Updated: January 30, 2026
Take a whitewater rafting tour near Colorado Springs for family-friendly thrills and beautiful scenery.
Head outdoors for a family-friendly whitewater rafting or fly-fishing trip and experience a thrilling adventure sure to bring you closer together. With numerous rafting options available, ranging from calm, scenic floats to thrilling rapids, overnight rafting and fly-fishing options, Arkansas River Tours offers something for all ages to enjoy. As the original Arkansas River outfitter, Arkansas River Tours has more than 50 years of excellence and an unmatched safety record. Browse the list below and select the perfect trip for your family!
Offered in both half-day and full-day tours, Bighorn Sheep Canyon Rafting is perfect for families and those looking to get into whitewater rafting. Encounter numerous rapids, including two in the first mile, and incredible geological formations throughout the trip. This is their most popular trip and offers something for the entire family, with the minimum age requirement being 7 and up.
Young children, grandparents and those looking for an introduction to rafting will enjoy mild whitewater rafting on the Cottonwood Family Float. This tour offers opportunities for swimming, spotting wildlife and admiring the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. Suitable for ages 4 and up!
Hop into a boat of your own on the Inflatable Kayak Adventure, available as a half-day and full-day tour and suitable for teens 13 and older. Prepare to get splashed as you paddle through whitewater rapids in Upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon. On this stretch of river, you’ll paddle past rock gardens, canyon walls, giant boulders and stunning, untouched natural scenery with the possibility of bighorn sheep sightings.
Expect nearly continuous whitewater action from start to finish on the Royal Gorge Rafting Tour. Surging through canyon walls that rise more than 1,000 feet overhead, this iconic stretch delivers punchy waves, powerful drops and scenery that never lets up. Available as a half-day or full-day trip, it’s a high-energy Arkansas River experience for families with rafters ages 14 and up.
Arkansas River Tours offers several multi-day rafting trips in Colorado. The Multi-Day Family-Friendly Arkansas River Whitewater Rafting Trip through Brown’s Canyon and Bighorn Sheep Canyon boasts two or three days of whitewater rafting. It is the ideal introduction to multi-day rafting for families. The trip includes an evening of camping beneath the Cotopaxi Cliffs, fishing, playing horseshoes and relaxing around a campfire.
Soak up the sun, float along the water, and experience some of the fastest fly-fishing on the Full-Day Arkansas River Fishing Float. Raft to prime fishing areas for the opportunity to catch 10-16 inch brown trout and regain your energy with a riverside lunch. This exciting trip is also available as a half-day excursion.
Learn the art and joy of fly-fishing on a Gold Medal river with Orvis-endorsed anglers! Designed for beginners and seasoned anglers alike, you’ll wade into the Arkansas River with expert guides by your side. Learn to read the water, improve your casting and reel in beautiful brown and rainbow trout. Walk and Wade Trips are available for ages 12 and up, with half-day and full-day options. All necessary gear is included, making it easy to jump in and enjoy the experience.
Rafting
Arkansas River Tours49311 US Hwy 50 Unit B
Canon City, Colorado 81212
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