Arkansas River Valley

Lakota Guides provides wonderful river adventures on the Arkansas River through its sister company Colorado Rafting Adventures. Our Arkansas Base is located along Highway 24 just minutes from the river. This operation is in little town of Nathrop which is just south of Buena Vista, CO.

Browns Canyon is located on the Eastern side of the Colorado Divide It’s approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from Vail and includes 11,836 acres of the San Isabel National Forest. Browns Canyon was designated a National Monument in 2015. The 21,586 acres of pristine forests, canyons, and rivers is home to Colorado’s premier destination for white water rafting.

Browns Canyon is located between the communities of Buena Vista and Salida in Chaffee County, Colorado. The canyon’s elevation ranges from 7,300 feet to 10,000 feet. The canyon offers a backdrop of stunning views of the Arkansas Valley and the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. The Sawatch Range is home to the famous Collegiate Peaks. These peaks have some of the highest mountains in Colorado towering above 14,000 feet in elevation.

Full Day or Half Day Trips

Our Browns Canyon Full Day and Half Day River Adventure features a 10 – 16 mile river journey and the opportunity to experience Colorado’s finest whitewater. Brown’s Canyon is considered by many to be one of the best sections of whitewater in the world. The Arkansas is a pool drop river famous for its exciting rapids and calm stretches. It offers breathtaking Colorado scenery while cruising classic Colorado whitewater. Our awesome guides will take you through famous rapids, such as Zoom Flume, Big Drop, and The Toilet Bowl.

Between the class III rapids, you will have time to relax and catch your breath as you get to know your guide. You can learn more about the majestic views all around you and even have some swimming opportunities. Keep your eyes peeled for the protected wildlife. This beautiful, remote canyon offers calm waters great for families, groups, first- timers, and even experienced whitewater rafting enthusiasts.

The Numbers

For those that want high adventure, the Arkansas River above Browns Canyon features the famous Numbers Pine Creek whitewater section. This adventure features constant, challenging whitewater within a granite gorge of the Arkansas River. This trip offers continuous, action-filled rafting with pour-overs and steep drops, with notable rapids such as House Rock and Frog Rock. This is a class IV – V adventure and prior experience and good physical fitness is recommended.  We offer both a Half Day Numbers Rafting and a Full Day Numbers Pine Creek Rafting.