Went down Brown's Canyon with some friends last week. The water was low, but our guide James was excellent. In fact, he was probably the best guide I've ever had. We had a blast and he was super fun to hang out with. He knew what commands to call and we stayed off the rocks for the most part, when others didn't. If you go with River Runners, request James! read more

The river is low this season, but spirits were high over memorial weekend. The guides make or break a trip, and our guides were skilled and funny. read more

That river trip through Browns was amazing. Our guide Fin was a 10/10. He was hilarious, knew the history of the river/land and created such a smooth and fun ride. I would 100% recommend using River Runners. read more

Great overall experience with River Runners on the Numbers trip this past weekend. It was a lovely late-July day on the water, with some tricky navigating due to the season sunsetting into a milder whitewater flow. Our guide, Beck (aka Ms. Worldwide) was knowledgable and personable. There were three boats on the river in total and the guide team (including Tim and Killen (unsure of spelling, but it was not pronounced like the Irish Cillian)) was highly personable with great camaraderie. Seemed like they really enjoyed guiding together and working for the company. A jovial, knowledgable bunch. Which is what you want heading into a little death-defying-ish escapade! Our crew of strangers blended well together under Beck's guidance. She communicated very well through each rapids. I was unsure whether this rafting adventure would be either too campy or too risky, but for a comfortable outdoorsperson with some paddling experience, the Numbers trip was the perfect mix of adventurous and secure. There were no dunked teammates or capsized boats, but we did get stuck a little due to late-season exposed boulders. The RR team worked well together when we did, Killen hopping out to unwedge us like a champ so we could proceed along our mini-expedition. The trip took a few hours in all, close to 2 of which were in the water itself. The instructions were clear. The gear provided was solid. Tim's dog Connor was a good emotional support pooch on the ride over. The experience was well worth the cost. 10/10. I will ding the company on one front--they did have a photog snapping pics of us on the river, which were available for sale at trip's end. The price? $35 an image. I get the bottom line here, and for a large group pooling funds that might be worth it. But for 1-2 people snagging a single digital print? Hard pass. Overall, the trip was excellent and I'd highly recommend the company for trips on the Arkansas. Already thinking an earlier season, faster-flow trip with them is in the cards for next Summer. read more

Alex was a great guide on our raft. It was my first time rafting and he gave us a heads up on what was coming up and things to look for along the river. Our group felt safe and had an amazing adventure. Perfect for beginners and highly recommended! read more

What a blast! We rafted Browns Canyon with Major Paine (Captain Carnage) and Cargo, both expert River guides. The class two and three rapids were perfect for my first time and proved still challenging for my wife's second. We both had a really great time. River runners has immediate access to the "put-in" so there's no boat carrying like some of the other outfitters. We highly recommend river runners for your next trip down the Arkansas river! read more

Paul, our guide, was awesome. He's so laid back, informative, and an excellent guide down the river. Thank you, Paul!! The company had all the gear we needed. Even though it was a warm day, they appeased me by throwing a wetsuit into the raft in case I got too cold later. They were prompt with the start of the tour. We were amazed with the lunch provided during the full day guide. We highly recommend them. Have fun!! read more

River Runners Brown Canyon - Boating Near Me - Buena Vista, Colorado

Came out here today for my husbands birthday, had a snafu where one of our party members had to cancel last minute but the company was extremely accommodating and helped us transfer her waiver to someone else who joined us. We arrived an hour early as requested and we were immediately greeted by friendly staff. The little gift shop is great and all of their equipment was clean and appeared to be well maintained. We met our guide (John T) before the trip and found out we were lucky enough to be the only 4 in our boat. We were also the only afternoon trip booked so he asked if we wanted to set off early which we absolutely did!!! We all had a lot of questions while floating down river, all of which John answered graciously. He was very clear in his safety/trip instructions and had a friendly, charismatic personality which we appreciated. You can tell this place has staff that really enjoy what they do. While on our trip we stopped off to take a swim and the water was beautiful! The whole trip was a blast and John made sure everyone had fun we will definitely be returning THANK YOU RIVER RUNNERS! read more

