Historical Tours
6 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travelers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$135
per adult
Mountain Waters Rafting & Adventure Company
Mountain Waters Rafting & Adventure Company
5
River Rafting & Tubing4WD, ATV & Off-Road ToursZipline & Aerial Adventure ParksKayaking & Canoeing
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
Having Fun Since 1981! Family & High Adventure Rafting 4x4 Jeep Trail Tours Mesa Verde N.P. Tours Durango Train Raft & Rail Package Zip Line & Raft Package
Durango, Colorado
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Mountain Waters Rafting & Adventure Company
Historical Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 95% of travelers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$175
per adult
On the Water
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 99% of travelers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$65
per adult
Adventure Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 99% of travelers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$80
per adult
Kayaking Tours
6 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$185
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
2,180 reviews
Excellent
2,038
Very good
98
Average
22
Poor
13
Terrible
9
Tricia C
Wilmington, NC41 contributions
Jul 2022
I’ve never been whitewater rafting because I’ve always been a little intimidated by it. One of my friends in our group loves it, though, and when planning our girls’ trip we decided to include it in our itinerary. I’m SO glad we did! It was an absolute blast. We did the Classic Rafting trip, which is 3 hours, at 9 AM. It was nice to do it early in the morning because it definitely got hot. The river is low right now, which means there wasn’t a whole lot of getting splashed in the beginning, but we were given the opportunity to jump out and swim. It was also exciting to see wildlife as we floated along. Each group on our bus had their own raft and rafting guide, which surprised us (there were only 3 of us in my group), but it was also nice to have such individual attention. Axel was our guide and he was AMAZING!! We absolutely loved him. He made us feel comfortable in the raft right away and kept us entertained with both funny stories and interesting information about the area. Towards the end, he asked if we wanted to get a little rowdy by “surfing,” which is going over a small waterfall, turning around, and then paddling upstream against the waterfall. This was one of the best parts of the trip! We all had the chance to get out of our boats and swim out to the middle of the river and then “slide” down a small waterfall. This was also super fun - but if you do this, don’t make my rookie mistake - hold your nose before going under! Definitely wear sunscreen and a bathing suit, and a rash guard and board shorts are nice too. You will absolutely need shoes that stay on and can get wet (I wore my Chacos). I wore cheap sunglasses in case I lost them, but they also sell cheap sunglasses and straps if you want them. You should 100% do this if you’re going to Durango - and ask for Axel to be your guide!! Our only regret is not doing a longer rafting trip!
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I love this review! It's like a short story about your first time rafting shared with the world, super cool, thank you!
Written July 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelly C
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
My family of 4 (kids aged 7 and 10) were lucky enough to book a half day trip with Mountain Waters Rafting & Adventure Company! They require masks when you check in at the office, while you are on the bus and around others, which is great.
Our guide, Spencer, was amazing! He was by far the best guide on the river that day, we were very lucky to be in his raft. We were a little bummed initially that we had to share a raft with another family, but having Spencer as the guide made up for it. He was talkative, super knowledgable about the river and Durango itself and great with kids. When you book, ask for Spencer if you can!
The rafting trip was the perfect introduction to white water rafting for kids. My husband and I have rafted in Royal Gorge in class 4 rapids (which we loved, the more rapids the better), but this was much tamer. There was a small section called "white water park" where they take your photo when you go through the rapids. We even had a part where we got to get out and swim through a small rapid, which was super fun! My whole family did this twice. Make sure that you jump into the water at least once during the trip, it's refreshing!
This was a great trip and we would definitely do it again with this company!
Our guide, Spencer, was amazing! He was by far the best guide on the river that day, we were very lucky to be in his raft. We were a little bummed initially that we had to share a raft with another family, but having Spencer as the guide made up for it. He was talkative, super knowledgable about the river and Durango itself and great with kids. When you book, ask for Spencer if you can!
The rafting trip was the perfect introduction to white water rafting for kids. My husband and I have rafted in Royal Gorge in class 4 rapids (which we loved, the more rapids the better), but this was much tamer. There was a small section called "white water park" where they take your photo when you go through the rapids. We even had a part where we got to get out and swim through a small rapid, which was super fun! My whole family did this twice. Make sure that you jump into the water at least once during the trip, it's refreshing!
This was a great trip and we would definitely do it again with this company!
Written August 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is a family affair here on the Animas River with Mountain Waters. I'm super glad you got to introduce your four kids to the river, they will be hooked for life just like yourselves. What a great family activity.
Thank you for describing our trip in detail because we will be running this more relaxed swim and splash trip till the end of August. Cheers!
Written August 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lindsay A
Phoenix, AZ12 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
We booked a half day, lower Animas River rafting trip. It was the highlight of our time in Durango. We had two families in our group with three kids ranging in ages from 6 to 9. The kids absolutely loved their day on the river and were so sad when our time was done. The rapids ranged from Class 1 to Class 3. Very family friendly. The guides were all wonderful. The guide for our raft, Andy G. was really great with our group and the kids (even letting them paddle when they wanted to paddle but didn't need to paddle). He made our time on the water such a great experience. HIGHLY recommend booking!
