We may have a impromptu trip to meet my daughter with family in Colorado in mid July. Looking for recs for a whitewater rafting trip for family with kids 13 10 8. We would like decent water but something that age could handle.

Posted and unintentionally hyjacked another thread

Denver might be a meeting site and will do the Durango Dilvertom train on way home to Texas

Suggestions ?

You may be in luck this year. Generally the peak of white water rafting is late June to early July. But early reports say that the season is being delayed because late May snows and colder than average weather in the mountains.

There is a difference between white water rafting (lots of rapids) and float trips. And often there is an age and height requirement for white water. So don't know if a float trip might be more appropriate. White water often requires a wet suit.

Brown's canyon out of Salida on the Arkansas is very good for white water. Further down stream is the Canon City area. You can get decent float trips out of Idaho Springs just west of Denver and out of Glenwood Springs on the Colorado. Glenwood Canyon is very scenic.

If you get around Durango you will have other options. Every major river has type of rafting or floating activity.

If you're going to be in Durango for the DSNGR anyway, why not do your raft trip on the Animas. It goes right through Durango and the kids are not too young. It includes some class III rapids so more interesting than a float trip. You may even be able to find a package rate combining raft and railroad.

We booked a flight for Denver from July 24-28 and will be heading over the Estes Park for some hiking with also a pre booked rafting trip in Ft Collins area. Looking for recs for food and potential lodging in Estes Park area and Denver. No kids are coming but will meet stepdaughter and her boyfriend from California.

We did a rafting trip out of Ft. Collins last year. Really enjoyed it and it was a bit more aggressive (IMHO) than Browns canyon, but there are variables (water levels etc.) that play a role.

Who did you pre-book with in Ft. Collins. I have some concerns about the group we used and will share them if it is the same org.

A wonderlust adventure I think is the name of the rafting company

We are looking at two nights in Estes Park area and two nights in Denver area but haven't secured lodging near Estes Park because options seem limited and we may look for a VRBO or also another area to spend our two nights in a Mountain area

Not familiar with that company but it isn't the one we used. The one we used did not have the best safety policies, IMHO. One of our rafts was filled with elderly women (and one younger female). Some of these women literally had trouble climbing stairs, much less rowing. One woman fell out 2x, including when their entire raft flipped. Now, both of those events could have happened to anyone, but notably only happened to them. IMHO they should have broken them up so there was a mixture of able bodied persons.

If it's not too late, I'd recommend Noah's Ark in Colorado. We've had a number of their guides work for us in the past and they were top quality river guides and excellent with youth.