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If you’re looking for an all-encompassing introduction to whitewater rafting, Bighorn Sheep Canyon will give you a great first impression of our favorite activity!
Our raft trip in the Bighorn Sheep Canyon strikes the perfect balance between thrilling adventure and easy fun. With a mix of exciting rapids and calm stretches of water, this is one of our most popular trips. Your group can navigate thrilling water and take in the stunning Sangre de Cristo mountain range while keeping your eye out for the beautiful bighorn sheep that call this canyon home.
With class II - III rapids, Bighorn Sheep Canyon rafting offers a fantastic experience for both novice and experienced rafters. This trip is fantastic for groups with adventurous children and groups with diverse rafting skill levels. Trusted by 325K+ guests, Arkansas River Tours is proud to provide safe, scenic, and expertly guided trips on Colorado’s most iconic rivers.
Don't miss out on this world-class rafting trip! Half-day and full-day options are available.
Bighorn Sheep Canyon is the most versatile stretch of rafting in our area, with rapids that are fun for both seasoned rafters and beginners!
This stretch of the river is great for families looking for a thrill, groups with various rafting skill levels and people who want to experience rapids for the first time. The rapids on this stretch of the river are thrilling and a fantastic adventure, but still small enough to be a great introduction to whitewater.
Some paddling is necessary on this trip, so it’s also an easy opportunity to learn paddle commands and practice paddle technique.
Location: Arkansas River near Colorado Springs, departures in Cotopaxi or Cañon City
Requirements: Minimum age requirement is 7+. Weight requirement is at least 50 lbs Some paddling required
Trip Length: Half-Day Length: 3.5 hours in total, 2 to 2.5 hours on the water Full-Day Length: 6+ hours in total, 4 to 5 hours on the water
Adventure Level: A great beginner whitewater trip with class II-III rapids
What's Included: All River Gear - wetsuits, life jackets & professional guides. Lunch is included on full-day trips.
If you’re looking for an all-encompassing introduction to whitewater rafting, Bighorn Sheep Canyon will give you a great first impression of our favorite activity!
Our raft trip in the Bighorn Sheep Canyon strikes the perfect balance between thrilling adventure and easy fun. With a mix of exciting rapids and calm stretches of water, this is one of our most popular trips. Your group can navigate thrilling water and take in the stunning Sangre de Cristo mountain range while keeping your eye out for the beautiful bighorn sheep that call this canyon home.
With class II - III rapids, Bighorn Sheep Canyon rafting offers a fantastic experience for both novice and experienced rafters. This trip is fantastic for groups with adventurous children and groups with diverse rafting skill levels. Trusted by 325K+ guests, Arkansas River Tours is proud to provide safe, scenic, and expertly guided trips on Colorado’s most iconic rivers.
Don't miss out on this world-class rafting trip! Half-day and full-day options are available.
Bighorn Sheep Canyon is the most versatile stretch of rafting in our area, with rapids that are fun for both seasoned rafters and beginners!
This stretch of the river is great for families looking for a thrill, groups with various rafting skill levels and people who want to experience rapids for the first time. The rapids on this stretch of the river are thrilling and a fantastic adventure, but still small enough to be a great introduction to whitewater.
Some paddling is necessary on this trip, so it’s also an easy opportunity to learn paddle commands and practice paddle technique.
Location: Arkansas River near Colorado Springs, departures in Cotopaxi or Cañon City
Requirements: Minimum age requirement is 7+. Weight requirement is at least 50 lbs Some paddling required
Trip Length: Half-Day Length: 3.5 hours in total, 2 to 2.5 hours on the water Full-Day Length: 6+ hours in total, 4 to 5 hours on the water
Adventure Level: A great beginner whitewater trip with class II-III rapids
Departures at Cañon City (Half-Day) or Cotopaxi (Half-Day or Full-Day)
Our all-time favorite trip
Action-packed day w/ lunch included
Departures at Cañon City (Half-Day) or Cotopaxi (Half-Day or Full-Day)
Our all-time favorite trip
Our all-time favorite trip
Departures at Cañon City (Half-Day) or Cotopaxi (Half-Day or Full-Day)
Our all-time favorite trip
Action-packed day w/ lunch included
This is our most popular trip that offers something for the entire family, from paddling exciting whitewater to relaxing while floating through the beautiful canyon.
Sightings of Bighorn Sheep, Golden Eagles, and active Trout seeking their next meal are common on this family whitewater rafting trip.
You will be accompanied by a professional river guide that will entertain, educate and safely guide your crew down the river.
Your Bighorn Sheep Canyon rafting adventure starts with a meetup at our rafting outpost in Cotopaxi or Cañon City, CO, depending on the trip you choose. Each trip is the same section of water for the ½ day tours, but we offer the two different outposts as starting locations to make it convenient for guests depending on the direction they are coming from. The full days only launch from Cotopaxi because the trip typically starts right at the base from our private beach.