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So it was a bit "sus" that all their reviews were 5 stars. I mean, c'mon! And here I go! 5 stars! It was an amazing experience. Plenty of info on what to expect ahead of time. Easy waiver process. Check in was fantastic. The lady at check in was pleasent, helpful. We came a tad too early, no problem...just hung out. Then there was the time to get ready. Travis our guide and another ypung lady were so amazing. My 7yo daughter was having anxiety about items being too tight. They were both empathetic but still made sure she was safe. They were so patient and kind. On the river, Travis rocked. Great humor, lots of history, patient and we knew we were safe. I was initially afraid to go whitewater rafting....but man if Im not ready to go again at a higher level. River runners is the truth! Amazing! read more

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I've done white water rafting in PA before and wanted to try it in Colorado since moving here. A family friend recommended this place. 4 of us booked "The Numbers" which orginally is a class 4-5 level rapids. THANKFULLY it was only 3-4 level the day we went (July 19th). It was a 2 hour drive for us from Denver, but well worth it. We arrived at 8:45am and departure was at 9:30. We booked a full day trip which included gear, and lunch. We got checked in and they brought us to the gear section where the guides helped you get either a wet jacket, helmet, water shoes, and or wet suit. We got on the bus shortly after and departed close to 9:30am as planned. We finally got to the loading site and the guided gave a quick safety instruction before getting onto our rafts. The rafts are designed way better then the ones in PA. There are slots to hold your feet so you don't feel like you're falling out of the raft. As soon as we got on the river we hit rapids- the level 4. Kinda scary but fun! Just keep paddling and listen to the guide. The guide was very knowledgable and kept telling when everyone should row and how. We only hit rocks a few times and not so bad. First part of the trip was a lot of rowing with level 3 rapidd and little breaks. Lunch was sandwichs (you have to say preference if you want veg only, chips, fruit, cookies, and lemonade. It was a nice spot with benchs and tables and views of the mountains. Second part was level 3s but a few breaks in between where you can chill. I highly recommend being an experience rafter at least a few times before doing this trip. Full trip was about 6hours. We got picked up shortly after last drop. Few things at center location is the male:female changing area is sketch. Everyone sees everything. Luckily I was mostly dry and didn't need to change much. Pictures from the trip were meh and didn't end up purchasing. The bar/grill next door is great. Right by the river....excellent margaritas!! Food is decent with a decent menu. We spent a few hours there afterwards. Overall amazing experience! Would do it again for sure. Worth the cost. read more

We did the one night overnight in Browns Canyon. Kenny, Claudia and Dominick were amazing! They were awesome raft guides and incredible at the campsite - cooking and cleaning up dinner and breakfast, and generally making us feel welcomed. The rapids were super fun and the scenery was gorgeous. Overall, a great, great trip and the overnight portion was the best part. Don't do the day trip, do the overnight! read more

Beautiful place and delicious food. I had the brisket tacos that were to die for. If you are in the neighborhood you should definitely stop by read more

After a very traumatic rafting incident (with a different company) a few years ago, I've been hesitant to get back on the floating horse again. Even if you're wearing a PFD, getting dropped into a rapid at 2K flows makes you wonder, "Why am I doing this for fun? Is this fun at all?" But rafting is fun! Especially when you choose a much more reputable guide like Santiago at River Runners. And if you wait until later in the season when the river is about half steam. Upon advice from a friend who used to be a river guide, I called ahead to River Runners and explained why I was nervous to try rafting again. They explained that they require their guides to be 2+ years trained, minimum. Other companies only require a few weeks of training. She also made notes in my booking to put me with a senior guide with even more experience. When we arrived to Buena Vista, it was the standard check in and prep. Safety training was much more extensive, as we were with a lot of families and older folks (because RR's is a safe choice when booking!). Santiago owns his own rafting/adventure property in South America and spends half of the year there, plus the other half of the year as a guide in Buena Vista. Having him steer the boat was so smooth, I never once felt unsafe. It definitely wasn't the most eventful rafting experience I've ever had, but I was looking to get back into things slowly. Next time I will go in late June-July instead of early August and ease back into the levels of rapids. So glad I went extra safe this time around and thanks to River Runners for helping me face my fears. read more

