Arkansas River Outfitters Association
Colorado's Best Whitewater | The Arkansas River
Colorado's Best Whitewater | The Arkansas River
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The following news reports are about Colorado whitewater adventure on the Upper Arkansas River in Colorado.
Abundant water supplies in the mountains of Colorado will extend the whitewater rafting season this year, according to the Arkansas River Outfitters Association.
“We are having an unprecedented season,” AROA President Brandon Slate said. “We’ve already seen unbelievable river flows into August and that is expected to continue through Labor Day.”
August trips are delivering fun rafting typically seen in late June or July on the Arkansas River, Wilderness Aware Rafting guide Catelin Miles said. “This is the prefect level to run the river because you still have big splashes that cover the boat. Every day, we have spring water but with warmer …
View PDFA successful water management agreement on the Arkansas River exemplifies Colorado’s dedication to its natural resources and the visitor experiences they support, according to the Arkansas River Outfitters Association (AROA).
The Arkansas River Voluntary Flow Management Program helps ensure there is water for whitewater rafting on the river well into August. The cooperative agreement among water users is unique in that it includes recreation in water management decisions.
AROA is part of the agreement with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and other agencies that not only supports summer flows for whitewater rafting, but also manages water year-round for …
View PDFThe country’s most popular whitewater rafting destination is seeing an increase in overnight camping trips, according to the Arkansas River Outfitters Association. The Arkansas River hosts nearly a quarter of a million visitors annually on its 100-plus miles of mild to wild whitewater that tumbles from the high Rocky Mountain peaks in southern Colorado.
The majority take half- or one-day trips but rafting-camping trips are increasingly popular, said Travis Hochard, general manager with River Runners in Buena Vista, where multi-day bookings are up 20 percent since 2015.
View MoreThe Arkansas River in central Colorado is the country’s number-one whitewater rafting destination for good reason, according to the Arkansas River Outfitters Association.
Rafting sections such as the Royal Gorge and the Numbers offer some of the country’s most technical boating challenges, while families can choose mild float trips on different sections of the river with an easy riverside lunch. Variety is what makes the Arkansas River the country’s most popular rafting destination. Beginning as a trickle high in the Colorado Rockies, the whitewater cascades southeast through Colorado, offering Class …
View MoreHigh water season on America’s most popular whitewater rafting river is just around the bend. Warming temperatures on Colorado’s highest peaks have been melting an above-average snowpack into the state’s creeks and rivers, to the delight of boaters anticipating an exciting season, according to the Arkansas River Outfitters Association.
High water brings chocolate-colored, cresting waves inside the rocky walls of the Royal Gorge, a 1,200-foot-deep chasm in Cañon City, Colo.
“It’s about big waves, big holes and big moves so there is big fun,” said Andy Neinas, owner of Echo Canyon River Expeditions and a member of the Arkansas River Outfitters Association. “High water in the …
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Colorado whitewater media requests can be made to individual members of AROA or send an inquiry to all qualified members by filling out the Media Request Form.
