River Runners
River Runners
5
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About
This River Runners outpost is located at the put in for Browns Canyon National Monument. Walk from your car to your raft. Choose from beginner, intermediate and advanced whitewater on half-day, full-day and overnight rafting trips.
Buena Vista, Colorado
Awards
Travellers' 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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
609 reviews
Excellent
566
Very good
26
Average
9
Poor
5
Terrible
3
dorine100
Dallas, TX6 contributions
Jul 2020
My friend's and I just completed the 3 day over night adventure where we did the numbers/brown;s canyon and the royal gorge with over night camping. Kaleb and Erin were our guides and they were fantastic! We had amazing meals and took great care of us. Erin kept us on the raft during our class 4's on the gorge. Both guides were accomadating and worked hard for us 5 all 3 daysl I'd highly recommend river runners for your rafting needs- and don't forget to tip your guides !
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.
Hi Dorine100, We're glad you were able to experience the 3 Day Ultimate and had such a fantastic time with Kaleb and Erin!
Written November 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen
1 contribution
Jul 2021
We did the Bighorn Sheep Canyon rafting at Royal Gorge (Canon City) with River Runners. The folks at the information and ticketing center were nice and friendly. The guides were real nice and entertaining during our drive to the starting point. Our guide, Brie, was awesome (I am sure others are too). She provided us fun facts about the canyon, the surrounding places, the arkansas river and the rapids that we were about to raft through. She provided us clear instructions as to when to row and when to enjoy the calm waters. She also recommended where our kids could get into the river for a swim and helped them back, our kids totally enjoyed it infact they got into the river several times.
I would recommend river runners and will surely do the Bighorn Sheep or try the royal gorge rafting when we return to Colorado Spring.
I would recommend river runners and will surely do the Bighorn Sheep or try the royal gorge rafting when we return to Colorado Spring.
Written July 18, 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.
Ivymd
Denver, CO11 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
I have always wanted to go whitewater rafting, and finally we had the opportunity to do it with the whole family. We had the best guide possible: Shelley, who kept us safe and happy throughout the trip. It was everything I could imagine and cooler! She had a lot of experience and encouraged us through the 10 miles we travelled. It was amazing! The place is beautiful, it was a great adventure and we learned a lot about rafting.we recommend River Runners to anyone who want to have a more hands-on experience in the great outdoors of Colorado!
Written July 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.
Hi Ivymd, Thank you for the awesome 5 star review! Shelly is an amazing guide and always delivers a fun trip! Glad your family was able to experience whitewater rafting in beautiful Colorado. Sincerely, Becky
Written November 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephanie S
Pflugerville, TX1 contribution
May 2021 • Couples
Our first rafting trip, May 26, 2021, and we can’t wait to do it again. RiverRunners was a great value and included wetsuits, which we didn’t realize we would need, but the water was cold! We had to reschedule our entire Colorado trip due to a family death. RiverRunners made it easy to do so and didn’t charge any change fees. Dillion was our guide and tried to tailor the trip to each of our preferences- keeping us timid ones away from the rough areas but encouraging the brave to get out in the water for a bit. He provided clear instructions and I felt safe. Can’t wait to take our family back to Colorado.
Written May 30, 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.
Jill F
1 contribution
Aug 2021
Hands down an amazing experience. Patrick was the best guide- not only was his humor on point and his sarcasm hilarious- but he really made the adventure about our sons who are 7. He made them laugh and feel comfortable, really made the experience about them and having FUN. We will absolutely come back for another round with Patrick! THANK YOU for doing good at what you do!
By the way Brantley & Wyatt say HI!
By the way Brantley & Wyatt say HI!
Written September 1, 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.
amswain517
Denver, CO9 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
From booking to buying our package of photos before we left, our experience was smooth, seamless, and top notch!
We had a group of 8 and we all got checked in online before arriving for our trip so we didn’t have to hassle with last minute paperwork. Our group was able to all be together in one raft and there were 4 other rafts in our large group.
When we arrived we were fitted with our gear and had a safety talk by the lead guide for our group and we met our raft guide.
Finn was THE BEST guide for our group and if you can, 10/10 would recommend to request Finn as your guide if you’re ready to have the best experience and belly laugh your way down the river while learning some cool facts/history of the area. Additionally, Finn guided us through some gnarly class 3 rapids and even when things didn’t hit exactly as planned kept his cool and kept us all safe. His knowledge and abilities as a guide were fantastic.
When we finished our river trip and made our way back to the outpost our photos were ready for us to view and purchase and they were the best quality. The process of ordering photos was easy and we never felt any pressure to buy. I appreciated the laid back atmosphere of all the employees at River Runners.
We had a group of 8 and we all got checked in online before arriving for our trip so we didn’t have to hassle with last minute paperwork. Our group was able to all be together in one raft and there were 4 other rafts in our large group.
When we arrived we were fitted with our gear and had a safety talk by the lead guide for our group and we met our raft guide.
Finn was THE BEST guide for our group and if you can, 10/10 would recommend to request Finn as your guide if you’re ready to have the best experience and belly laugh your way down the river while learning some cool facts/history of the area. Additionally, Finn guided us through some gnarly class 3 rapids and even when things didn’t hit exactly as planned kept his cool and kept us all safe. His knowledge and abilities as a guide were fantastic.
When we finished our river trip and made our way back to the outpost our photos were ready for us to view and purchase and they were the best quality. The process of ordering photos was easy and we never felt any pressure to buy. I appreciated the laid back atmosphere of all the employees at River Runners.
Written August 5, 2023
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.
Thanks for the awesome feedback and 5-star review.