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
That could be some good marketing language: Highly recommended as the highlight of vacationers in Durango!
Thank you so much for the review and recommendation.
Written July 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
travelhappy2021
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Family
I signed our family of four up for a 4 hour whitewater rafting experience and was really disappointed with what we received. This was my first whitewater rafting trip but I have canoed and floated in rivers before and felt I could have easily navigated this section of the river without a professional guide. I believe that because of the time of year or lack of rain the river wasn't moving very fast and I'm pretty sure our guide actually steered us into rocks several times to make the trip more "exciting." I felt like the guides were stalling and wasting a lot of time so they didn't have to take us further down the river. He had us "surf" up the rapids several time and when we stopped for a snack, they let everyone swim in the river. I signed up for 4 hours of rafting on the river, not a leisurely day on the water that I could have enjoyed without a guide. In addition, they convinced everyone to leave their phones in their car because of the rapids (which were minimal) - when they were really just trying to sell you the $35 picture package of the photos they took of you - someone literally walked along side the river to take photos because we were going that slow. It's not just this company. I had other friends have the same experience in Durango. Unfortunately the water just wasn't flowing enough at this time of year for the trip to be a real adventure, but instead of telling people that they try to make it more exciting so they can continue to book trips and get your money.
Written July 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I can't make people read the website or listen to our office staff, but I can tell you there is always one in thousands who don't get the memo: "Family friendly rafting ages 4 and up"
Thank you.
Written July 26, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Skyler
3 contributions
Jul 2020
We had a wonderful time with the Mountain Waters Rafting team. They were thorough in their instruction, safe with their procedures, and such a fun time overall. Syd was an engaging trip leader and Eric showed us a great time on the water. The quarter day experience was the perfect fit for our itinerary, and we would highly recommend it to anybody visiting Durango. Thank you for the fun times!
Written July 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You are welcome for the fun times and thank you for the review!
Written July 30, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Z5676QNmike
Denver, CO1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Family
The experience was great, and kids really enjoyed it. My girls are below 12 (8 and 11) so they cannot get vaccinated. For that reason, I showed some concern about covid, and they mentioned they had a private raft for $100 extra and it would be just us 4 + the guide. To which I said why not? They failed to disclose that we would be in a bus with 40-50 other folks that are not masked at all (not their fault, to each their own), but wish I had known that in advance that paying $100 extra is not really "private".
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm sorry that information didn't get to you about the private raft trip being the raft and not the transportation to and from the river. The extra $20/person also included your photos and free rentals. Just saying...
Written July 1, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Naomi K
Davie, FL32 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
My party of five adults and one child (age range 8 to 53) really enjoyed being on the beautiful Animas. The half day family tour (lower Animas) was totally doable for Florida flatlanders with no previous experience. Good for first timers.
We booked an all inclusive private raft and were a bit surprised to be paired with a very new (and by default less engaging) guide considering the extra cost. What was most disappointing about it was the guide was unfamiliar with when/where Mountain Waters camera spots were - so none of our photos turned out very well because we were not given a heads up on which way to look. After every tour Mountain Waters shares a Google drive link to photos from every raft from the entire tour, so we could see compare our photos to other groups.
We booked an all inclusive private raft and were a bit surprised to be paired with a very new (and by default less engaging) guide considering the extra cost. What was most disappointing about it was the guide was unfamiliar with when/where Mountain Waters camera spots were - so none of our photos turned out very well because we were not given a heads up on which way to look. After every tour Mountain Waters shares a Google drive link to photos from every raft from the entire tour, so we could see compare our photos to other groups.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I apologize that our guide wasn't focused on your Instagram moment but on the safety of the raft and its contents through the rapids.
Written June 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelly Erickson
Texas Gulf Coast, TX4 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
Took my son and nephew (teenagers) for the half day jeep/half day raft - I recommend this as any less than 4 hours each would have been too short to enjoy as much as we did.
Frank on the Jeep tour was absolutely awesome! We had so much fun with him! He took time to let the boys explore throughout our stops and gave us great tidbits of history. He was thoughtful enough to bring extra jackets in case and we sure were grateful as it got colder than we expected up on the mountain! Thanks Frank!
Rachel was great as our raft guide as well, could tell the team had a lot of fun together and the boys enjoyed the sporadic shenanigans splashing others etc... but of course the team made sure all of us were safe while we had fun.
Thanks Everyone!
Frank on the Jeep tour was absolutely awesome! We had so much fun with him! He took time to let the boys explore throughout our stops and gave us great tidbits of history. He was thoughtful enough to bring extra jackets in case and we sure were grateful as it got colder than we expected up on the mountain! Thanks Frank!
