Ava Rafting & Zipline
Ava Rafting & Zipline
5
River Rafting & TubingZipline & Aerial Adventure ParksClimbing Tours
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
Full view
About
Our Idaho Springs outpost offers world-class rafting just 30 minutes from Denver on the Clear Creek. Choose from class III through V rafting, and check out our cliffside zipline and Via Ferrata courses. AVA Rafting & Zipline has offered rafting and other outdoor adventure experiences in Colorado since its inception in 1998. With rafting throughout the state and outposts in Buena Vista, Kremmling, and Idaho Springs, AVA hosts mild to wild whitewater rafting on multiple rivers, as well as ziplining, Via Ferrata, multi-adventure packages, rock climbing, fly fishing, horseback riding, off-road rentals, train rides, and more. On every AVA trip, we prioritize safety and the guest experience, as our highly trained guides lead you into your most memorable Colorado experience yet. Book your Colorado outdoor adventure today, and check out our group and regular deals at coloradorafting.net/deals/
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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
889 reviews
Excellent
821
Very good
39
Average
9
Poor
7
Terrible
13
mrsambrown1029
3 contributions
Jul 2020
I booked the zipline and rafting experience to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday. Our zipline guides were Brina and Tini and they made the trip so enjoyable. My husband is a little afraid of heights and they alleviated all fear and he had the best time! They were very thorough in explaining each of the different stations of the zipline experience and we felt very safe and secure the entire time. We then took an hour break in town and had a nice lunch before returning for the Upper Creek rafting experience. I had never been rafting and was nervous for the category of rapids we had chosen. Our guide Dagnar was beyond amazing! He was very reassuring, made sure we were prepared and even gave us an extra thrill while rafting. We could not have had a better experience!!!! I highly recommend the combination package as well as the specific guides to make your trip amazing!
*I wore a bathing suit under my wet suit but would also recommend wicking shirt/shorts for rafting*
*I wore a bathing suit under my wet suit but would also recommend wicking shirt/shorts for rafting*
Written August 10, 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.
C G
Austin, TX119 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
We are not an adventurous family, so I’m not sure we will do it again, but you will be in the best hands with Tim and Merlin. It’s six zip lines total + a couple of fun surprises I won’t spoil for you :) We had my 11-year old niece who was very nervous and they guides were GREAT. They have a flexible rescheduling policy. Recommend going in the morning otherwise you’ll end up zipping in the rain or cancelling due to lightening. I only knocked off one star because our truck driver got into an accident on the drive home - all of the other staff and facility seemed very safe.
Written July 8, 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.
Thank you for choosing AVA and for taking the time to leave a review. We will be sure to pass on your kind words to Tim and Merlin!
Written July 14, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nancy013
Charlotte, NC11 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
The staff at AVA are extremely helpful, resourceful and responsible during this time of traveling. They are conscientious about masks, distancing and cleaning equipment, important to me as immune sensitive. The boats are not overloaded with strangers and the guides are true professionals. Alex did a wonderful job in entertaining us while expertly navigating the rapids. Brina and Spencer are delightful zip guides readily assisting me when I experienced challenges from my physical limitations. Definitely would choose them all again!
Written August 6, 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.
ickypicky
South Florida104 contributions
Jun 2021
Went on a 3hour rafting trip with AVA that included one 6 yr old boy as part of a family outing of 14. AVA has multiple trips and many other adventure choices in the area and I would not hesitate to use them again or recommend them.
This particular trip begins at 11:30 am and they have it down to a science; pick up your wet suit first, jacket next, helmet, PFD, paddles and everybody helps. Our launch site was only about 100 yards away by the side of the road. Boats are pushed into the creek and you board as the guide tells you and off you go!
We had an experienced guide and it showed as our concern was the 9 year old in the middle of the boat. Water was not deep at all, probably inches in places. Part of the trip was alongside I-70 and cars zipped by about 100 feet away (but well above you).
