Departures at Cotopaxi location
Most popular option
Action-packed day w/ lunch included
Ready for the ultimate whitewater adventure? Experience the thrill of navigating the Class II-III whitewater rapids of upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon with your very own inflatable kayak or duckie!
This trip is a great way to develop your kayaking skills with an expert to help you every step of the way. All of our Colorado rafting trips are led by our guides and instructors who are skilled at teaching river running skills and love sharing the fun of kayaking with new people.
Grab some friends and splash into the exciting world of kayaking to learn a cool new skill and take on plenty of splashes and thrills.
Who Should Book an Arkansas River Kayak Trip?
Are you ready to develop or hone your skills in kayaking? This trip is for you! Anyone over thirteen with adequate swimming skills can hop on the river and build their passion for whitewater kayaking. From newbies who want to try something new to seasoned kayakers who want to experience a new river, everyone will enjoy the bouncy rapids of Bighorn Sheep Canyon.
Location: Arkansas River with departure at Cotopaxi location
Requirements: Our Colorado Springs kayaking trips are available for participants 13 years and older who are in good physical shape and able to swim. Minimum of four people on a trip.
Trip Length: Half-Day Trip: 3.5 hours in total, 2 to 2.5 hours on the water Full-Day Trip: 6+ hours in total, 4 to 5 hours on the water
Adventure Level: Class II-III rapids. Paddling required
Ready for the ultimate whitewater adventure? Experience the thrill of navigating the Class II-III whitewater rapids of upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon with your very own inflatable kayak or duckie!
This trip is a great way to develop your kayaking skills with an expert to help you every step of the way. All of our Colorado rafting trips are led by our guides and instructors who are skilled at teaching river running skills and love sharing the fun of kayaking with new people.
Grab some friends and splash into the exciting world of kayaking to learn a cool new skill and take on plenty of splashes and thrills.
Who Should Book an Arkansas River Kayak Trip?
Are you ready to develop or hone your skills in kayaking? This trip is for you! Anyone over thirteen with adequate swimming skills can hop on the river and build their passion for whitewater kayaking. From newbies who want to try something new to seasoned kayakers who want to experience a new river, everyone will enjoy the bouncy rapids of Bighorn Sheep Canyon.
Location: Arkansas River with departure at Cotopaxi location
Requirements: Our Colorado Springs kayaking trips are available for participants 13 years and older who are in good physical shape and able to swim. Minimum of four people on a trip.
Trip Length: Half-Day Trip: 3.5 hours in total, 2 to 2.5 hours on the water Full-Day Trip: 6+ hours in total, 4 to 5 hours on the water
Adventure Level: Class II-III rapids. Paddling required
Departures at Cotopaxi location
Departures at Cotopaxi location
Most popular option
Action-packed day w/ lunch included
On this Colorado Springs kayaking trip, you will navigate your own inflatable kayak on class II and III whitewater. This tour is for adventurous paddlers wanting to take on the river.
Running a river on an inflatable kayak will provide the wettest, splashiest experience on the river and is sure to provide plenty of excitement.
A professional river guide will lead you down the river, educating you on paddling technique, hazards and river hydrogeology.
Your whitewater adventure starts with a meetup at our rafting outpost in Cotopaxi, CO. Aim to get to our meeting spot by at least 8:15 for the morning departures and 12:45 for the afternoon departures.
Our team will greet you, check you in, get you some gear, and ensure your group is ready to kayak. We will shuttle your group to the put-in once you’re checked in, suited up in PFDs and helmets, and ready for action. As our shuttle winds along the river, you can get a sneak peek of the beautiful river you’re about to kayak!
After you reach the put-in, your guide will set aside a few minutes to go over a kayak safety talk and explain everything you need to know before getting in your inflatable kayak. Your guide will cover paddling techniques, what to look for on the water, paddle commands, and the best way to tackle rapids as a lone wolf. Once everyone feels ready to get on the river, it’s time to hit the whitewater.
Now, the fun begins! Right off the bat, there are a couple of rapids to get your heart pumping and test the waters. You and your friends can hit the rapids one by one so everyone has a crowd cheering for them as they navigate the whitewater. You’ll have several opportunities to test your skills on the rapids. There are at least 16 named rapids on the full-day tour and nine on the half-day tour for this stretch of the river, like Spikebuck, Shark’s Tooth, and Double Dip.
On some of these, your guide may pull you into an eddy to discuss a game plan and ensure everyone hits the rapids the best way possible. This is a fantastic experience if you ever want to build your kayak knowledge and work up to a non-guided kayak trip.
Get ready to get splashed, bounced around, and launched over some of the best whitewater in Colorado!
Our talented photographer will capture photos of your kayak group enjoying the river during your trip. These photos will be available for purchase at the end of your trip so you can keep your Bighorn Sheep Canyon kayak memories forever.
Colorado Inflatable Kayaking Trips
This kayak trip through upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon is more than an exciting adventure or fun day activity – it’s a chance to learn a new skill and find a new lifelong passion! Whitewater kayaking is the kind of sport that you will keep coming back to, because for most people, it’s love at first paddle!
Upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon is the perfect stretch of river for whitewater kayaking because it’s beginner-friendly enough to learn on yet exciting enough to feel challenged and test your new skills.
You will have a skilled kayak guide next to you every step of the way, helping you navigate rapids and giving you advice for tackling the water. You may even stop and scout rapids to learn about river hydrology and take your river knowledge to a whole new level!
Views While Kayaking Bighorn Sheep Canyon
We bet you’re wondering why this section of the river is named “Bighorn Sheep Canyon.” (Well, it’s probably pretty clear!) The most exciting thing to see in this area are the many horned gentle giants that call this canyon home. You can find many bighorn sheep traversing the Rocky Mountains or ambling down to the river for a drink.
Kayaking down the current, you’ll paddle past rock gardens, canyon walls, giant boulders and stunning untouched natural scenery. Being in a solo kayak, you have more freedom to explore the river and get closer to the desert brush, coniferous trees, craggy mountain faces and rock features along the riverbank for front row views of your impressive surroundings.
We operate from the beginning of May until Labor Day weekend. We do take a short break for high water (typically the first half of June).
No, we have some very skilled and knowledgeable guides that will teach the basics of paddling the river.
Transportation to and from the river, helmet, PFD/life jacket and splash jacket. Lunch is also provided on full-day tours.
We recommend a wetsuit for this tour during all months of our kayaking season, as you will be wet for most of your tour. Be sure to check out our packing list!
Swimming is required for this tour and most customers will take a swim at some point on this adventure.
We operate from the beginning of May until Labor Day weekend. We do take a short break for high water (typically the first half of June).
No, we have some very skilled and knowledgeable guides that will teach the basics of paddling the river.
Transportation to and from the river, helmet, PFD/life jacket and splash jacket. Lunch is also provided on full-day tours.
We recommend a wetsuit for this tour during all months of our kayaking season, as you will be wet for most of your tour. Be sure to check out our packing list!
Swimming is required for this tour and most customers will take a swim at some point on this adventure.
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.
Since our inception in 1973, Arkansas River Tours has been committed to providing the safest, highest-quality river trips available.
Phone: 1.719.942.4362
info@arkansasrivertours.com
Cañon City Location
Cotopaxi Location
Dumont Location
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