Rachel was great as our raft guide as well, could tell the team had a lot of fun together and the boys enjoyed the sporadic shenanigans splashing others etc... but of course the team made sure all of us were safe while we had fun.
Thanks Everyone!
Written August 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Four wheeling high in the mountains and floating the river in the valley bottom is the best way to see it all in a day!
Thank you for the review and recommendation.
Written August 4, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BackPacker72041
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
Our family really enjoyed our half day experience with Mountain Waters Rafting. My husband and son kayaked while the girls and I rafted. Our guides, Mick and Carl, were the best! They were professional, helpful, knowledgeable, and fun! They let us surf the rapids multiple times and even carried the raft and kayaks back upstream for another go through the whitewater park! We'd definitely recommend using them for your rafting/kayaking adventure!
Written July 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raft or Kayak y'all get to go together on the same trip.
Thank you for the review and recommendation!
Written July 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richelle D
Farmington, NM45 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
We had a wonderful time - 2 adults 1 younger teen 1 older teen.
Rachel was our tour guide. She is very knowledgeable, and paid close attention to the safety of everyone in our raft ( as well as prompting leaders in other rafts to do the same). She was keenly interested in all of our back-stories, and provided a few of her own. Ask her about the life of a river-rat when you take one of these trips. And please tip your tour guides well.
Rachel was our tour guide. She is very knowledgeable, and paid close attention to the safety of everyone in our raft ( as well as prompting leaders in other rafts to do the same). She was keenly interested in all of our back-stories, and provided a few of her own. Ask her about the life of a river-rat when you take one of these trips. And please tip your tour guides well.
Written June 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Well that's pretty cool, obviously two reviews from the same family for Rachel, very nice, thank you so much!
Written June 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
would i be able to have a 2-3 hour inflatable kayak trip on Saturday, September 23 ?
I don't mind doing the same stretch 2-3 times as long as there's a good pace and splash to the section
Written August 19, 2017
Hi,
What's the best season for rafting? What's the water level in October?
Written September 7, 2016
Hi Diana,
The most exciting time of year to raft is when the snow in the San Juan Mountains is melting which makes the Animas River run high and strong. This happens in May and early June. Late June into the fall the river is sustained by rain and springs which means it is rather low. The raft trip in town is appropriate for families and is more exciting if you choose to paddle your own inflatable kayak along with the raft trip. The raft trip north of town in the mountains is challenging level IV. I have lived in Durango 20 years and what I see is that most companies such as the one I work for, Mountain Waters Rafting, wrap up their season the first weekend of September, which is the Labor Day Holiday. I highly recommend renting a jeep or going on a 4x4 jeep trail tour into the mountains as the fall colors and weather are amazing for that trip. I hope this helps and thanks for your question.
Written September 8, 2016
KevinL92Nh
Londonderry, New Hampshire
Hello, we are planning a visit to Durango the 3rd week in July and wonder if the water level will be too low to get the most out of the experience. I appreciate your reply in advance.
Thank you
Written July 2, 2016
So many variables......
The water is holding nicely at a strong medium level due to lasting snow in the mountains and the start of a good monsoon season. That means our family friendly trip through town is fun, splashy and class III. Our full day high adventure trips on the Upper Animas are expected to run into mid-August and they are Class IV iconic Colorado white water raft trips. We are one of the few companies that have the permits and options to get the most out of what you want to experience, so give us a call closer to your arrival and we'll see where mother nature has taken us. Cheers!
Written July 3, 2016
We have a family of 11 people coming to Durango for a week the end of June. We are interested in doing a white water raft trip. I would guess 1/2 day to day depending on how good the water is running at this time. There are 4 children; 1 ten, 2 twelve and 1 fourteen. There are 2 seniors and the rest adults age 19-47. Can you please tell me what the classes of water might be at this time and the cost. How far is it to the meeting location from near the center of Durango?
Also, could you please advise what else your company has to offer and if 11 qualify for a group rate on the white water or other activities you offer?
Written March 17, 2016
David,
Thank you for inquiring about our adventures! The Lower Animas features Class I, II, and III rapids and June is an exceptional time to visit in order to experience the most complimentary moderate to high water levels the Lower Animas has to offer.
I'm thinking our Lower Animas 4 hour Half Day Trip would be the best fit for your group, considering the size and age range. This trip is priced at $57/Adult and $47/Child, children being 11 and under. With that, we would offer a 10% Group Discount for you having over 10 participants.
We also offer our Half Day Trip paired with Zip-lining, Rock Climbing, 4x4 Tours, or Biking. I encourage you to check out our our Mountain Waters Rafting Homepage for more information on these activities and more. You can also reach us anytime for more info or to make a reservation at 970-259-4191. Hope to hear from you!
Sydney Duffus
MWR Staff
Written March 18, 2016
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