The creek was not too harsh and rapids were not greater than a class 3/4 but I was in the front of the boat and it took the guide less than 15 minutes to get me completely soaked. I'm sure it was not on purpose. Sure.
Everyone on the two boats we had were very happy with their ride.
Again, I cannot recommend them enough as they were laid back but professional.
This particular trip begins at 11:30 am and they have it down to a science; pick up your wet suit first, jacket next, helmet, PFD, paddles and everybody helps. Our launch site was only about 100 yards away by the side of the road. Boats are pushed into the creek and you board as the guide tells you and off you go!
We had an experienced guide and it showed as our concern was the 9 year old in the middle of the boat. Water was not deep at all, probably inches in places. Part of the trip was alongside I-70 and cars zipped by about 100 feet away (but well above you).
The creek was not too harsh and rapids were not greater than a class 3/4 but I was in the front of the boat and it took the guide less than 15 minutes to get me completely soaked. I'm sure it was not on purpose. Sure.
Everyone on the two boats we had were very happy with their ride.
Again, I cannot recommend them enough as they were laid back but professional.
Written August 15, 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.
Thank you for choosing AVA and for taking the time to leave a review. We are happy to hear you and your family had a great time and look forward to doing it all over again!
Written August 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jane S
Cypress, TX5 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
We escaped Texas heat for a week and went rafting! Alyssa was our guide and we couldn’t be happier with our experience! This was our third time rafting, but we had never done it in Colorado. Alyssa helped us select the best level for our group and it was perfect! It’s obvious she takes pride in her work and made us feel comfortable. We will definitely be back if we return to the area!
Written July 24, 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.
JASON
1 contribution
Aug 2020
We had to switch to Kremlin 2 days prior to trip due to selected river being to low but in all was well worth the change. Staff was very helpful and took care of the change with no problem and hassle free. I would recommend this company and trip to any beginner looking to try rafting for their first time and with teens or young ones. Our guide was David and was super knowledgable and very helpful throughout the entire experience. Overall we definitely had a great time.
Written August 16, 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.
Meg F
Minneapolis, MN15 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
My husband and two teenage girls went ziplining and white water rafting with AVA in Idaho Springs Colorado yesterday ( they have other Colorado locations too). The staff was very friendly and it was clear that they were concerned for peoples safety due to the nature of their activities as well as to Covid-19. Make sure you bring a mask! We had only gone ziplining once before and Tessa and Mickey made the morning fun and not scary. This ziplining course is all against the cliffs, so it seems natural and is beautiful (versus those where you climb wooden towers to give you the height to zipline down). They had a couple optional items during our morning for those that were more brave. Half of my family decided to do those optional items.
Before our white water rafting in the afternoon, we drove 5 minutes into downtown Idaho Springs for lunch. The cute Main Street was shut down to cars, so all the restaurants had outdoor as well as indoor seating options.
We took the beginner rafting tour called Gold Rush for 1/3 day with level 3 rapids at the worst. They gave us a wet suit,, personal flotation device, splash pullover and helmet. I bought water socks at the AVA store (like a wet suit for your feet) since i have bad circulation and the water is 40 degrees. I was one of the few to have those, so just regular water shoes would be enough for most people. Our instructor Annie was great and let us know exactly what to expect while we went down the river so that there were no surprises. My 18 year old daughter was pretty nervous for the rapids, but she definitely enjoyed it and said she would do it again. Other boats had children that looked about 7 years old. Though boats were a good distance apart on the water, the instructors were all in communication together and kept checking on each other in case any issues arose.
It was a wonderful way to explore the Colorado outdoors!
Before our white water rafting in the afternoon, we drove 5 minutes into downtown Idaho Springs for lunch. The cute Main Street was shut down to cars, so all the restaurants had outdoor as well as indoor seating options.
