We did a 1/4 day float with three kids 7-11. We all had a great time! Independent Whitewater was a well run operation. Everything was clean and well maintained. Safety First! read more

Great float trip! Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept us very entertained. This a great float for families and those looking for a relaxed river trip. Beautiful views the entire time. I highly recommend this company. read more

I took my daughter and her little brother for a couple day trip to Salida to go whitewater rafting for her 16th birthday. We had never been rafting, so we did not know what to expect. It was a fabulous day. The weather was perfect, and our guide, Jimmy, did a great job. The experience was more than any of us thought it would be. My daughter said over and over throughout the day, "I am so glad I chose to do this." I would highly recommend Independent Whitewater to anyone planning to go whitewater rafting. We will definitely be going back next year. This time we will bring along the rest of the family. read more

Grant was a great guide! A lot of useful information and discussion that we really enjoyed during our 4 hours with him! Safe, informative, fun and the best guide out there! read more

These guys rock! The first time I rafted with them was three years ago with young kids ( 3 under the age of 13) and we had a stellar experience in Brown's Canyon. I came back with girlfriends this summer and we had a great time. Personable and solid river guides, excellent service and preparation and a really exciting experience. Book with Independent Whitewater and you'll have a good experience - go with the big corporate guys and you'll probably be disappointed. You get MORE river with these guys ( they have private property access), personable and experienced leadership and jovial hosting. The food truck at the end of the river run was a nice addition. read more

Highly recommend Independent Whitewater when I'm Salida! We had a group of over 120+ for work and they accommodated us and made sure we all had a blast! Our raft of 7 was guided by James and he was phenomenal and made sure we all had a blast and enjoyed our 12 mile trip! read more

We throughly enjoyed our time out on the river with Jeremy! He made rafting down class 3 rapids such a smooth experience for us first timers! All the guides were super friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining from start to finish! They really brought the energy for my whole group! Highly recommend! read more

Super fun time. Our guide Nic was amazing! She was very professional, charismatic, and cool. 10/10 would recommend booking with Nic. She was very knowledgeable about the area and it's history which enhanced the experience very much. I hope she sees this review because she really was awesome. Thanks Nic! read more

Our Independent White Water trip with Nic as our guide was awesome! Nic's is a Pro, and the most funny. Highly recommended!

Half day trip down Browns Canyon was fantastic. Going with IW meant we got two more rapids past where other companies pull out of the river--the biggest & best on the trip. Our guide, Bible, was great--friendly and professional, made the trip really enjoyable. This is the way to go! read more

It is a really fun rapid place and the guides are super nice I totally recommend going here if you wanna go whitewater rafting

Joe was an excellent guide - lots of fun! We did the family float which was perfect with the kids. Easy and safe for youngest (5 yr old) and splashy enough for our oldest (9 and 10years old). Highly recommend! read more

Independent Whitewater - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Salida, Colorado

We rent inflatable kayaks here every year and every year they act like they are amazed that someone wants to rent one. The owner has always been super nice in the past and gives us tips on how to manage the kayaks. This year he again acted like he was surprised that anyone would rent a kayak and when I asked him a question he said "I thought y'all knew what you were doing". Rude. I just asked a question. Hope he was just having a bad day, because we will probably rent from there again since it is so convenient to put in just across the road from him on the Arkansas. The kayaking was amazing. Can't wait to go back, hope he's having a better day next time. read more

We floated with IW last week on vacation. Great trip!! The guide, Mike, was very knowledgeable about the River and area. Gave me the best fishing tip I received all trip. He was also great with my kids and made it one of the highlights of the trip for them. Josh M. read more

Great outfit! Great time! Thanks Emillio and Wilson! read more

Independent Whitewater - Good times! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Salida, Colorado

I have never been whitewater rafting before so Sunday was my first time and I will definitely be coming back to Independent Whitewater! It's a small company and everybody there is SO nice and so patient. They make sure you know what's going on and what to expect during your ride down the river. They have a little gift shop and they take awesome photos while you're coming down the river as well. You can rent a wet suit, boat shoes, anything you may really need and might have forgotten and for a reasonable price. Kelli was our guide and she is amazing. She made our trip fun and pointed out things we passed while going down the river as well. I will definitely be back, and definitely asking for Kelli by name! read more

