We had an amazing time this morning doing the half day kayaking tour on the Gunnison River. It just so happened we were the only 2 people signed up, so we effectively had a private tour. I kayak quite a bit, but mainly on flat water, so the guide (whose name I sadly cannot remember) gave me a lot of paddling hints and taught me a lot about reading water conditions and how to approach water features. I will definitely be putting her advice into practice at home. My husband, who is less experienced, also had a wonderful time. I could not recommend this experience more! read more

We had the BEST time on our half day family rafting trip on the Gunnison River while we were visiting from AZ. Daniel and Gordon were both wonderfully friendly people to work with and get to know and made the whole experience so easy and pleasant!! We had our 11 year old and 3 year old with us (and 3 adults) and we weren't sure how the kids would do, but they absolutely LOVED IT!! They even jumped in the water at one point AND even got to help row a bit. :) We cannot wait to go back to CO and spend more time on the river. If you do a rafting or paddleboard trip, make sure to stop in Paonia for some yummy ice cream after at Ollie's! :) read more

Western Slope SUP - some fun pics from our adventure! can't wait to go back! - Paddleboarding Near Me - Hotchkiss, Colorado

I've taken two trips with Western Slope SUP: a 10-mile rafting trip with a family of five and an 8-mile stand up paddle boarding one with my wife. Daniel, the owner, led the rafting trip with support from a second river guide. The North Fork of the Gunnison was extremely high and fast-moving with snowmelt, so the rafting expedition flew above the rapids, giving us ample opportunity to enjoy the amazing natural beauty. A highlight was coming across a tree with nine or ten blue heron nests, many of which had heron chicks poking their heads out at us as their parents circled overhead. Daniel was wonderful: highly competent, helpful, and full of knowledge about the river and its ecosystem. The stand up paddle boarding trip was intense in the best way for our first time stand up paddle boarding on a river. The river was moving at perhaps a dozen miles per hour, but our river guide, Bobcat, provided ample instruction and practice before we set out, as well as excellent coaching and river guidance throughout. A highlight was an archaeological site halfway through where he showed us petroglyphs at the oldest human habitation site in Colorado (13,000 years old!), along with a series of vastly older sauropod fossil footprints. Bobcat was a terrific guide, and his deep love for paddle boarding, the river, and the natural environment couldn't be more infectious. 10/10 would paddle board with him any day. Both trips were excellent ways to spend several hours under the gorgeous Colorado sky, and I'm especially excited to go stand up paddle boarding again; it's incredibly fun how close it makes you feel to the river that's mere inches beneath you. read more

There was no guide available for a 1/2 day river tour. Rented a couple of inflatable boards and headed out to Crawford State Park. Which was breathtaking view and perfect for paddling along at 6600 feet. Easy rental, great tutorial on set-up, super friendly and gave great directions on where to go for SUP and lots of other tips on local happenings. read more

Book a full day SUP River trip after visiting area wineries the day before. It was just my wife and I on the trip and we had a great time. Lunch was provided on the side of the river and was excellent. This was our first time paddle boarding on a river and learned a lot of great skills. The full day trip is worth it for the lunch, extra hike, and longer sup tour. Great scenery! Saw a Bald Eagle on a cliff! Great conversation! Great experience! read more

This was a great guided experience. Our guides were so professional and made our whole group feel so good. The scenery was outstanding and in a whole new quiet part of Colorado we had never been to before. How awesome! read more

Affordable and easy SUP rentals! Great location on the main road in Hotchkiss with easy access to Crawford State Park. Polite, nice, and courteous staff gave easy to understand instruction. Highly recommend! read more

My teen son and I wanted to break up our long drive, and what a great way to do it on the Gunnison River with Western Slope SUP. Website reservations were simple, and they were ready for us - great service all day. After suiting up with lifejackets/helmets and driving 15 minutes to the river, our guide Ben gave us THOROUGH safety and riding instructions, and we were off. Paddle boarding that section of the river is 80% peaceful where you can visit and enjoy the surroundings, then 20% challenging (for beginners) negotiating the rapids. My favorite discovery was kneeling during the rapids which made them MUCH easier, so you can choose how much to be challenged. My son fell on one of the rapids, but remembered the training and there were no issues. Ben even had a couple short excursions from the river, making the day more fun. And cold vitamin water was waiting for us at the end! A half hour ride back to the shop and they offered pictures of us on the river - all photos as a package for $25 - cheaper than risking cameras on the water. All in all a VERY reasonable and wonderful excursion! read more

My brother and I did the 1/2 day paddle-boarding trip. Daniel was a patient teacher and a very knowledgable guide. My brother is a trivia hound and he answered all of his questions without breaking a sweat. We had a blast!! The rapids are no problem in a kneeling position. Standing during the rapids is more challenging but it easy to switch between the standing and kneeling positions. It also more of a workout than I expected. We were very glad that we booked with these guys! Their website functioned very well for automated booking. Plus, there is a neat coffee shop next door that we waited at because we arrived early. read more

I just completed a trip down the Gunnison River with two grandchildren 11 and 13, both city kids, thanks to Western Slope SUP. Our guides Daniel and Landon could not have been more fun, more organized, more helpful or more patient. Plus, the local food they cooked up was terrific. I can't thank them enough for making our two-day paddle enjoyable, safe and easy. We all learned a lot about following a leader and becoming more competent on our boards. And the kids want to do it all over next summer! read more