“Providing Memorable Estes Park Whitewater Rafting Adventures for 43 Years!”
A Wanderlust Adventure offers exciting and fun Estes Park whitewater rafting trips on the Cache La Poudre River that will be the highlight of your Colorado vacation! A whitewater rafting adventure with our company is a must thing to do with your family during your stay in Estes Park. Our meeting area near Fort Collins, Colorado offers the closest and best whitewater to Estes Park. Please note that all of our rafting trips take place near Fort Collins which is an 80-minute drive from Estes Park.
Enjoy the freedom and comfort of riding in your air-conditioned car through the Big Thompson Canyon on this scenic drive to our location. We raft on the Cache La Poudre, Colorado’s only National “Wild & Scenic” River. Less crowded than Clear Creek, Arkansas and Colorado Rivers, the Poudre River is closer to Estes Park and the scenery is amazing. The ponderosa pines and steep granite walls in this beautiful canyon will be treasured in your memory forever.
The highlight of our stay in Estes Park! I would highly recommend that you go with this company as you will not be disappointed!
Jason, Missouri
What Estes Park whitewater rafting trips do you offer?
We offer mild to wild Estes Park whitewater rafting trips on the Cache La Poudre River for families and thrill seekers alike. Our half day Taste of Whitewater rafting trip consists of Class II & III level rapids that are fun for the whole family. Great for beginners, this thrilling rafting experience is guaranteed to get everyone in your group soaking wet! For those of you wanting a more advanced rafting trip, our half day Blast of Whitewater is your ticket for one of Colorado’s most action-packed sections of Class III & IV level whitewater. This continuous, 12-mile section of whitewater has exceptional scenery and fantastic rapids! We take first 
timers on this raft trip every day, so no experience is necessary. We do require participants on the Blast to be in good health, adventurous and a minimum age of 14. After your Estes Park whitewater rafting trip on the Cache La Poudre River, you can enjoy a home cooked meal at our restaurant and explore the town of Fort Collins, voted the best place to live in the country by Money Magazine.
What should I bring on my Estes Park whitewater rafting trip?
We recommend bringing a pair of quick drying shorts, a quick drying rash guard t-shirt or long sleeve shirt, secure footwear, sunscreen and a change of clothes. Board shorts, swimming trunks or a basic pair of quick drying cargo shorts work well for sitting on the raft. Bikini bottoms are not comfortable for sitting on our rafts and are not recommended. A long sleeve quick drying rash guard shirt is recommended in May and June when the water temperature of the river is colder. Chaco type sandals, aqua shoes or just a pair of running shoes are good options for secure footwear. We do not recommend flip flop sandals or crocs.
What do we provide:
Our company offers the free use of a NRS waterproof Rio Top Paddle Jacket. Some companies do not offer this type of jacket or charge you extra to rent one. During the early season months of May and June the water can be very cold. We recommend renting one of our NRS Farmer Bill 3mm wetsuits and our NRS Comm-3 Wetshoes. The wetsuits and wetshoes keep you warmer on the trip and are well worth the cost to rent them. Not all of the companies on the Poudre River rent these items and they are highly recommended in the early part of our season. We also rent fleece jackets and neoprene gloves too. Please see our price page for more details. Everyone is provided with a NRS Big Water V life jacket and a Shred Ready Outfitter Pro Helmet. We also provide all transportation from our meeting area to the river and back to your car.
Do you offer food?
After your Estes Park whitewater rafting trip on the Cache La Poudre River, you are going to be hungry. We are the only rafting company on the Poudre River that offers a full-service restaurant. Vern’s Place is located right above our store and has been dishing up home style food for 78 years! They are especially known by locals for having the best cinnamon rolls in Fort Collins. Many of our Estes Park rafting guests drive to our meeting area an hour before their meeting time to eat breakfast or lunch at Vern’s Place. They also have an outdoor patio with amazing views of the front range mountains. It is well worth it enjoy a meal after your rafting trip and enjoy the sunset before you drive back to Estes Park.
Why choose an Estes Park whitewater rafting trip on the Cache La Poudre River?
The Cache La Poudre is the only “Wild & Scenic” river in Colorado. Because the Poudre River is protected it has a limited number of outfitters and daily limits. This makes the Poudre one of the least busy rivers to raft on in Colorado. The scenery and almost continuous rapids are exceptional. There is no rafting right in Estes Park and we offer the closest and best rafting to this location.
Many of our rafting guests stay in Estes Park during their vacation in Colorado. Estes Park is the gateway town to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of Colorado’s most popular attractions. Other popular attractions in Estes include hiking, biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, fly fishing, sight-seeing and camping. Downtown Estes Park has many shops and galleries to visit and there are many choices for lodging in this unique mountain town. So, what are you waiting for! Experience an Estes Park whitewater rafting vacation this summer and it will be the trip of a lifetime!
