1/4 Day Family Rafting In Durango

Overview

Explore Durango’s Lower Animas River on this half-day family rafting trip through town. The Lower Animas is a popular river for visitors and locals alike. Get a unique view of Durango through the rapids, savor a river side snack and experience the scenic beauty south of town. Paddle along with the guide or sit back and relax as the guide does all the work. Learn the history of the region and stories of local traditions as you experience Durango, Colorado river rafting. Rafting on the Lower Animas in Durango offers a great mild trip option for ages 4 and up.

City: Durango

Tue 22 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $75.21

Make a reservation

Tue 22 Oct

Starting at $75.21

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Pre-trip safety orientation

River and land access fees included

Round trip shuttle from main office

Free Parking

Free splash jackets and helmets (if desired)

Highly maintained equipment

Trip Leaders average 2,000 river miles

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum age is 4 years
Wet-suit and wet-suit boot rentals are highly recommended through June

What To Expect

Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours

This is the meet location for the tour.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (422)

cleverhousewifeblog

Jul 2018

I was so looking forward to our rafting experience as it was my first time, and the first time for all of my kids. I came in a large group of about 45 and the majority of us had a horrible experience. My husband has done a lot of rafting (even the 19 day Grand Canyon) so he knows what it's supposed to be like. We were so disappointed with our Animas River rafting experience because the water was simply too low to raft it. We were stopped constantly by rocks, to the point where our guide had to get out and make us all shift to one side of the raft so he could get it off of the rocks. I'd say he had to get out at least 30 times to do this. This was stressful and just not fun. There was only one rapid that made the kids squeal, and I'd definitely say it wasn't a 1-3 level rafting experience. The only people in our group who had fun were a group of 11 and 12 year old boys that didn't have any adults in their raft, so their guide didn't have to get out and get them unstuck. We paid a lot of money for a fun time and it just wasn't. Our guide was friendly and we liked him fine, but Mild 2 Wild should not be running the river, or should at the very least offer a warning of what type of experience it will be. Wish I could get a refund!

Response from Host

Jul 2018

We are so sorry you were disappointed with your trip. The Lower Animas River is definitely not anything like the Grand Canyon. It is a sampler, 1-3 hour rafting trip on a mountain river winding through our town. Luckily, Mother Nature is now cooperating with rain...and very kindly bringing it in in the early evenings so we can raft in the sun. The river is rising as we speak, unfortuantly, you hit it at the low point. We are glad you enjoyed Smelter Rapid. It is a very techinically and challenging class III rapid. As we recognized it was the lowest water level of the season, we offered free photos of your trip - happy you took advantage of that offer.

nationalparkfans2018

Jul 2018

Our family of four (2 adults, 2 children...11yoa & 8yoa) went whitewater rafting for the first time (in Moab) while we were visiting the national parks in UT. Since we weren't on a schedule, we called Mild to Wild the day before we wanted to go and, surprisingly, they had availability for the next day for their afternoon 1/2 day whitewater rafting trip from 12:30pm till about 4-5pm! However, shortly after making our reservations, we realized that because we were flying out the next day from Salt Lake City four hours away, it would be better if we could change our reservations to their morning 1/2 day trip instead so we could head out of Moab earlier and not be driving through the mountains to SLC at night. Again, surprisingly, they had availability and, luckily, we were able to change our reservations without any hassle! We ate breakfast before we arrived at their main office at 8:00am since no lunch is served for their 1/2 day trips and because we weren't supposed to be back until 12:30pm. Since they do not have lockers, we arrived already wearing bathing suits/quick-drying clothes to get wet in, left our valuables in our car but parked right in front of their building. They did offer to hold on to our car keys so we didn't lose them while we were on our trip, which definitely helped! Not knowing what to expect, the only thing we brought was a backpack filled with our water bottles since it was going to be a hot day but, as it turned out, none of that was needed since they provided a cooler filled with water on the raft! There were only 6 of us scheduled for the trip so, after we were briefed on what their safety rules were, we were then given our life vests (which was repeatedly checked to ensure it was on properly) and then got on their mini-bus for a 20-minute ride to where we got on the raft that was already on the river. Everyone from Mild to Wild that we encountered from the girl who booked our reservations to the crew that went on our trip, which included Sean, (our guide), Elena, Zack, Ann, and the guy who drove the bus (didn't catch his name) to the lady who handled our t-shirt purchases when we got back, they were all friendly, helpful and made us feel that we were in good hands, which we were! Sean was the only guide on our raft for our trip but he kept us informed about what we were seeing along the way and handled the raft with ease the entire time. Whenever he needed us to help row the raft, especially near/in the whitewater waves, he'd let us know with enough time so we knew what to expect and be prepared. We really enjoyed having him as our guide and thought his entire crew was great, too! The ONLY drawback from the whole experience was, unfortunately, since it hadn't rained in a while in that area, the river level was very low and the whitewater waves were only at a Level 1 or Level 2. Of course, this was out of Mild to Wild's control but we were still able to experience what whitewater rafting was like and loved it! In fact, we plan to go whitewater rafting again through them when we visit Durango, CO next year! Thanks, Mild to Wild, for a great first-time experience as it will always be one of our family's greatest memories! It also helps that your company hooked up with Moab Action Shots to get the perfect picture of us in action just as we were going through some of those Level 2 whitewater waves! A snapshot that we would NEVER have been able to get so thanks to them too for a great picture!

Response from Host

Jul 2018

Thanks for your review our our 1/2 day trip on the Colorado River in Moab. So glad you enjoyed the whole Mild to Wild Team! This section of the Colorado always delivers class I and II rapids for the most part, regardless of water level. It is one of our most scenic partial/1day trips of all going adjacent to Arches National Park. Soaking in the amazing and unique red rock scenery, along with cooling off in the hot desert is the goal! Can't wait to see you in Durango next summer. You may also want to check out Gates of Lodore. We think you would really like that trip option! Freel free to request Sean.

emilymansinger

Jul 2018

The rafting was our first time ever and Dillon made it a fantastic trip. We loved it and will come back to do it again. Money well spent! The entire staff was friendly, fun, and always safe.