world. In late July through August & September the air temperatures rise and the water slowly drops in volume usually ending its run off in the middle of September. All of these months provide an excellent opportunity to get into world class whitewater combined with some of the most amazing scenery seen on any river trip!

In the rare event that sections become un-runnable we will switch the location of the trip to a comparable section of whitewater. Earlier summer months tend to be in the 70s to 80s with occasional and often refreshing rain showers and later summer months can reach into the high 90s and are typically drier months.

So you can see it really depends what you are looking for in your river rafting trip. If you are looking for a nice calm ride with warmer temperatures the best time to go for you would be in August. If you don't care about weather you just want the wildest ride you can get, then we would say to go rafting late May or early June.

Whitewater Rafting in Durango

Whitewater rafting in Durango is a great place to river raft! Whether its your first time or you've gone more than a hand full, Durango, CO offers great river conditions for everyone. Here are some of the places you can river raft in Durango:

Lower Animas River
A perfect Durango activity thats fun for the whole family. The Lower Animas offers fun and easy rapids all Summer - unless you arrive during peak runoff. In that case be prepared for plenty of excitement!

Upper Animas
No other river in Colorado comes close to the scenery, remoteness and challenges of the Upper Animas River. We offer trips for intermediate to expert rafters and kayakers. Be careful, our fully stocked riverside camp and hiking options in this roadless wilderness might just lure you to opt for the two or three day trip!

If you've never been on a Colorado river rafting trip, here are some tips to help you be prepared for your fun day:

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

• Swimsuit or quick-dry clothing.
• Water bottle (optional).
• Shoes or sandals that can get wet (no flip flops please).
• Sunscreen and sunglasses with strap.
• Sleeping bag for overnight trip.

WHAT IS PROVIDED?

• Self-bailing boats, paddles, life jackets.
• Splash jacket and/or wetsuit as needed.
• River shoes on full day or longer trips.
• Helmet as needed.
• Drinking water.
• Meals on half day or longer trips.
• Free parking and transportation.
• Tent and pad on overnight trips.
• Full paddling suits available on expert trips for your safety and comfort!

DO I NEED A RESERVATION?

• Yes for half day or longer trips (25% deposit).

SHOULD I TIP MY GUIDE?

• Tips are encouraged (5 to 15% is common).

Here's a recommended Durango Rafting Company

Colorado River Rafting

Its funny to think that such an amazing recreational activity such as river rafting was first invented and used for military purposes. Now i'm sure there was someone before the British sailing company who sad on a log and rode down a river and enjoyed the splashes of water to the face, the intense current from the rapids and the uncertainty of getting down alive. The first actual "rubber river raft" was invented in the 19th century however.

Colorado river rafting has been enjoyed since the states inception to the union. With amazing rivers, views and now rafting companies, Colorado is one of the top places to go whitewater rafting in the country. If you have not had the chance to go down a raging river in a rubber tube with 7 other screaming friends, I would definitely put it on your things to do this summer!

There are plenty of places to go rafting in Colorado. The Breckenridge rafting area, the Royal Gorge rafting area, Estes Park and Durango are a few popular places to go. There are plenty of rafting websites out there to help you get informed on when, where and with who to go with.