Written August 14, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brandi M
8 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Such an incredible morning on the water! This outfit had the friendliest staff and everything ran right on time. Reasonably priced, conveniently located, easy check in... the whole family had a blast! We had Jack, who really made the experience memorable for my 12 and 13 year old boys when he let them "guide" the boat for us. Will definitely return for the Royal Gorge raft!
Written August 6, 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.
We are glad you had an incredible time with Jack. Thanks for the 5-star review! -Travis
Written August 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susan R
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
As a family we were trying to have a positive experience with a level I/II family float.
Unfortunately for us 90 seconds from the launch our guide flipped 3 of us out. Intentional - probably as we were approaching the end he yelled to a co-worker on the bank," well I only flipped 3 out". Would not recommend this company,Guide did not seem to know how to steer the raft, went down the river backwards quite a bit, no history given of the area other than to say where he camped when he first came to River Runners, and to point out the only guy to get fired 3 times from River Runners for saying really bad things to the guest. I don't think our guide took the safety of his passengers seriously. Needless to say, the experience was horrifying to all and has done nothing but re-enforce the fear of rafting. Never Again is what was said by all in our party.
Unfortunately for us 90 seconds from the launch our guide flipped 3 of us out. Intentional - probably as we were approaching the end he yelled to a co-worker on the bank," well I only flipped 3 out". Would not recommend this company,Guide did not seem to know how to steer the raft, went down the river backwards quite a bit, no history given of the area other than to say where he camped when he first came to River Runners, and to point out the only guy to get fired 3 times from River Runners for saying really bad things to the guest. I don't think our guide took the safety of his passengers seriously. Needless to say, the experience was horrifying to all and has done nothing but re-enforce the fear of rafting. Never Again is what was said by all in our party.
Written July 17, 2024
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 Susan, Thanks for your feedback. This is not the type of experience we are going for and I will be showing your review to the guide staff to help prevent this from happening in the future. I do not think this is the type of experience the vast majority of our guests have, but that does not change what you went through and I'm sorry for that. Again, thanks for letting us know and we will try to do better. -Travis
Written July 26, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joe Beckman
United States8 contributions
Jun 2020
We floated the Arkansas River under the Royal Gorge Bridge with Kelly (morning float). The float was incredibly well organized. It was a quick van ride to the put in point for a 2.5 hour float.
I've done multiple whitewater rafting trips across the country, including several when water was at 80+ year highs. I've been in a raft of 8 with 5 guides (water at 95 year high) when we ALL got dumped.
AK River here goes through a gorge that is relatively narrow. It runs pretty much constant 2-4s until you pass the River Gorge Bridge. There are several longer stretches of 3-4 combinations, including a number of "stalls."
The trip is a BLAST. Our raft had four, including a couple whose first rafting adventure was the day before. Kelly is perhaps the best guide I've had. He got us cleanly through every single 3-4 combo with no spills or stalls.
We **will** be back!
** Like most rafting companies, helmet, life jacket and paddles are supplied. They also offered wet suits (declined) and a waterproof long sleeved shirt (accepted, and definitely a good call given the style of the river.) Expect to get wet!!! That's part of the fun!)
I've done multiple whitewater rafting trips across the country, including several when water was at 80+ year highs. I've been in a raft of 8 with 5 guides (water at 95 year high) when we ALL got dumped.
AK River here goes through a gorge that is relatively narrow. It runs pretty much constant 2-4s until you pass the River Gorge Bridge. There are several longer stretches of 3-4 combinations, including a number of "stalls."
The trip is a BLAST. Our raft had four, including a couple whose first rafting adventure was the day before. Kelly is perhaps the best guide I've had. He got us cleanly through every single 3-4 combo with no spills or stalls.
We **will** be back!
** Like most rafting companies, helmet, life jacket and paddles are supplied. They also offered wet suits (declined) and a waterproof long sleeved shirt (accepted, and definitely a good call given the style of the river.) Expect to get wet!!! That's part of the fun!)
Written June 18, 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.
Hi Chicago_Joe_64, Thank you for your awesome detailed review! Kelly is definitely the best and one of our most senior guides. We'll be sure to share your kind words with him. Looking forward to taking you rafting again! Sincerely, Becky
Written November 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jack W. S
Willis, TX12 contributions
Jun 2021
There were 5 of us scheduled for a 3 day raft trip which consisted of putting in at Numbers, next day was Browns Canyon and 3rd was Royal Gorge. This place is fabulous!!!! The first 2 days we had Kelly & Austin as our guide and gear boat handler (& more). Patrick took us down Royal Gorge and I can't say enough wonderful things about these people. All of them made us feel safe and comfortable as well as kept of amused.
I will say, if you do not like sleeping in a tent (in the complete wilderness) this may not be the trip you want to plan. I quickly discovered I was a wimp so I got a motel the second night. But that is all on me....nothing they did wrong at all.
Highly recommend this place whether it's half day, full day or more...total professionals.
I will say, if you do not like sleeping in a tent (in the complete wilderness) this may not be the trip you want to plan. I quickly discovered I was a wimp so I got a motel the second night. But that is all on me....nothing they did wrong at all.
Highly recommend this place whether it's half day, full day or more...total professionals.
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.
You can bring phones. Not advisable, but you can do it.
For pictures on the river, you would be much safer to buy a few single use cameras. That will be more expensive than photos taken on your phone, but if the raft tips, you've lost a camera worth a a few bucks, as opposed to a few hundred.
Written September 17, 2019
River Runners at Browns Canyon is about 2 hours (114 miles) southwest of Golden, CO via Hwy 285 South.
Written March 17, 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.