What an amazing first experience! The staff was helpful, friendly and very professional - John our guide was knowledgeable and direct in his instructions, safety first! I would highly recommend them. read more

Independent Whitewater WAS FABULOUS! They have wonderful staff, Mike the owner is Great! * They have a campground that you can camp in if you are rafting * Great assistance from the staff...very accommodating * You can rent shoes, wet suits, or anything that you need. * Our guide was AWESOME * Photos are available for purchase after of the whole raft (a must) We will definitely be making this a yearly event! THANK YOU INDEPENDENT WHITEWATER!!! I encourage everyone to experience rafting down the Arkansas River with Independent Whitewater! read more

Independent Whitewater - Pictures of yourself rafting!!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Salida, Colorado

Very professional staff, well organized. Went through training in case of emergency on the river, felt very comfortable. Rafts were great, wore wetsuits since the water was so cold, had everything we needed ready to go. Jason, our guide, was great, told some funny jokes and got us down the river safe and sound. This was our second trip with IW, great the first time and great this time. read more

Could not recommend this rafting outfitter more. My husband and I went on a morning Brown's Canyon Bonus Half Day and had a wonderful experience. Our guide, Joe is clearly killing it in the rafting tour game as you will may have noticed if you read any other reviews. He was super nice, laid-back, welcoming and entertaining the entire trip. I was trepidatious after a scary experience on the water and he made me feel safe at all times. Security is truly all you want on a rafting trip, but his information about the canyon, positive attitude, and concern for our enjoyment put the experience over the top. Everyone that we encountered through the day was very pleasant and helpful from the person at check-in to the person who gets your gear for the river. As someone who grew-up in a touristy town, I look for a more authentic experience when I travel and I appreciated the less-commercialized, "local" atmosphere of Independent Whitewater. read more

Such a fun day! We did the half day browns canyon trip and we had so much fun!!! Exciting the whole time but manageable for most ages. Our guide was James he made our trip SOO fun and exciting. He fit right in with the fam and we loved all his jokes. He was so knowledgeable about every twist and turn and rock around here. If you are going to go out ask for James he's the best!!!! Cannot recommend him enough:) read more

Independent Whitewater - James! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Salida, Colorado

I took my 12 year old son and 14 year old daughter here, and we had a blast! Logan was in charge of our raft and did a phenomenal job leading our group, while calming and encouraging those who were nervous. This group also provides you with 2 extra miles of rafting, including two level 4 rapids. It was an awesome trip and worth the money! read more

Yesterday we had a rafting trip and had a wonderful time! When we arrived the team was very welcoming and helpful answering all our newbie questions. Our tour guide, Caroline, was fabulous. She was so knowledgeable and entertaining. She gave us lots of information about the area and the rapids. When we returned, they had hot chocolate and heaters ready for us. Only constructive feedback is that they could have used a bigger clothes changing space, so we didn't have to wait in a long line. Overall it was a great experience and we would highly recommend Independent for your rafting trip! read more

Second trip on Arkansas after using Wilderness Aware the first time. Would use these guys from now on partly because they can go 2 miles further down river than the other services on the Brown's Canyon trip due to having a private access for take out. Gives you 2 more challenging rapid sections. Our guide Jay was very good and was a really nice, chill dude. Had a member go swimming and he handled it very well and we got them back into the boat quickly. A great time on the river! read more

Let's go I-Dub! We had an awesome experience with Independent Whitewater this past weekend. When booking I was a little overwhelmed with choosing among the many rafting outfits in the area but I am so glad we went with IW. Upon arrival the staff was friendly and helpful. We were quickly outfitted with gear and got ready to go. The safety talk was informative without being too scary (a few members of our party were a little nervous). We were assigned our guide (Jimmy!) and were soon on the water. We chose the Brown's Canyon half day trip and while we expected rafting, we didn't expect the scenic tour as well. Jimmy balanced keeping us safe, keeping us informed, and most importantly keeping us laughing and having fun. His instructions were clear and he expertly navigated us through the rapids while pointing out local points of interest along the way. Booking with IW got us two bonus rapids and our group thought those were some of the best rapids of the trip. Would highly recommend Jimmy and the whole IW team to anyone looking to raft in the area! read more

This is a great company with fun guides to take you down the river!! Excellent time!!

