The wife and I went on the INTERMEDIATE trip with Downstream Adventures in August. Office staff was great and efficient, our safety lecture was complete, and out guide Curt could not have been better. Since the water was rather low they took us on the ADVANCED portion of the river. It was great, class 3-4 rapids, stopped to eat wild raspberries – a great trip. We highly recommend Downstream Adventures for your Idaho Springs/Black Hawk area rafting trip on Clear Creek.
Clear Creek Rafting - Full River White Water Rafting
Advanced level rafting (Class IV-V rapids)
Ages 16+ welcome
Full-day rafting tour of fun!
Whether you’re a rafting vacationer, or looking to spend an entire day in the stunning nature surrounding the Rocky Mountains, our full day rafting trip on Clear Creek is the ideal way to get outdoors. Challenge yourself with an invigorating 22-mile run with Denver’s incredible scenery to boot. Our friendly, expert guides will be with you every step of the way, so not to worry!
Highlights
Enjoy top-of-the-line equipment, including a wetsuit and splash jacket — all included in the tour price
Savor a delicious packed lunch in the Colorado wilderness with your friendly group and share favorite memories of the day so far
Reward your adventurous spirit with this exhilarating full day rafting experience — just make sure you are ready to do some serious paddling, since this tour is pretty wild ride!
Price
$185 per person
Difficulty
Advanced (class IV-V rapids)
Departure time
Every day at 8:45AM
Meeting point
Downstream Adventures
409 E Park Avenue,
Empire, Colorado 80438
Starting & ending points
Put in at Chicago Creek, Idaho Springs
Take out downstream of Hwy 6 and 119 junction (depends on water levels)
Availability
Late May until late-July
Our season duration is dependent on snow run-off. How much snow falls in the preceding winter directly affects the length of our season. Typically, the season will begin in the third to fourth week of May and last until the second or third week of August. Please note that this particular trip is likely not available during late summer due to reduced water flow.
Duration
6-6.5 hours total (usually between 4.5 and 5 hours on the water, and 30 minutes for lunch)
Participation requirements
Participants must be at least 16 years old. Participants must possess the ability to swim and be used to physical activity. You’ll need to partake in a lot of paddling since we’ll take on the rapids together!
Included
- Transportation from our outpost to the river and back
- Excellent white water rafts and safety equipment
- Wetsuit and splash jacket for each guest
- Custom-fit PFD (personal flotation device or life jacket) and helmet
- Dry bag for necessary items like medication
- Delicious packed lunch
Note: Neoprene bootie rentals are available for $5 per person.
What to bring
- Swimsuit or non-cotton shorts
- Shoes that can get wet and stay on your feet (tennis shoes or sport sandals are great)
- Sunscreen
- Dry change of clothes for after the trip
- Your excitement and enthusiasm!
For more information, check out our recommendations on rafting safety & basics.
About your guide
One of our certified and highly trained river guides will accompany you on your tour. Read more about our guides!
Embrace Colorado Adventure: The Complete Clear Creek Rafting Experience!
This run is approximately 22 miles of sheer white water happiness! On this full-day white water rafting trip, you will experience every section of our beloved Clear Creek. If you came to Colorado for a full-fledged white water adventure, then this is the trip for you! Escape your daily routine and spend the day in a wild landscape. Raft between towering canyons and valleys and keep your eyes peeled for mule deer, moose, and big-horned sheep. We dare you not to be in awe of the incredible wilderness!
Pure White Water Rafting Excitement
Our full-day white water rafting trip on Clear Creek is a real challenge and not for the faint of heart! A daring spirit and a sense of adventure are absolutely mandatory — no exceptions! Lower Clear Creek rafting is a real daredevil’s playground. We’ll work as a team and tackle intense rapids like Double Knife, Terminator, Corkscrew, and Hell’s Corner! On calmer stretches of the river, we’ll float through the picturesque landscape for an epic and unforgettable rafting experience.
You’ll be earning your fun on this trip, so we’ll stop to refuel with an awesome riverside lunch along the way.
Good to Know
Why Clear Creek?
Clear Creek has more rapids per mile than almost any other commercially run stretch of white water in the nation. Even the most seasoned paddlers can get their fix here!
Our location
Downstream Adventures is situated just 40 minutes from Denver, Colorado and less than an hour from Breckenridge, Boulder, Keystone, and Winter Park. You won’t find a better rafting trip so conveniently located!
What you’ll see
Clear Creek is a place of stunning beauty. Witness the remains of our rich gold rush history, including Argo Mill, once the longest tunnel in the world. Keep an eye out for exciting animals and admire the majestic Rocky Mountains.
Qualifications of our guides
At Downstream Adventures, we guarantee that all of our guides are highly qualified and experienced. Each guide has been certified in CPR/first aid and trained in life-saving swiftwater rescue techniques, and that’s just our minimum requirement! All of our full-time guides have surpassed the highest level of guide qualification recognized by the state of Colorado (level 3).
Safety
Our guides are some of the most experienced in Colorado and are skilled in Swift-Water Rescue and precision boat control. Of course, you are entering a wild and natural environment and there are risks involved, but we at Downstream Adventures take great pride in making trip safety our top priority.
Check out what our guests are saying
This is an extremely well-run outfitter! The office staff was knowledgeable and helpful, the guides were top-notch, and the river was really fun. Highly recommended!
This was our first time rafting and we had the best time!! Our guide Jonathan was awesome!! I’m not the most adventurous person and was super nervous but this was a perfect introduction, I’m ready to do it again!!!
Had an amazing time!!! The tour guide was friendly, helpful, and made the trip full of fun, laughter, and memories! We were college kids trying to make the most of Colorado on a tight budget and this whitewater rafting tour was worth the money! Would recommend 100%!
