What's so great about Echo Canyon?

Good question! Not all rafting companies are the same; you've already figured that out. Luckily, we have some pretty good competition which pushes us to be even better. So what do we have going for us?

Our Raft Guides Shower!

They actually do, and on a fairly regular basis (maybe not everyday, but let's not get crazy). All humor aside, we look for guides who will represent us well and give you the best rafting experience possible. We have the most comprehensive guide training program in the state. We also screen our guide applicants heavily; last year we took in about 180 applications and hired only a dozen of those applicants. Our guides must also increase their wilderness medical certifications before advancing to Trip Leader and Class IV guiding positions. So no matter what trip you're on, we have staff with lots of medical knowledge just in case the unexpected happens out there on the river.

Our Office Staff know Everything about Everything!

Or, if they don't know the answer they'll make something up that sounds good! Most of our reservationists live right around here. So they're happy to take calls and help you figure out what else is fun to do in the area for your family or group. We'll also tell you the most scenic ways to get there, what roads to avoid, and if there are any top secret discounts to save you some bucks. They'll look up the weather forecast for the day you plan to raft, give you the inside scoop on the current river conditions and you'll probably ask for that same reservationist the next time you call. You've got a friend with our reservationists. Oh, and they know lots about our raft trips, too!

Our Equipment doesn't Stink!

You'd be surprised, but one of the most common complaints we hear from our guests who have rafted elsewhere is, "My life jacket smelled like B.O." Gross. We have a gear washing and replacement program set up to make sure our life jackets, wetsuits, river shoes and everything else is washed and deodorized so you can inhale the fresh Colorado air and not the funky smells of your gear. We have an on-site commercial washing machine for wetsuit gear, and get this, our owner actually routinely walks out to where we store the wetsuit shoes and sticks his nose inside to make sure our staff is cleaning them on schedule. I don't even put my nose in my own shoes, but you've got to respect that dedication to providing top notch gear.

Those are some of the reasons we think you'll like us. We can always do better and we'll continue to pursue that elusive 'Perfect Raft Company in the Galaxy Award'. Until then, we'll listen to your comments and suggestions; feel free to always tell us what we need to be doing better!

When's the best time to raft for kids, grandmas and adrenaline-crazed adults (who act like kids)

This is one of the most common questions we receive from our guests. We hate to answer the question this way, but it depends! What does it depend on? Well let's look at a few common groups who join us for Colorado whitewater rafting and we'll go from there...

Families!
Families with young children are typically looking for easy to moderate whitewater rafting that will be a fun introduction for kids, offer some excitement, but not end up with a bunch of black and blue tattoos from the experience. So they want to get splashed and see some rapids but they don't anticipate Grandma leaning over the bow of the raft screaming, "Bring it, Arkansas River. That last wave was pitiful! Show me a REAL rapid!" For this group, we recommend joining us in mid to late May, or early July. May finds the river beginning to rise and awaken from its winter slumber. We see pretty good rapids although the river water is pretty cold; often in the 50's or low 60's. The great thing is that we see hardly anyone else on the river! Early July sees the river coming down from the seasonal June high water. We still have great rapids and the river is beginning to warm up (usually in the 60's) along with the air temperature. From mid-July through mid-August we see moderate water flows which do offer consistent family-friendly rapids (not big rapids, but you still get wet) and warm water temps (upper 60's to low 70's), but this is the height of tourism in Colorado and you'll feel this on the river!

Green-horn Adults!
OK, so you don't have kids, but you don't want your first rafting experience to be a mind-bending, traumatic life-altering experience involving a number of out-of-boat experiences. We understand where you're coming from. Consider either a family-class trip, like Bighorn Sheep Canyon, booked during our seasonal high water. Memorial Day weekend through late June typically sees the highest river flows of the season, and therefore, lots of excitement. The family-class trip is a very exciting ride, but a section that first-time rafting adults absolutely LOVE! Or, think about a Royal Gorge trip early May through mid-May, or anytime from early July through Labor Day weekend. This will get you into some class IV adventure-class whitewater but at a time of year when the river is flowing only moderately; not at huge levels.

Adrenaline-crazed Big Kids!
So you're an adult (or at least you're able to assume that role when necessary), you've rafted a bunch and the idea of falling out of the raft into a big rapid sounds enjoyable to you, when should you join us? The Royal Gorge in June. That's pretty much it. June is the month when the Arkansas River is going to be at its peak. June 12-15 is historically when the river will peak (last year it peaked at well over 5000 cubic feet per second, or cfs; today it's running at around 300 cfs). The Royal Gorge offers some of the biggest hits and most continuous whitewater in the state of Colorado. Here's the catch; if the river gets above 3200 cfs the state comes in and closes the Royal Gorge to commercial rafting. But don't worry! In this case we alter our trip to a section of Bighorn Sheep Canyon that at the same level is NOT family-friendly, and is therefore right up your alley.