River Runners Brown Canyon - confirmation email with details on what to expect day-of - Boating Near Me - Buena Vista, Colorado

Amazing experience! Highly recommend! Guides are fun and very knowledgeable. Our group had an amazing time. Beks made everyone feel incredibly comfortable and was very informative. read more

We had a great time. Check in was fast and they got us geared up and ready to go. Our boat guide was Jake and he made it a lot of fun. Would definitely recommend them read more

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We had such an amazing time with River Runners! I was a nervous first timer who researched all the different rafting places and couldn't decide. I finally picked River Runners bc their price included all the gear (wetsuit, scuba booties, splash jacket, Pfd, helmet). We did the Brown's Canyon trip. I'm so glad we went with them. Check in was pretty organized, the safety talk was thorough, and our guide Austin was awesome. I had gone down the Google hole of rafting horror stories and deaths and was a little freaked out going into the trip, but I didn't feel unsafe even one time. It was "scary" enough to be thrilling and exhilarating without ever feeling like I might actually get hurt. One of the boats in our scheduled group time had young kids and another had over 60s and everyone did well and had fun. We rode the bus back after our float and they sanitized all our gear in a sanitizer dunk tank. The only negative was the picture pricing. $30 for one photo or $60 for all (approx ten photos, maybe half were decent). Pretty steep. read more

Run the Numbers, an adventure of a lifetime with family and friends. Rapids so jam-packed they were numbered instead of named. DEPARTS FROM RIVER RUNNERS BROWNS CANYON NEAR BUENA VISTA, CO. It was so easy to purchase tickets online, and he parking lot has a gentleman pointing at where to park. We had so much fun that we bought more ticket two days later. Our guide was the best!!!Also after your ride down the number a bus picks you up and brings you right back to the parking lot, gift shop, restrooms, and grill. read more

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Best rafting experience we could have possibly expected. Put in right on site. Had a very knowledgeable and engaging guide (Eric). Kept us safe, involved and entertained throughout. Very professionally run. A++++ read more

Super fun trip! Great staff - even though the water level was low the staff worked hard to keep the trip fun & engaging read more

River Runners Brown Canyon - Browns canyon - Boating Near Me - Buena Vista, Colorado

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We had THE BEST experience! Our guide was fantastic- he was personable and made sure our kids had a great time! We took my 7 yo daughter and then 13 and 14 yo sons. My daughter was accommodated and squeeled the entire trip. She was disappointed when it was over! read more

We had such a great time rafting browns canyon with river runners. They were organized and our guide Charlie was great! It was our teenage kids first time and this was a great river to get experience on. We are ready to book a full day trip with some more rapids after the great experience! They also have great river runners gear for sale that isn't normal tourist quality - it is solid. read more

These guys are legit! Best guides I've ever had. The snow pack and water levels didn't hurt.

Absolutely wonderful! I would definitely go back! Our guide was wonderful and the entire trip was a great experience! Would recommend to everyone! read more

We did a half day on class 3/4 rapids and I couldn't recommend the experience enough. The time flew by and it was over long before I was ready to call it quits. We were on the rapids for three hours, so that is more of a testiment to how much fun we had. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny and kept us safe on the river. It didn't take long to get the basics of paddling, and I quickly fell in love with rafting. I'll be back again and again. We are already looking at doing one of the over night rafting trips with this company. Phenomenal experience all around and the highlight of my Colorado vacation. read more

River Runners Brown Canyon - Phenomenal experience! They take your pictures towards the end of the trip, during one of the rougher area. - Boating Near Me - Buena Vista, Colorado

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Oh my goodness! This was SO much fun! Our guide was great and the route we took was amazing. It starts off slow but the river picks up and you're cruising down some great rapids. The facility that you start at is really great too - they provide a wet suit, helmet, and waterproof jacket. read more

