Whitewater rafting is, bar none, one of the very best outdoor adventures for a large group. The shared experience of running a whitewater river is one-of-a-kind, the sort of thing you and the rest of the gang will likely remember forever. At Echo Canyon River Expeditions, we offer some of the best group rafting trips in Colorado, courtesy of decades of experience, the highest safety standards, and the sheer caliber of the mighty Arkansas River and its water.
We offer multiple itineraries perfect for group and family whitewater rafting on the Ark and can help you combine river-running trips with other awesome activities in Colorado’s stunning Royal Gorge Region.
What to Consider When Booking With a Large Group
The primary considerations when planning for group rafting experiences are the skill level, physical abilities, and any special individual needs of each member of the party. As with any outdoor activity, you’ll want the outing scaled to the least-experienced, least-fit participant to make sure everybody has a safe and enjoyable time.
This isn’t any sort of roadblock to a fun, fabulous time across the board: Whitewater rafting is doable for a wide range of ages, experience, and physical-condition levels, and time spent together even on mild, beginner-level whitewater tends to be an incredible time indeed!
How many people can be in a whitewater-rafting raft? At Echo Canyon River Expeditions, we usually aim to place roughly six to seven rafters in each boat—not counting the guide who’s stationed in each of our rafts. During lower flows, we typically go down to four guests in a boat.
More often than not, though, we’re shooting for six to seven rafters (again, not counting the guide) in each craft throughout the rafting season.
Best Group Rafting Trips
The Arkansas River, among the most fabled whitewater streams in the Rocky Mountains and the country as a whole, presents easily some of the best whitewater rafting in Colorado for families and other groups. And here at Echo Canyon, we’ve been running trips on this superb river since 1978, making us a great choice for a group whitewater rafting adventure.
Besides an absolutely ace team of river guides, you can expect super-friendly, extremely helpful customer service at Echo Canyon: Our reservation staff is happy to help you plan and organize large parties, and will walk you through the check-in process upon arrival. We can also help you pair other activities or catered meals with whitewater trips so that your group has the complete Colorado experience!
Where is the best place to go whitewater rafting as a group? Among our varied itineraries, we take group bookings for our Scenic Float (on the Upper Bighorn Sheep Creek Canyon), the Bighorn Sheep Canyon, and the Royal Gorge.
All things considered, the Bighorn Sheep Canyon trip is the primary go-to choice for most parties, given it caters to the widest range of adventure-level preferences. This is a middle-of-the-road, sweet-spot kind of whitewater trip, which is typically what most groups are after the right amount of mid-grade rapids-running action set against some marvelous scenery and rich potential for wildlife-watching.
That said, more adventurous groups can certainly aim for higher-adrenaline itineraries such as the Royal Gorge: We just need to confirm that everybody involved is fit and in good shape for the section we’re rafting. We’re always open to accommodate your needs and preferences when it comes to a group rafting outing!
Enjoy the Best Group Rafting Trips on the Arkansas River With Echo Canyon River Expeditions
Book an adventure that everyone in your group will cherish! Echo Canyon offers a diverse range of rafting options tailored to accommodate large groups.
