This rafting experience was the highlight of our CO vacation! As soon as we finished, my 3 teens said it was awesome and they want to come back and do this again. Riley, our rafting expert, did an excellent job of guiding our raft through the rapids and gave us clear rowing instructions. He also narrated the trip w info about our beautiful surroundings as the river cuts through the gorgeous mountain ranges. The level 3-4 rapids was a thrill and perfect height of adventure for our group. We had floated only level 1 rivers and didn’t quite know what to expect with level 3 & 4. We enjoyed every minute, never felt like it was life threatening (thanks to the mastery of our raft expert), and just had fun. As we approached each rapid Riley told us the funny name and level of the rapid, what to expect and the plan to navigate it. Everyone knew the plan and we worked like a team to successfully ride through. We loved the anticipation of the level 4’s especially, like when you know the biggest drop is coming on the biggest roller coaster in the park. The river was surprisingly clean. I booked w Raft Masters because their half day Arkansas River/Royal Gorge trip enabled us to experience adventurous rapids appropriate for a family w teens, the youngest being 14. I read ALL of their reviews and now I see why they get good reviews. They were well organized and their raft experts are more highly trained than what is required by the state, as they have their own robust guide training program. Our family felt fully confident w our raft expert, which is why we had such a good experience. Some logistics: You don’t bring or carry anything on the raft so they have lockers for your change of clothes, car keys etc. You will need 3 quarters. You check in, choose a helmet, and wait in a shaded area w seating. Staff then gives you a life vest and an expert adjusts the straps for a tight/safe fit. You take a bus to the river. I think it was about a 20-30 min ride. Royal Gorge riders are dropped off first, and Big Horn Sheep riders (those w small children) go further up the river. They unload the rafts and we got started right away. It says the raft length is 2-3 hours. I think we finished in just under 2 hours, possibly because we were avid paddlers. You load back on the bus are are driven back to Raft Masters. The building where you check in has private individual changing rooms. The building in the parking lot has male/female group changing rooms. Photos are one for $35 or all for $55. I got 10+ very good photos.