The Best 5 States For Whitewater Rafting in America
- Colorado. Of course our home state has some of the best whitewater on the planet!
- California. The great state of California can make your whitewater dreams come true!
- Idaho. Idaho has some of the longest and most scenic stretches of river in the world!
- North Carolina.
1. Upper Tuolumne River (Cherry Creek), California. Cherry Creek is the gold standard for Class V and is the hardest section of commercially rafted whitewater in the United States.
Tip a white water rafting guide between 5 and 20% of the overall cost of your rafting trip. Between $5 and $20 per person, is usually acceptable.
Texas whitewater rafting in the Hill Country rivers typically offers the opportunity to run some short whitewater rapids, small waterfalls, and across some boulder gardens. Bottom line - try white water rafting in Texas on the Rio Grande River in Big Bend or try tubing down the Texas rivers or kayaking.
The Grand Canyon is rated Class IV with few Class V rapids and numerous Class I – III rapids as well. Because options range from paddling and navigating the rapids as a team to riding along in an oar-powered raft, the Grand Canyon is a great rafting trip for people of all ages and abilities.
Colorado River, ArizonaThe Colorado River is not only the premier rafting destination in the U.S., but it's also one of the most sought-after trips in the entire world. With more than 226 miles of epic rapids to battle, you could spends weeks exploring everything it has to offer.
When it comes to family-friendly whitewater rafting in Arkansas, it's hard to beat Byrd's Adventure Center on the Mulberry River. Byrd's has all your Ozark-area rafting needs! If fun, relaxation, and adventure are what you seek, rafting, kayaking, or canoeing on the Mulberry River will provide it all.
The White River is full of diverse experiences to suit every taste on a rafting trip. A White River rafting trip is a step back in time following the footsteps of Western history. Born from snowmelt in the Colorado Mountains, the White River meanders over 175 miles to its confluence with the Green River in Utah.
The White River (origin to Bull Shoals Lake) meanders in direction from its headwaters near Fayetteville and up through southern Missouri to its reentry in Arkansas as it heads southeast past Cotter and Batesville. It runs through this mountainous region of the Ozarks before tumbling into the Delta.
Its volume is much smaller than the Missouri and Ohio rivers, with a mean discharge of about 40,000 cubic feet per second (1,100 m3/s).
| Arkansas River |
|---|
| • location | Little Rock, AR |
| • average | 39,850 cu ft/s (1,128 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 1,141 cu ft/s (32.3 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 536,000 cu ft/s (15,200 m3/s) |
The Arkansas River through Browns Canyon National Monument is one of the premiere class III whitewater rafting trips in the world.
Heavy rainfall rates caused the river to over flow its banks with an observed maximum depth of 22.29 feet (6.79 m).
LOCAL FISHING SPOTS.
- ARKANSAS RIVER.
- Arthur Lake.
- Blue Lake.
- CREEK FISHING.
- HIGH ALTITUDE LAKE FISHING.
- Upper & Lower Bushnell Lakes.
The Cossatot River is Arkansas's premier whitewater experience for kayakers and canoeists. When the water level is normal, the river's rapids are usually considered Class II-III whitewater. You can swim, fish and float through riffles and small rapids, from pool to pool, as you relax and enjoy the Cossatot.
Arkansas River, large tributary of the Mississippi River, rising in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains near Leadville in central Colorado, U.S., and flowing generally east-southeastward for 1,460 miles (2,350 km) through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas before entering the Mississippi 40 miles (64 km) northeast of
From half to fourteen day trips, we offer canoe, kayak, raft, and tube rentals with shuttle services available on the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek.
Five favorite floating spots near Fayetteville
- Buffalo River. The Buffalo River is without a doubt the natural treasure of the Ozarks.
- Mulberry River. The Mulberry River is another incredible river floating destination for Fayettevillians looking for a trip closer than the Buffalo.
- King's River.
- Illinois River.
- Elk River.
A float trip is exactly what it sounds like — you float down a river atop a tube, raft, kayak, or canoe, enjoying the scenery along the way.
Thirty-three rivers are generally recognized as passing through Arkansas or along one of its borders; more than half of Arkansas's rivers also enter or run along the borders of other states.
Rivers.
| Name of River | Total Miles | Miles in Arkansas |
|---|
| Arkansas | 1,460 | 445 |
| Black | 300 | 200 |
| Boeuf | 230 | 45 |
| Buffalo | 150 | 150 |
What to Bring on a Float Trip
- Your Vessel of Choice (This can be an inner tube, raft, canoe or kayak. Don't forget an air pump if necessary.)
- Tube Repair Kit.
- Dry Bag.
- Bungee Cords.
- Ziplock Bags.
- Umbrella.
- Towel.
- Waterproof Cell Phone Case or Floating Phone Case. Float Trip Safety.
Bighorn Sheep Canyon extends just east of Salida to Parkdale, a killer fishing spot 12 miles east of Cañon City on Highway 50. Millions of years of erosive power have sculpted the canyon into sheer, towing cliffs easy visible from the road and the river.
YES. Remember the river water used to be snow, now coming off the peaks of the nearby Colorado mountains. Temperatures can be 30 degrees and above in the early rafting season and get up to 55 degrees in the late rafting season.