We took the beginner rafting tour called Gold Rush for 1/3 day with level 3 rapids at the worst. They gave us a wet suit,, personal flotation device, splash pullover and helmet. I bought water socks at the AVA store (like a wet suit for your feet) since i have bad circulation and the water is 40 degrees. I was one of the few to have those, so just regular water shoes would be enough for most people. Our instructor Annie was great and let us know exactly what to expect while we went down the river so that there were no surprises. My 18 year old daughter was pretty nervous for the rapids, but she definitely enjoyed it and said she would do it again. Other boats had children that looked about 7 years old. Though boats were a good distance apart on the water, the instructors were all in communication together and kept checking on each other in case any issues arose.
It was a wonderful way to explore the Colorado outdoors!
Written July 4, 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.
Molama
10 contributions
Jun 2021
We had a fantastic time with AVA, doing the 1/3 day Gold Rush trip. They are very well-organized and have the very best guides and hosts who educate you on raft protocol and safety with charm, humor and thoroughness without taking up a lot of your time. Everything goes like clockwork from the moment you arrive. They assign you to boars based on experience and age and assign the number of guides accordingly, so all the teams paddle in unison and follow directions with ease. We were adults but there were families in other boats and one just with kids, and two guides who did most of the paddling. The route was exactly as advertised (Level III ) and both embarcation and disembarking was flawless. I look forward to more and longer adventures with AVA.
Written June 17, 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.
We are thrilled to hear you had a wonderful experience with us! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. We hope you come adventure with us again soon!
Written June 23, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Samantha Gardner
Ames, IA8 contributions
Jun 2022
We had such a fun time doing Via Ferrata and Clear Creek Rafting! We were nervous to do the more advanced rafting since we'd both only rafted once before, but they oversold how intense it would be in our opinion. It was just the right amount of thrill without feeling like we were in danger. We did go at the end of June, so the snow melt was dwindling. They said it had been more intense in the weeks before. The via ferrata experience was a bit more intense than we were anticipating, and the repelling aspect was downright challenging for us newbies, but we had fun! Our guides for both experiences were knowledgable and fun. Our only real complaint is that you can see roads/town for most of these experiences, but it is still beautiful and thrilling!
Written October 27, 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.
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! We are thrilled that you had a great adventure in Idaho Springs on our Via Ferrata and a Rafting trip! We would love to have you again, perhaps at our Buena Vista location where the views are absolutely stunning. We hope to see you again soon,
Best,
AVA Rafting & Zipline
salesmgmt@coloradorafting.net
Written December 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Macey M
24 contributions
Aug 2020
This was a really fun 1/2 day activity! We did the 1/2 day kayaking and loved it!
We arrived at the facility around 9am, checked in, were fitted for a life jacket and helmet and then were loaded up on a bus and shuttled to the river. The river experience itself was about 2 hours long (perfect amount in my opinion as anything more than that would have been too long). Our tour guide Ian was helpful and very knowledgeable.
The portion of the river we took was beautiful and fun for kayaking, nothing crazy hard but choppy enough to keep it entertaining and interesting the whole way.
They did have professional pictures for purchase which were nice but pricey.
From start to finish the entire experience (check-in, shuttle time to and from river included) is about 4.5 hours.
Would not recommend bringing small children. Fun for couples and groups.
We arrived at the facility around 9am, checked in, were fitted for a life jacket and helmet and then were loaded up on a bus and shuttled to the river. The river experience itself was about 2 hours long (perfect amount in my opinion as anything more than that would have been too long). Our tour guide Ian was helpful and very knowledgeable.
The portion of the river we took was beautiful and fun for kayaking, nothing crazy hard but choppy enough to keep it entertaining and interesting the whole way.
They did have professional pictures for purchase which were nice but pricey.
From start to finish the entire experience (check-in, shuttle time to and from river included) is about 4.5 hours.
Would not recommend bringing small children. Fun for couples and groups.
Written August 25, 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.
Is there rafting in Idaho Springs in August?
Written May 22, 2022
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