As first-time rafters with two skeptical teenage girls in tow, we weren't sure if we were about to…read morebond... or just bounce off some rocks. But Austin was our fearless rafting guide and part-time therapist--who calmed nerves, cracked jokes, and got us paddling in no time. From the very first splash, Austin made us feel safe and slightly more athletic than we actually are. He coached us through the twists and turns of the creek, and somehow convinced our teens that getting absolutely drenched and paddling for their lives was the best day ever. Miracles do exist. We glided through hidden stretches of the creek like pros (or at least like enthusiastic amateurs with great lighting), hollering with joy and soaking up every second of the adventure. Even the "hold on tight!" moments felt like a ride at a theme park--but with better views and less screaming. 10/10 would paddle again. If you're looking for an unforgettable family outing full of laughter, nature, and just the right amount of "we might flip but only if you don't do what Austin says", he's your guide. He's part guide, part hype man, and all-around river legend. Bring snacks or a picnic lunch for after an early morning trip, bring sunscreen (and put it on BEFORE you get a wetsuit. Rent shoes when you check-in ($5/person). Your family will thank you for this adventure (once they stop laughing and wringing out their socks).

I rarely leave negative reviews, but our experience on the July 2 beginner rafting trip was…read moredisappointing enough that I feel others should know what to expect. The day started with what appeared to be a major organizational failure. Instead of sending individual beginner groups down the river separately, the company combined two beginner groups into one massive group of approximately 16 rafts. Having that many inexperienced rafters on the water at the same time created congestion, confusion, and raised serious safety concerns. Unfortunately, those concerns proved valid. One person in our raft fell into the river twice during the trip. While rafting always involves some risk, our guide, Lily, appeared completely unprepared for the responsibility of leading a beginner group. We were told it was her first time guiding, and it showed. She struggled to give clear directions, could not project her voice well enough for everyone in the raft to hear, and often seemed unsure of how to effectively manage and direct the boat through the rapids. Beginner rafters depend on their guide for instruction and confidence, and that was lacking throughout the trip. What was even more concerning was learning that the company had to borrow guides from other rafting companies just to have enough staff for the day. In fact, our bus had to exit the freeway so one of the borrowed guides could be dropped off at his own employer to start his shift. That alone speaks volumes about how unprepared the operation appeared to be. The final frustration was the length of the trip. Our beginner trip departed at 9:00 a.m. and did not return until after 2:00 p.m. More than five hours for a beginner rafting excursion is excessive, especially when there was little communication explaining the delays. I understand that outdoor activities can be unpredictable, but the issues we experienced were not related to weather or river conditions. They were the result of poor planning, inadequate staffing, and questionable operational decisions. The river itself was beautiful, but the overall experience was overshadowed by safety concerns, lack of organization, and poor communication. I hope management takes a serious look at how these trips are staffed and managed before someone gets hurt. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend this company.

The zip lines at AVA were super fun and the people are really nice. We had Megan and Blake as our…read moreinstructors, they were so funny and helped us have lots of fun on the zip lines. We rode on top of a truck up a mountain to the first line. AVA is so funny and I would definitely recommend doing it if you have time!

My group and I had a disappointing and confusing experience with a zip-line instructor. We had…read morebarely left the first tutorial line when one of our instructors began acting rude and short with us. We only made it halfway through our group before one of us got stuck on the second line. It took a few minutes to get them unstuck and over to the other side. After that, with no warning, the instructor told us to follow him and said we were going to hike back to the rest of the group. When I asked if something was wrong, he gave me no response. Once we rejoined the other half of our group, our other guide explained that our trip was being cancelled and that we'd need to hike back down. This was shocking and disappointing to all of us--especially the children in our party, who had travelled from out of state and specifically picked this zip-line as the thing they most wanted to do in Colorado. It wasn't worth the long drive just to get up there and have the plug pulled on us with no explanation. I will say the front desk was very kind and helpful. After hearing our account of what happened, they issued us a full refund. Overall, it was a disappointing trip that left all of us confused about what went wrong.

We did the beginner part of the river and it was wonderful! It was a great introduction for those…read morewho haven't gone rafting before! Our guide was lovely and provided not only river safety and fun but also fun facts along the way. The picture we got were beautiful! Would definitely recommend!

Had a great time on the Intermediate Trip today with our guide, Rusty!…read more And it is so awesome that this company provides electronic access to your rafting photos for free!!! Highly recommend this company and our guide, Rusty! (And don't miss pizza at Beau Jo's afterwards!)

