3 Day Gunnison River Family Whitewater Rafting Vacation

The Gunnison River is a great family adventure!

We pack your rafts and gear to the river by horseback.

If you are looking for a river trip that combines some of Colorado's best big canyon wilderness, whitewater and trout fishing, the Gunnison Gorge is for you.  It is located just downstream from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose, Colorado.  The 13 mile section we run is one of Colorado's ten Gold Medal trout streams and has been proposed as a National Wild and Scenic River.  Elevation at river level is about 6,000 feet with canyon walls rising over 1,500 feet above.  The Gunnison Gorge offers exciting Class III and IV rapids in an extremely narrow canyon.  We negotiate these in paddle powered rafts with 5 or 6 passengers and oar rafts with 2-3 persons, and carry all camping gear with us to a remote campsite. Releases from Crystal Dam insure good water flows throughout the summer.

Your three day trip allows plenty of time for hiking scenic side canyons, trout fishing and enjoying unspoiled camping. The Bureau of Land Management limits passengers to a group size of 10. This means an un-crowded wilderness experience for you.  This is a rugged and beautiful area.  The only access to the river at the start of the trip is via a steep 1 mile long trail that descends from the canyon rim.  You will need to hike down this trail to the river carrying your personal gear in a waterproof bag with shoulder straps (provided by ADRIFT).  All personal gear must fit into this bag and should not exceed 30 pounds.  Rafts and other boating gear are carried down the trail earlier on horseback.

Fishing in the Gorge can be excellent, with both rainbow and brown trout.  Best season is July through September.  Fishing is restricted to flies and lures, the number and size of fish that can be kept are limited. We urge you to catch and release. A Colorado fishing license is required and it along with a wide assortment of flies can be purchased at the trip meeting place.

Adrift provides all rafting related equipment, guides and meals from first day to last day lunch.  If you have any dietary or medical restrictions please inform us.  Afternoon summer temperatures range from 75 to 95 with lows between 40 and 50.  May and early June trips can have cooler temperatures.  Brief afternoon thunderstorms are common.