This was a friends trip we will never forget. The water was high and fast and the weather was gorgeous! Rob is an amazing guide and we all had the time of our lives on the river. Thank you River Runners! It's now become a tradition... we will be back read more

River Runners Brown Canyon - Boating Near Me - Buena Vista, Colorado

They don't properly wash their wet suits, leaving you with a high risk of contracting ringworm by renting equipment from River Runners. Our guide even saw fit to make a joke about it. What they do to wash them is stir them all around at once in a huge vat with a stick. They use cold water and minimal suds. Looked like week old dish water. And the river boots I had to assume they don't wash them at all as they just had us put them in a bucket left to marinate. Then they hang them out to dry in the rain. The equipment was wet when we received it and sure enough, 2 members of our party caught ringworm. One of the people is still afflicted a year later. And it's not cheap to treat I can tell you that. River runners didn't even mention the risk of contracting ringworm until we were already out on the river when they saw fit to joke about how ringworm complaints have gone down since they started washing the suits. They weren't even washing them at all before covid, apparently. But I witnessed their washing techniques first hand and they were utterly dismal. read more

An amazing spot for family fun! The guides through the day were generous and helpful! Very grateful we decided to book rafting through your company read more

We did the 2hr raft trip on Browns canyon. Check on was timely. Life jackets, helmets and other gear was handed out efficiently. All groups gathered for a safety briefing that was thorough and humorous as well. Our rafting guide was Harrison. He did an excellent job navigating the many rapids. He was professional and personable and put everyone at ease. Great trip, highly recommend. read more

River runners is such an awesome spot in the Buena Vista area. Came here for my now husband and my combined bachelor/bachelorette party to raft and then have dinner and drinks at the bar and grill afterwards. Browns canyon is breathtakingly beautiful even when the rapids were a little lower so late in the season. The guides did an awesome job to make each boats trip customized to them. When we got back, the gear store had plenty of really trendy items to buy. The bar and grill are also an amazing venue in and of themselves, very well done, clean and so unique. The food and drinks were awesome. Would love to catch live music here sometime. Management was also so great as we worked with them for almost two years, as we had to postpone our event due to COVID. They honored our pricing and ensured they had plenty of room for our group despite being in the busy season. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Let me start by saying, Slader, our raft guide, was fucking fantastic. One of our friends ended up out of the raft, but she *chose* (like let's be honest, she fell out, by no fault of our raft guide), a great place because there was an inlet to kinda end the problem of her falling out of the raft. Slader then made sure we were all okay and safe before getting us back on the raft and into the rapids. My friend, Sharon, who fell off is already ready to go rafting again, and I'm convinced it's because of the amazing raft guide we had! Thanks Slader! I hope things work out with your lady friend in Florida, but please come back to guide every once in a while!! Y'all should bribe Slader to stay! Just saying... I'll request him every time!! He wants land in the valley! read more

We had a group of 10 (ages 9-49) with 2 boats and did the full day. Our family has always used RR but we had a particularly good trip this go around with many thanks to our guides: Paul & Shelli Wenzel. Both came with excellent experience and encouragement. I was grateful for the wet suits and jackets and shoe booties they provided to help keep us warm. Don't forget sunscreen (even for your hands!). One of my most favorite parts was the lunch spread they provided for us. Plenty for us all and really good! When we got back, we very much enjoyed the drinks by the river. read more

River Runners Brown Canyon - Boating Near Me - Buena Vista, Colorado

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Fantastic day! This operation is well run with knowledgeable (and nice) staff. We opted for the all day trip. We spent about an hour and a half on the river and then stopped for lunch. After lunch we finished up the last leg of the trip with another hour and a half on the water. Our guide, Jon T, was awesome and 100% has the best (vegan) buns in the business. read more