We went on a full day Browns Canyon trip with Cam and were thrilled with every aspect of our trip. The crew is friendly and chill, and our guide Cam totally rocked. We somehow got lucky enough to have a raft with just him and the two of us, and he kept us entertained and safe the whole day. He was so confident and capable running the raft, and at the same time personable and interesting to talk to. We're already trying to figure out when we can go back! read more

Great rafting company that isn't swarmed by the hoards of camp kids or tour busses. The staff was friendly, personable, and not uptight. The best part is that this rafting company is the only one in the valley that adds some extra rapids to the bucking Numbers river section. More time on the river at the same cost as other outfitters. I loved it. read more

Had a fun rafting experience with Independent. Our guide, David "Mike" AKA Matthew McConaughey, made the trip really fun. They have their own place to get out of the river which gives you another two miles compared to every other rafting company. read more

We took a family trip on the last day of the season! We had sooo much fun with Colter as our river guide!! He was very knowledgeable, professional and great at instruction and encouragement. His personality also made it super entertaining with interesting stories and funny anecdotes!! Enough to make any mom proud!! We will definitely go with Independent Whitewater again!! read more

Had a very pleasant float half-day float on the Arkansas with Independent Whitewater. The outfit is organized, everyone was friendly. Good equipment. Haley was our guide and she was super friendly and very knowledgeable. We finished up the trip at the Drift Inn bar and grill . . . I hope to be back soon. read more

Did the full day Royal George float. Could have not asked for a better trip. Flint was the man who got us safely down the river. Best guide ever. Full of information/history of the Arkansas River and surrounding area. Can not wait to do again. read more

Our daughter's first whitewater rafting experience and it won't be her last, thanks to our wonderful guide Grant! Glad we listened to the locals recommendation and happy to support a local home grown company! We will be back for another great adventure soon! read more

We had an absolute blast here! We did the brown run and it was thrilling. Bible, our raft guide, was absolutely fantastic. He kept cracking jokes and made our ride even better than I could have imagined. Everything about this place is golden, and I enjoyed it so very much read more

If your looking for a great whitewater rafting experience use Independent Whitewater!!! This was our first time whitewater rafting so we did the PM half day Browns Canyon and had a blast!! Our guide (Grant ) was very knowledgeable. Everyone at Independent Whitewater was nice and helpful during the entire process from checking in to purchasing our photos. We definitely want to come back and experience this again. read more

We did the half day family float with our 5 and 9yr old kids. Logan was our guide and was very friendly and skilled at what he does. He let the kids paddle even if they were paddling in the wrong direction. He encouraged them throughout the float and told them what a good job they were doing. This was our first experience and we loved it. We definitely will be back and hoping to do a little more challenging trip with just the adults. I highly recommend this company and Logan as a guide. Thank you read more

Awesome experience! This was our third family trip over the last ten years with Independent Whitewater. We've been with little ones, teens and now young adults. Every guide we have had were super knowledgeable about the river and FUN! Yesterday's trip was our first time to take The Numbers and that was the best! Bub, was great! We wouldn't want to go down the river with anyone else. read more

Thanks to our guides Cheers and John for a great trip!! I was on John's boat, I have to say it was a great boat! The some of the staff at the warehouse getting us ready seemed less than excited about life but that is their problem. We did a full day with lunch provided which was perfect. Water was moving fast and we covered a lot of ground. We will be back to use this outfit again! read more

Horrible company! They only care about your money, not your safety or rafting experience. One person in our group of 8 had to cancel last minute because they had COVID-like symptoms and didn't want to possibly infect anyone. Despite the fact that the loss of one person did not affect amount of rafts or company personnel involved in the rafting trip, they refused to provide any refund whatsoever and were rude when we inquired about it. The rafting outing was so-so, but the horrible way in which we were treated makes this a company that no one should do business with. Save yourself frustration and book with someone else. read more

We had an awesome family experience on the browns canyon trip. From start to finish you could tell the entire IW crew enjoyed what they did and were there to keep you safe and to have a great time. Emilio was an awesome guide and was excellent with our two kids (11 and 9). 100% we will come back to the IW trip again! read more