We went on the beginner rafting with Adam today. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the…read morearea and a very experienced rafter. Due to the recent heavy rainfall and snow melt the rafting seemed more intermediate than beginner but we were fine with that since we had all been rafting before. We all had a lot of fun and Adam let us know we could get a discount for going again since we live in CO- we might try the intermediate in the future Definitely recommend wearing a swimsuit underneath the wetsuit and also bringing a rain jacket - these items saved me! Also recommend bringing water shoes if you own any- (they have some for rent too) since water is very cold and your lower body will get soaked

Nice guides! Beautiful river. Was told this rafting was…read moregonna better than Glenwood springs we did last year and unfortunately we don't agree..... we were expecting alot more out of. It was fun but expected different.....

These guys make it so easy to enjoy the ride! shuttle up to…read morethe river, quick walk back to the shop. Lockers for all your gear. will absolutely be back again

We booked a trip for 2 down the river yesterday with the shuttle service. Staff was amazing, the…read morefloats were awesome. Afterwards out of curiosity I read the reviews on here and one off the 1 star reviews said "not fun at all, left with bruises". We also left with bruises, the river was lower, we both got flipped off our tube at one point and both got a couple bruises. But we laughed the entire time and had the best time ever! For 2 ladies in their late 40's this was an adventure we will never forget!! 10 out of 10 would do and probably will do again next time we are in town.

We had a spectacular day out in the water at Clear Creek. In town from TX visiting and we really…read morewanted class 4 rapids we had to settle for the beginner journey. They have a strict age requirement of 14 and our 12 year old made that a challenge. Having done class 3-4 at Royal Gorge I would say this did not disappoint. It was constant and continuous adventure. I would have loved to kept going longer but like all good things they do come to an end. The 1.5 hours was mot too short either don't get me wrong. If you are scared of the cold don't cheap out--get the extra gear to make your experience better. My wife and kids did the gear. Since we were here in July in the water at noon I toughed it out. Don't vet me wrong it was cold and at times what I would have done to be warm. I feel the cold splash is a part of the experience. Sitting in the front I was also glad for a pair of sunglasses. They say this is some of the best rafting they have had in awhile. What really made this exemplary was the staff. They made you all feel like family. Zak in particular was our favorite. He gave the right balance of safety and firmness needed for a guide. He also helped my 70 year old mother in law work through her fears and continue with getting in the raft. She was reluctant as she only has one hand. Zak calmed her and gave her options. My kids also loved the bus driver Max. Not so sure they loved him ao much it was more his dog Willow. If you want a great and safe experience do it with Mad Adventures where they make you feel like family.

Wonderful experience! Our guide Joe was excellent. I highly recommend asking for him if you are…read moretaking a trip. Also spend the extra $12 for the wetsuit, shoes and splash guard if the weather is cold.

Such an amazing trip so worth it I had younger kids and they loved it. Everybody had a great time.read more

Such an amazing experience. Boston was an awesome guide. And Amy was beyond accommodating after we…read moregot a flat tire on our way. High rec!

I had good time tubing but this big guy at the table out front named Hudson made me very…read moreuncomfortable. There was another one with curly hair who told my dad he could speak great Spanish but my Dad had no idea what he was saying. He said it felt like the guy was trying to flirt with him and it made him really mad and I agree with my father, its very unproffesional. The one short brown haired guy was extremely helpful which was the only good experience. The blond one told me it was a Lazy River and that he caught small fish but enjoyed the nature and wildlife.

Do not book with this company because there is terrible customer care. We booked 2 days with a…read moreguide and were told the guides would contact a week before the trip. One of the guides, Pete contacted us as was absolutely amazing. We learned about him taking his grandson fishing and even about his dog. Pete was in constant contact making sure we had all the info, directions as there is very poor cell service where we will be fishing. We even decided to bring special treats for his dog. The trip is scheduled for tomorrow and we are so excited, all our gear is laid out including 3 bags of dog treats. My wife and I left multiple messages with Golden River Sports saying it was for Travis explaining we were extremely happy about how wonderful Pete the guide for Wednesday is but not a word from the guide for Thursday. After days of no phone calls from Travis or GRS I called and explained we are not comfortable or happy about the lack of professional conduct from Thursday's guide or GRS so cancel Thursday but we are excited about how great the guide for Wednesday is. On Tuesday We finally get a call from Travis and he says has no clue about any of this he was just confirming our booking. I explained there is a big issue with professionalism and communication with GRS and we canceled Thursday but were very excited and were very impressed with Wednesday guide Pete. He stated " thank you for bringing this to my attention but I don't feel comfortable about sending my guide out with you. I said I'm just bringing this to your attention and love working with Pete. He said he was canceling our trip! At this point now I'm mad! I try to help this guy and tell him we have no problem with Pete and it's your company that has the problem. I then stated I better not see one penny charged on my credit card!!!so we drove here from Iowa, rented an Airbnb waiting to go on our bucket list fly fishing trip and paid all this money to squeeze in 2 days of fishing. Now I ask you would you want to trust your money or precious time with a company like this??? Buyer beware!