Top 5 Float Trips In Colorado


If you’re looking for world-class float trips, you’ve come to the right spot. Be it a couple of hours on the water or a few days in the canyon, Arkansas River Tours offers a host of river trips for all tastes and desires. Here are five of the most unique float trips in Colorado out there. Pick your poison, or paradise rather, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

Cottonwood Family Float

When we say river float trips in Colorado for everyone, we mean it—even if you’ve never set foot in a boat before. The Cottonwood Family Float on the Arkansas River runs from Vallie Bridge to Cotopaxi. This section offers mild whitewater, enticing swimming holes, and scenic views. It isn’t that long either, so if you find out that rafting isn’t your thing, you haven’t committed much time. (We don’t envision that being a problem.) All that said, the Cottonwood Family Float is great for children, grandparents, or folks who just want to see what rafting is all about. Learn more about our family float trips in Colorado!

a family of four and their guide float down the river

Browns Canyon National Monument Overnight Float Fishing

Raging whitewater may not be your thing, but who doesn’t love the carefree feeling of a scenic float coupled with the challenge of catching elusive trout? Enter the Browns Canyon National Monument Overnight Float. Fish from both boat and shore on a two-day expedition through Colorado’s remote wilderness. Folks on this trip enjoy a half-day of floating, riverside camping, and a second half-day on the water. While fishing The Arkansas River, you will discover this renowned brown-trout fishery where dry flies are often the name of the game. Leave the crowds behind, fish to your heart’s content, and enjoy hearty food with good company in a vast setting. A fly fishing float trip in Colorado can’t get much better than that.

three fisherman on a blue raft on a river with fishing rods

Full Day ­Arkansas River Fishing Float

Not all Colorado fly fishing float trips are overnighters. Arkansas River Tours offers full-day guided fly-fishing Arkansas River trips where clients spend up to six or more hours casting to hungry browns and rainbows—all from the bow of a boat. The river sections for this package differ according to what’s fishing well. That’s right, professional guides work day in and day out to determine where exactly the best holes are. With this knowledge, the Arkansas Full Day Fishing Float sets up clients for the best possible shot for a successful day on the water. While everyone is welcome, this trip is designed for people with proficient casting skills. We encourage folks who have minimal angling experience to sign up for an instructional fly-fishing course first.

three men fishing in a river with a beautiful canyon in the background

Gunnison Gorge Fly Fishing Float Trip – 3 Day

Fishing the Arkansas River is hard to beat, but one that rivals it is western Colorado’s Gunnison Gorge fly fishing. This three-day float trip is immersive, in both its fishing as well as its backcountry experience. Folks will ride over exciting rapids, fish in high-density water, and camp alongside the beautiful Gunnison River. When we say the Gunnison is a high-density fishery, it’s no joke—we’re talkin’ 7,000 fish per mile here! Traveling 14 miles over three days, groups get ample opportunity to fish from both boat and shore, all at a leisurely pace. Not to mention the spectacular scenery in a remote landscape. The Gunnison River fly fishing float trip is perfect for a father-son getaway, a college reunion trip, or for someone just looking to leave behind the rush of daily life and focus on nothing else besides the river, the fish, and what it takes to get one in the net.

a guide rowing and a fly fisherman in the back of the raft holding a trout he caught

Rapids and Rope Package – Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Who says you’re limited to just one activity per day? Not us! In fact, Arkansas River Tours offers a plethora of adventure-filled packages including Rapids and Ropes – Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Start the day with exhilarating whitewater on one of the most popular stretches of the Arkansas River. Ten miles of intermediate rapids (up to Class III+) will get the heart going and ensure a memorable float trip in Colorado. But it’s not over yet. After a delicious riverside lunch, test your fear of heights at Captain Zipline’s Canyon Aerial Course. Navigate to and from various wooden platforms suspended 60 feet in the air. There are a multitude of challenges depending on your skill level. So beginners out there don’t be afraid—there’s something for everyone making this one of the most unique float trips in Colorado. This package is truly one of the best all-around choices. From sensational rapids to spectacular heights, the Rapids & Ropes Bighorn Sheep Canyon is great for the whole family.

seven rafters in a blue boat paddle through whitewater rapids