What Kinds of Trips Does Arkansas River Tours Offer?
Updated
Arkansas River Tours runs whitewater rafting trips on the Arkansas River and Clear Creek, plus fly fishing trips, out of two Colorado outposts — one in Cañon City and one in Cotopaxi. The company describes itself as serving the Denver and Colorado Springs areas and says it has operated since 1973. If you're planning a Colorado trip and want to know whether its options fit your group, the short answer is: it covers family-friendly rafting, whitewater rafting, and fly fishing, but the site does not publish trip-level prices or difficulty ratings in the material available here, so you'll need to confirm those directly.
Whitewater rafting on two rivers
The core offering is guided whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River and Clear Creek. These are different settings:
- Arkansas River — the longer, more established rafting corridor the company is named for, with trips launching from its Cañon City and Cotopaxi outposts.
- Clear Creek — a separate nearby stream the company also runs trips on, listed alongside the Arkansas in its trip lineup.
The site's headline frames this as "the best whitewater rafting in Colorado," and its positioning emphasizes proximity to Denver and Colorado Springs. What the available page material does not specify is individual trip names, class/difficulty levels, trip lengths, or minimum ages — so treat the river names as the reliable part and verify specifics when you book.
Fly fishing trips
Beyond rafting, the company offers fly fishing trips. This matters if your group is mixed: some people may want whitewater and others may prefer a quieter day on the water. The site does not detail fly fishing locations, gear provided, or guide ratios in the material available, so ask about those when you inquire.
Two outposts and who this suits
The company operates from a Cañon City Outpost and a Cotopaxi Outpost, which gives you a choice of starting points depending on where you're staying. Its stated track record — "Trusted by 325K+ GUESTS" and "Setting the standard since 1973" — is a longevity and volume claim rather than a quality guarantee, but it does indicate an established operation rather than a new outfitter.
The site also publishes family-oriented content, including a post titled "4 Best Family Getaways in Colorado for All Ages," which signals that family groups are part of the intended audience.
Is it a fit for your trip?
| If you want… | This operator likely fits | Confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|
| Guided whitewater rafting near Denver or Colorado Springs | Yes — Arkansas River and Clear Creek trips | Trip names, difficulty classes, duration |
| A family-oriented rafting day | Yes — family content and multi-outpost setup | Minimum ages and which trips are family-rated |
| Fly fishing instead of (or alongside) rafting | Yes — fly fishing trips offered | Locations, gear, licensing, guide ratios |
| Published prices and online booking details | Not shown in available material | Rates, deposits, cancellation terms |
What to check before you commit
Because the available site material doesn't list prices, trip grades, or schedules, the practical next step is to contact the outfitter or open its trip pages and confirm: which river and section each trip runs, the difficulty class, how long you're on the water, what's included (gear, wetsuits, shuttle), age and weight requirements, and cancellation policy. Those details determine whether a given trip suits young children, first-timers, or a group wanting bigger whitewater — and they aren't answerable from the homepage alone.