Trip Details
3 DAY PONDEROSA GORGE RAFT TRIP
3 Day Rafting Trip!
Trip Details
- 9:00 AM Departure
- May and Early June, water permitting
- 50 miles on the river
- Beginner/Intermediate Class III-IV rapids
- Ages 10 years and up*
- Meals included, from lunch on day 1 through lunch on day 3
- Experienced guide on each raft
- Located near Cortez, CO – near Durango and four corners region
- Ask Us a Question!
- Dolores River Maps
$749/person
3 Day – Ponderosa Gorge Raft Trips on the Dolores River
The beginning of the more navigable portion of the river lies below the town of Dolores where the Dolores River enters Ponderosa Gorge. Sloping canyon walls covered with oak brush and other shrubs characterize the first few miles of river below Bradfield Bridge. Then the canyon deepens and begins its transition from a mountain to a desert river. Sandstone walls appear and groves of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir cover the benches along the river, offering some of the West’s most beautiful campsites.
On the second day, you will stop to visit an ancient Anasazi Indian ruin high on a cliff face where you can imagine the lifestyle of a native culture long since vanished.
With a gradient of 19 feet per mile, you’ll be moving swiftly downstream to an encounter with “Old Snaggletooth”, the most formidable rapid on the entire river. Before the invention of the self-bailing raft, some river runners maintained that Snaggletooth had been portaged more times than it had been successfully run! The miles-long House Rock Rapid is a great finale to this stunning river.
Additional Information
- *Youth must be age 10 or older and weigh at least 60 lbs. Minimum age and weight are subject to increase due to high water.
- Group rates are available. Click here for details.
- Please arrive at least 1 hour prior to departure time.
- Price listed includes your lifejacket, helmet, guide, boat, overnight bag, portable chemical toilet, transportation to and from the river and all meals from lunch on day 1 through lunch on day 3. The prices listed do not include 9% land and water access fees, cold weather rentals, camping rentals or guide tip.
- Please visit our packing list page for a complete list of what to bring, where to meet and more!