I am beyond grateful for the unforgettable adventure we shared today on the Colorado River. As a couple in our 50s, my husband and I approached this experience with both excitement and a fair bit of apprehension. Rafting has long been a dream of mine, but the stars never quite aligned--between life's responsibilities and health concerns, it always felt just out of reach. Today, that changed. Though I had my fears--about my health, about being a burden, about whether I even belonged on that boat--those worries were gently swept away by the kindness and professionalism of our incredible guide, Johnny. From the moment we met him, his warmth and spirit set the tone for something truly special. He helped me in and out of the raft with such genuine care, always attentive and encouraging, never making me feel like anything less than a valued part of the group. Johnny wasn't just a guide--he was a joy. His knowledge, humor, and heart elevated our day from a simple trip to a memory we'll cherish always. In all my years of travel, I can count on one hand the guides who've made such an impression--and he stands proudly among them. To the team behind the scenes, from the office staff to the other guides we briefly encountered: thank you. Your excellence shines through in every detail. This was more than an outdoor excursion--it was a gift. And I carry it forward with deep appreciation. read more

This was a perfect first rafting experience!! Booking the trip was super easy and quick. When we arrived we instantly felt welcomed. They gave us a thorough safety orientation which helped calm my nerves and they made sure we knew everything we would need to know and felt comfortable before they put us in the water. I'm so thankful my family stumbled across this small company because I believe the smaller group setting we were in made our experience so much better. We had the pleasure of being with Jordan and our guide Ryan who were extremely knowledgeable, super nice and made our experience an awesome one all while making sure our safety was top priority. I would highly recommend this company to anyone going to CO looking for a fun time rafting. Their prices are great, all the equipment we needed was included and the awesome employees we delt with just put the icing on the cake. It was an experience my family will never forget and we are already making plans for next summer to raft again. Thank you Downstream Adventures for providing the best rafting trip for my beginning family. read more

4 of us adults went on the upper clear creek intermediate rafting trip. And it was the greatest rafting experience ever. My advice: Just Pick this place! You won't regret it. This team lives and loves what they do! Although we appreciated everyone we came in contact with at Downstream Adventures, Mack was our guide, we loved having him! He was so knowledgeable, a really great instructor, plus our safety was his #1 priority. He must have abs of steel to do what he does (haha). Also, Our safety team was tracking us as we went down the river, and they were so great! We never felt in danger, it was just a positive experience 100%. The whole staff was laid back, super chill, very patient with us, not pushy or rude, and made us truly want to come back. We saw other companies near the river, and they were fine, but we felt we had chosen the more personal experience with Mack & Downstream Adventures. It couldn't have been better! read more

My husband and I had a great time with our guide, Lindsey! There was a group of 4 that went with the other guide, so it was just the three of us (my husband, Lindsey, and myself) in our raft on Upper Clear Creek Intermediate (Class III-IV). Lindsey was an awesome guide! She knew exactly what she was doing and when we got stuck on the rocks she was able to maneuver us out very skillfully. Although some of the rapids were pretty scary, I never once feared because I trusted Lindsey. The only complaint I had was the temperature- I was really cold because it rained the majority of our time on the water. Before we left, the male guide told our group we wouldn't need wet suits, but I am so glad I didn't listen to him and grabbed one anyway. I didn't end up taking a jacket though and that would have helped a lot at keeping me warm in the cold rain. Besides the weather complaints we had a great experience! read more

We would use Downstream Adventures again, without a doubt. We had 2 small children first timers and felt that the trip was incredibly safe while also being exciting enough for a 6 almost 7 year old boy. We did the beginner tour out of Kremmling and cannot say enough good things about all of the guides. We had Ryan as our guide and while the ride down the river was mellow (for the kids) we stopped at historical sites, hot springs, and places to jump off the rocks for the kids and adults. The entire team was very knowledgeable and did not hesitate answering questions. I would recommend this for families and really anyone that is concerned about rafting being too intense. My daughter (9) is visually limited and the team took extra time to help her feel comfortable jumping off some large rocks in to the river, it was the highlight of her trip! It was great and we will use Downstream in the future. read more

Update: year two with this company did not disappoint. Did the intermediate raft on 6/29/2019 with JJ as our guide. He was awesome and it was once again the best rafting experience. The rapids were much crazier this year and I'm already trying to decide when to come again next year. Best rafting experience ever. Before I even booked I talked to them on the phone and they talked me through the best options based on this rafting season and helped me pick the best option for my group. We had a raft all to ourselves for our group of 4 and Lindsey our guide did a phenomenal job. She made the experience great and helped us know what to look to do for future years if we want to raft again. She explained their company has all experienced guides and it was very obvious. Overall phenomenal experience and amazing company. Will definitely only use this group for future Colorado rafting experiences. read more

What a great time! My wife and I flew in a day early to see Blue's Traveler at Red Rocks and booked with Downstream Adventures based on the reviews. Boy were the reviews correct!! Small outfit but that means lots of personal attention and a great time. We were not disappointed by our Guide Casey and the level III/IV's that we experienced. Casey was great! My wife and I had canoed but never whitewater rafting so we were a little concerned about "intermediate" but felt very safe the entire way. If you are looking for a large rafting company that just rotates as many rafters down the river as fast as they can, go somewhere else. Downstream Adventures is small but extremely personable and high on service. If we are ever back in the area and want to whitewater raft, we will only go to Downstream Adventures!! read more

