Whitewater Rafting
Want to feel the rush of taking on the river and feel the unique exhilaration of being covered in cool mountain water on a hot summer day after conquering a series of big drops or a rough stretch of rapids? Telluride has good news for all you adrenaline junkies! You don’t have to wait for winter to get your fix, there is plenty of awesome whitewater rafting near easy-to-reach Telluride. The Colorado, Animas and Gunnison Rivers, are only some of the waterways near Telluride that are just waiting for you to come play on. One of our favorite areas is the famous Black Canyon of the Gunnison River, great fishing, some exciting rapids, beautiful scenery; this stretch is not to be missed.
Another good spot is the San Miguel River. It is a tributary of the Dolores River, running about 90 miles long in southwestern Colorado. The San Miguel River rises in the San Juan Mountains southeast of Telluride, flowing northwest, until it meets the Dolores in western Montrose County just east of the Utah state line. Great whitewater rafting is located on the San Miguel, only 15 minutes from Telluride. This is a great spot for families and beginners with Class II and III rapids throughout. Go just for the day or for a few days and campout in the wilderness. The San Miguel River is one of Colorado’s best kept secrets, it’s truly one of the most beautiful river runs in the state with gorgeous timber lined red rock walls running along the river.
The Dolores River flows for more than 200 miles through southwestern Colorado, starting high in the San Juan Mountains and descending to its confluence with the Colorado River near the Colorado-Utah border. The Dolores River is known as the “River of Sorrows,” but don’t let its nickname fool you, the Dolores is among the best whitewater rivers that you can run in the United States. A bit more challenging than the San Miguel River, the Dolores is known not only for being adventurous, but it’s famous for the amazing history contained within the confines of its beautiful red rock canyons. The Dolores River flows along the northern edge of the homeland of the ancient Anasazi, a cliff dwelling culture thought to have flourished from approximately 500 A.D. to 1300 A.D. The ancient Anasazi appear to have been a fairly advanced culture with evidence of their extensive trade and irrigation networks remaining along with their famous ruins carved from cliffs throughout the four corners area, with Mesa Verde being the most well known. In the canyons all along the Dolores River you can see haunting examples of their petroglyph rock art and even some remains of their cliff dwellings. Going even further back in history, you can even find dinosaur tracks in the rock around one area of the river.
There are many great whitewater rafting outfitters in or very near Telluride and with the coming of each spring, any of them can show you how to make the most out of Telluride’s massive snow pack melt. With spring, comes peak runoff that swells the nearby streams and rivers, and makes for one heck of a good time to be had on the river! The Telluride area offers everything from wild rapids to a laidback float. We’re blessed with a fairly long rafting season, stretching from late May into October, plenty of time for you to come explore the numerous rivers here in the Telluride area.
