Numbers Extreme Whitewater Rafting

Overview

Extreme Colorado white water rafting on the Arkansas River in Buena Vista is for experienced rafters or adventurous beginners in good physical condition. The Numbers sections offers some of the most technical white water rafting in Colorado. Be prepared for a full body workout as your professional river guide directs your group through each back to back rapid. Enjoy scenic views of the 14,000 foot Collegiate Peaks and cottonwood lined riverbanks between paddle strokes

City: Buena Vista

Mon 07 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $110.00

Make a reservation

Mon 07 Jul

Starting at $110.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional river guide

Transportation to and from the river

National Park fees

Use of helmet, personal flotation devices and necessary river equipment

Lunch on full-day trips only

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Minimum age is 14 years (increases at high water during late May and early June)
Section may close during high water (late May through early June)
Vegetarian and gluten free options available, please advise at time of booking if required
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Not available for pregnant women

What To Expect

Arkansas River

The most popular whitewater rafting river in Colorado.

Wilderness Aware Rafting

Meet at our riverside headquarters located just 2 miles South of Buena Vista, Colorado 30-45 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. Upon arrival our helpful staff will direct you on how to prepare for the day and will make recommendations about rental gear (wetsuits, splash jackets and river shoes) based on weather/ water conditions. After getting changed into your river clothes and receiving a comprehensive safety orientation, we will transport you about 15 minutes to the river put-in location. After paddling through 6 miles of the heart pumping rapids of the Numbers section you will either end your half-day trip and return to our office, or if you are doing the full-day trip you will enjoy a riverside lunch. The full-day trip then continues into the technical class III-IV Narrows section and ends at our office take-out. Don't forget to view your photos before saying good bye to your guide!

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (35)

Gina R

Jul 2021

Let me start by saying we have used this company every year for past 10 years and always had a great time so I considered this was maybe a fluke and I waited weeks before deciding to write this review...but it's still bothering me. We did half day Numbers (me, my husband, 17 yo daughter and her 17 yo boyfriend). We had another Father and his adult son with us. The 17 yo's chose to sit up front and our guide (his name was "Dude") said that the people up front needed to be good paddlers. We got stuck on at least 2-3 rocks (one for almost 15 min) that we probably shouldn't have even hit. It felt like his steering/planning wasn't great. "Dude" pulled us over to yell at the kids and even cussed at them using the F word. I'm not offended by the F word in general but don't cuss at my kid using it. It was totally unprofessional. After the 2nd rock we were stuck on, I asked if we should maybe switch them out since CLEARLY he was pissed at them and he snapped at me with a "NO!" At this point everyone in the boat was uncomfortable. If you really want the stronger people in the front then why wouldn't we switch...and at that point the kids just wanted to get out and go home anyway. The other crappy thing about the "half" day was that we had to be there by 830a, didn't leave for the water until 915 and the numbers is so fast it was only 90 min at most on the water. Not their fault but don't bother with a half day...go for the full day. Also, at the end when we pulled over to get out, there was a Father and his 2 young sons fly fishing by the beach and our guide basically rammed into one of the kids trying to get to the beach without even asking them to move over or saying excuse me. That Dad was pissed. I will admit that my daughter's boyfriend had never rafted before and maybe got confused a few times early on but he's a 17 yo football player who is strong and figured it out quickly. If you're going to expect more from your paddler's then don't let them sit up front, and maybe increase the min age to 18. I guarantee my kids did better than any 14 yo's who are allowed on this trip but maybe they get cussed at too. We just all felt like he got us stuck on the rocks, then couldn't figure out how to get us UNstuck, and then got mad at us for it. The rest of the staff there were AWESOME and friendly and we've always had great guides before but we'll probably go with another company next time.

Response from Host

Jul 2021

Gina, Thank you for the review. The Numbers section is for advanced paddlers and demands aggressive paddling. While your opinion is understandable from your perspective, the safety of your group and the others on the raft was paramount. The teenage paddlers were not following instructions and quit paddling several times which resulted in the incidents you mentioned. The guide navigated you and your family safely with no incidents other than getting stuck. We are sorry you didn't enjoy this trip and we do take pride in delivering a high quality product. We appreciate that you had been rafting with us before and hope you will give us another opportunity in the future.

757brettf

Jul 2021

You'll find many rafting companies in the area and we chose Wilderness Aware. And I'm sooo glad we did. We've rafted in other parts of the country and this was by far the cleanest and nicest one we've ever experienced. The restroom/changing room was extremely clean and spacious. They're well organized so you're never in doubt about each step leading up to getting on the water. The gear, from the helmets to the rafts, are in nice shape and not past it's useful life. I can't say enough great things about our river guide Wes C. He's everything you expect and hope your river guide to be. Awesome at navigating the river through the rapids, funny, knowledgeable about the river and the area, and best of all, we never doubted he would get us down the river safely. You can't ask for anything more in a guide.

NYGRL06

Jul 2021

I booked the Browns/Numbers trip two weeks earlier on my way to Salida. I was so impressed by the staff (as well as the reviews), I decided that this was the group I wanted to raft with. Connor was our guide July 2 for the full day trip. Neither Connor nor the adventure let us down. In comparison, Browns was quite a bit more tame than Numbers, but it was a great way to start the day. Connor's comfort with the river, his engaging smile, and great personality just added to the great adventure going through those crazy rapids on Numbers. We ended up soaking wet, but were smiling ear to ear the entire day. THANK YOU!. Can't wait to raft with you again next year.