What an amazing adventure! Our first whitewater rafting trip and our family LOVED it! Downstream Adventures is a great outfit with guides who really make sure you have a great time! We got to work with both Rusty and Jordan they gave us everything we needed to really enjoy ourselves on the water. These guys not only take really good care of you out on the water but they make sure you feel safe and pretty confident going out. The ride and the views are just beautiful and Rusty who was our actual guide on the water (and I would have to say the best out there) was great at guiding us through the rapids as well as making sure we took in our surroundings when the flow allowed it. Can't say enough about these guys and we can't wait to spend a lot more time with them next summer! read more

I went here with my fiancée and it was a GREAT time and a wonderful experience. I talked my fiancée into doing the advanced section of the river. Casey was our guide for the afternoon and he was great. With the quality and expertise he had of the river we had absolutely nothing to worry about. He made it fun, entertaining, and had excellent knowledge of the river as well as the history of the different areas we rafted through. They also took pictures from the banks of the river of us as we rafted through and all the pictures turned out great. I can't complain about a single aspect of our experience with this rafting company. If you are considering a rafting trip in Colorado I would definitely recommend Downstream Adventures. read more

This is a smaller operation and if you go with them, you will be very happy. The guide we had was Scottie, but there were 4 boats that traveled as a group and all of them seemed very good. We did the beginner trip, and we had the following in our group: 75 year old grandpa, an 11 year old, and twin 9year olds, plus me. The trip was really fun, and we felt like the operation ran very well together- we didn't do a lot of waiting around, we felt informed on how things would work. After you arrive it's about 45 minute until you get on the bus, while everyone gets checked in, outfitted etc. It's a bit of a wait, but not too bad. They run a good operation and I will use them again next summer. read more

I didn't know when I booked, but Downstream Adventures is a small, local spot that runs independently. That was just the first reason I loved them, #supportlocalbusiness. Not only were we greeted by a pitbull puppy, but the crew was very welcoming and were able to get our gear ready quickly so we could set out early. The raft ended up only being my friend and I, and our AWESOME guide, Jordan. We did the intermediate trip, and it was well worth it. Jordan was super informative but also really laid-back. He gave great instructions and was very personable. I like to think we "killed it" and look forward to coming back to take on the advanced trip. I highly recommend Ryan and his staff! read more

Awesome place to go whitewater rafting. Everyone was so friendly! This is our first time ever doing whitewater rafting, I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but with such an experienced guide and staff, our experience was beyond amazing. These guys know what they are doing and how to have a good time. We were in a beginner tour and had a total of 8 in our raft and everyone seemed to have a blast. My husband and my 15 year old son was on an intermediate raft and they can't stop talking about how amazing their experience was! This is may be a small company but their customer service was top notch. I Highly recommended Downstream Adventures! read more

What a fun time! I cannot say thank you enough to this great crew of people, especially to Russell. I had some concerns with our trip because of how high and fast the water was this year so I called and talked to Jonathan?, and he reassured me that there would be extra spotters in the road and they would be happy to downgrade us to a beginner level. They were super accommodating with our large group and even opened up a late spot for us to come after all the girls were done playing softball for the day. Then when traffic was holding us up they waited for us to get there and made sure we all had an amazing time! See you next year guys! read more

This was my first time white water rafting and I'm so glad I did it with Downstream Adventures. The booking was super easy and the staff were professional and relaxed. Russell was our guide and he was AWESOME!!! I went on the beginner level and it was just enough fun that I'm definitely doing the intermediate next time. Russell's instructions were thorough and easy to understand. I felt safe and confident throughout the adventure. By the way, be prepared to learn some cool historic tid bits about Idaho Springs. The guys did not disappoint in telling us about the Gold Rush of 1859 and the natural wild life. Loved this trip! read more

We went whitewater rafting with Downstream Adventures during our trip to Colorado. They were absolutely great! The group of guys were a bunch of fun and we really enjoyed their enthusiasm. Even so, it was very evident that they knew what they were doing, and we felt in safe hands. We did the Intermediate trip which was a good fit for us (good swimmers with little previous experience rafting). A couple brief stops to enjoy the scenery were fun and our guide provided us with some interesting local history as well! I would highly recommend them again, and we will be visiting them ourselves the next time we're in town! read more

If you are looking for an amazing experience, you got to try this! The staff is phenomenal. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. My husband have done water rafting class 2-3 before, but I have never done this and I felt safe from beginning to end. My sons, age 9yo and 8yo, loved it as well (they have never done it before either). Our instructor was Scooby. He gave us information along the way of the areas we had around us. I can't wait for our next vacation and comeback! Thank you so much for this awesome experience. Thank you Scooby and Downstream Adventures! You all are amazing! read more

First time ever white water rafting and in Colorado it was one of the best things to do!! At first I was nervous because I heard the level of intermediate is typically rough but if it was perfect. It was both smooth sailing and hit some rocky patches that had my adrenaline pumping. You'll be working your upper body somewhat so be ready! The view was so breathtaking and i wasn't soaked so it was perfect. Our guide, Matt was really good at directing and encouraging us to paddle the right way, and I think our group mastered it. So much fun. read more

My family had so much fun!!! My husband and I are almost 50 and our 4 children that rafted with us are ages 14 to 23. We had originally signed up for the class 1 to 3 trip, but when we got there they saw that my family was into fitness. We had some experience so they recommended we do the more challenging class 3-4 trip and we are so glad we did. Our guide was awesome and obviously knew how to read the water. This is one hof those vacations we will never forget and this rafting adventure was one of the highlights of this vacation. read more

I live in town close to their new location in Empire, and recently got an opportunity to take a trip down Clear Creek with these guys. They are full service, providing all the necessary gear you would need for a great rafting trip! The guides were super knowledgeable and created a fun and safe atmosphere for anyone ranging from absolute beginners to more experienced rafters. Our guide Russell was great, and I would recommend this rafting experience to anyone who gets the hankerin' for some river action. GO GET SOME read more