Our team will greet you, check you in, get you some gear and ensure that your group is ready to ride. Make sure you account for the time it takes to get to the outpost you choose. For example, our Cañon City outpost is about 5 minutes from Cañon City, while our Cotopaxi is about 40 minutes away. Plan to get to our meeting spot 15 minutes before your scheduled reservation time.
Once you’re checked in and ready for action, we will shuttle your group to the put-in. As our shuttle winds along the river, you can get a sneak peek of the beautiful river you’re inches from riding!
Once at the put-in, your guide takes a few minutes to walk through paddle commands, safety procedures, and what to expect. This is where you learn how the raft actually works: forward, back, left, right, high-side, and how your crew paddles as a team. First-timers finish this briefing feeling confident, not overwhelmed.
The Bighorn Sheep Canyon half-day runs through 9 named rapids; the full-day covers all 16. Highlights include:
Between rapids, you’ll drift through calm water perfect for wildlife spotting and scanning the cliffs for bighorn sheep. A photographer captures every raft and photos are available for purchase after your trip.
Rafting Bighorn Sheep Canyon is full of easy rapids and fun. A few of the rapids on this trip are bouncy and splashy class-II rapids, but most are wild and fun class-III rapids that will have your heart pumping and pulse racing! There are at least 16 named rapids on the full day tour and 9 on the ½ day tour for this stretch of the river, like Spikebuck, Shark’s Tooth, and Double Dip.
The exciting views you can see in this area are in the name of the canyon! You can find many bighorn sheep climbing the sheer rock faces of the Rocky Mountains or ambling through the brush near the river. If you’re lucky, you may see these majestic creatures, along with birds of prey, squirrels and mule deer as you float down the river.
Rafting through the river, you’ll float past giant boulders jutting out of the water, creating dramatic and stunning untouched canyon scenery. All around the river, you’ll have front-row views of desert brush, coniferous trees, craggy mountain faces, rock features, and the wildlife that calls this area home.
Our Cañon City location is at 49311 US Hwy 50 Unit B, about 2.5 hours from Denver via I-25 and US-50, about 1 hour from Colorado Springs via US-50 west, and about 45 minutes from Pueblo via US-50 west. Our Cotopaxi location (which serves full-day Bighorn Sheep Canyon trips) is at 19487 US-50, about 2.5 hours from Denver, 1.5 hours from Colorado Springs, and 1 hour 15 minutes from Pueblo. Both meeting spots are on US Highway 50 with easy access and clear signage. Full driving directions are on our directions page.
On our Arkansas River rafting trips, we can fit 6 to 7 guests in a raft depending on the group’s size, plus your guide.
Transportation to and from the river, helmet, PFD/life jacket, wetsuit, and splash jacket. Lunch is also provided on full-day tours.
We recommend using a wetsuit for May and June departures, while for July and August departures, they are typically not needed. Wetsuits and splash jackets are provided with the tour! Be sure to check out our packing list for other items you may want to bring!
It is recommended but not required. We take non-swimmers down this stretch on a normal basis.
Yes, both our Cañon City and Cotopaxi locations have free on-site parking with room for cars, trucks with trailers, and RVs. Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled reservation time so you have time to park, check in, sign your waiver, and get fitted with gear. If you’re renting an RV or driving a longer vehicle and want to confirm parking availability for your trip date, call us at 719-942-4362.
If it’s your first time rafting or you’re bringing beginners in your group, choose Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Class II-III rapids, warmer water, and a manageable pace make it the most forgiving of our Arkansas River trips. If everyone in your group is 14 or older and comfortable paddling actively through Class III-IV+ whitewater, choose Royal Gorge. The dramatic 1,000-foot canyon walls and iconic Royal Gorge Bridge views are the payoff for the bigger commitment. Many groups do both, Bighorn one day, Royal Gorge the next.
During our Colorado whitewater rafting season, we raft daily from the beginning of May through Labor Day weekend. The season can be extended if conditions permit.
Our Cañon City location is at 49311 US Hwy 50 Unit B, about 2.5 hours from Denver via I-25 and US-50, about 1 hour from Colorado Springs via US-50 west, and about 45 minutes from Pueblo via US-50 west. Our Cotopaxi location (which serves full-day Bighorn Sheep Canyon trips) is at 19487 US-50, about 2.5 hours from Denver, 1.5 hours from Colorado Springs, and 1 hour 15 minutes from Pueblo. Both meeting spots are on US Highway 50 with easy access and clear signage. Full driving directions are on our directions page.
On our Arkansas River rafting trips, we can fit 6 to 7 guests in a raft depending on the group’s size, plus your guide.
Transportation to and from the river, helmet, PFD/life jacket, wetsuit, and splash jacket. Lunch is also provided on full-day tours.
We recommend using a wetsuit for May and June departures, while for July and August departures, they are typically not needed. Wetsuits and splash jackets are provided with the tour! Be sure to check out our packing list for other items you may want to bring!
It is recommended but not required. We take non-swimmers down this stretch on a normal basis.
We pride ourselves on delivering top-notch customer service and are here to assist you in any way we can. Let us know how we can help!
If you'd prefer, email us at info@arkansasrivertours.com or call 1.800.321.4352.