This company was recommended specifically because they offer rafting for young children so we were happy our 3 year old could participate. The family float offering is mostly class I rafting with a few class II sprinkled in. It is a 4 mile trip that takes about 2 hours and includes a stop if you want to freeze your ass off and swim a bit in the rapids of the Arkansas river. The river itself of very clear and you can take in the beautiful mountainous scenery as you float. Our guide was really friendly and knowledgeable and all the staff throughout the company was great to work with. After our rafting we did enjoy some tasty cocktails (river rummer was a winner), fish tacos and elk brats at the shoreline. There are a lot of rafting options in the area but this is a solid option. read more

Note: this is not located in Denver, it is at least 2 and a half hours away. Which I unfortunately figured out after I had booked my tickets online. Needless to say, once you drive all the way to Buena Vista, the rafting was really fun. Our guide Aaron was awesome. They have a really nice outdoor cafe with great fish tacos and beer when you finish rafting. read more

Very Professional Outfit We was a group of four couples all around fifty years old. We took the day long trip thru Browns Canyon without any prior rafting experience. All the folks at River Runners worked to show us all we needed to know and make us feel comfortable. Our guide Spencer made it so fun while keeping us safe. The lunch served was a spread of fresh meats, cheese and veggies for wraps. All made for a memorable day. Definitely the high light of our CO trip. read more

We were in Buena Vista for the 2018 Rapids Grass & Beer Festival and did the Freedom Float with Kelsey to top of the weekend. Kelsey was an absolutely incredible guide. The raft was filled with our group of 6 and we can be a bit silly and tend to goof off... she did a great job of maintaining seriousness where necessary while still playing with our personalities and making our experience one that worked for us. She let us do some fun "tricks" and let us get into a bind (stuck on rocks etc) so that we could learn how to get out. She let a few of us take turns being the guide and explained everything that was going on so that we could learn as much as possible and take away from the experience, as well. We loved it! read more

First time rafter (but previously a kayaker/canoe-er) and had a BLAST. We were the first of 3 boats with guide Erika (she and her identical, and also dread-locked twin both work at River Runners). Erika was maybe 90 pounds but damn if she didn't kick the river's ass! We did a half day trip which ended up being barely over 2 hrs due to the high/faster water, but it was still worth it. They have a small gift shop which shows pictures of your group taken during your trip (sold for $25!!! for a 8x10 or $50 for a CD...rip-off, especially since I brought my own camera with an underwater casing), and a small bar/grill overlooking the river which serves fish and chicken tacos, and beer and margaritas, which we didn't try at all. Highly recommended, and if I ever make it back to BV, I'll be certain to take a whole day trip with River Runners! I believe they also sell discount tickets to one of the area hot springs ($6 instead of $15 pp). read more

These guys are really great. I've rafted with them for two years now. The guides are very experienced (our guide mentioned that the most rookie guide on our trip had been in the business 7 years), the registration/sign in/rental process is smooth, and the reservations office is very easy to deal with. This is a HUGE plus - I've rafted with other companies and had the check in process be a mob scene when everyone gets there in the morning and needs to fill out waivers and get life jackets and helmets. That was not the case here - they were very well organized, especially considering how many people raft with them everyday. That alone deserves 5 stars! The trip itself was great - the guides were personable and funny and you can tell they enjoy their jobs. But they also took safety seriously, which was a good thing for one person in our group who had never rafted (yes, I feel bad that I took her on the Numbers for her first time, but she had a blast!). Overall, we've now had an awesome experience two years in a row. We're definitely coming back next year for Pine Creek! read more

My family of five recently used river runners for our rafting trip. After scouring the Internet looking for the best option we went with River Runner and it was absolutely perfect. By far the best choice. Due to our children's ages we did two rafting rides: one adult and the two younger kids did the family's float and the other adult and teenager did the half day browns canyon tour. The family float finished about an hour before the half day- so dad and kids hung out at the riverside grill and bar. The kids played in the sand pit with the toys and dad had some food and drinks. The scenery is amazing and service was outstanding. Alex was the tour guide for the half day and he was outstanding. We all had a blast! Highly recommend and if we are ever back out in the area we will return! Thank you for a fantastic day of fun. Our kids are still talking about it! Greg & Heather Pincelli read more