Browns Canyon Half-Day Rafting plus Mountaintop Zipline from Buena Vista

The instructors were great. They were knowledgeable, ensured that we felt as safe as possible given the dangers of the activities, and made the experience fun. Prior to each activity, the instructors educated us with what we needed to gave a good time while staying safe. My only complaint is with the AVA office (not the instructors/crew members). After calling for assistance, they provided me the incorrect location twice! If you are confused about the location, please call, but ask them to confirm the location with the general manager of your specific location you're attending.

I can't imagine having a better experience than we did. The staff at the outpost were friendly and helpful, the guides for the zipline (Jesse and Jess) and rafting (Enrique) were experienced, knowledgeable, and fun. Even though we were new to both activities, we felt safe and laughed all day long. Every member of our family (ages 19-55) gives an absolute two thumbs up to this trip.

We didn't do the zipline, only the rafting (1/2 Brown canyon). Water was very high due to high snow level this year so our original rafting trip to the numbers was cancelled. We were promptly notified and offered a refund or another tour. We opted for another tour. There was great communication and the staff at the office were very helpful. I HIGHLY recommend a full long sleeve wet suit with neoprene gloves and socks (they sell the gloves and socks). They provide a sleeveless wetsuit for free. I put that one on over my own. I hate being cold. Make sure you have a sun glass strap (which they also sell) that is securely attached. I lost a $200 pair of sunglasses TOTALLY my fault. I had a strap, but it came off (or I may have yanked it off when we turned over). The water was running Level 3 and 4 when we were there. We had three boats with about 8 people per boat, including the guides. 2 of the three boats flipped over during one of the level 4s. I tell you this because you need to pay attention during the safety presentation. The threat of death is real. Nobody died and nobody had to get medical treatment, but water is can be dangerous and you need to know what to do in case you fall out of the boat (or get trapped under it). IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! I am glad I had the experience of rafting despite the turn over. Of note, there was nothing that the guide could have done to prevent it. Water is unpredictable. I would HIGHLY recommend this organization. Happy Travels - Misty & Mark

This rafting trip was the BEST! The water was high and rapids were wild! JStroke was the best guide, knew everything about the area and was a blast to be on the raft with. We did a LEVEL 3 half day and everyone loved it - 3 kids (19, 17 and 13) and each said it was their favorite experience of our weeklong trip!

We did the half-day Browns Canyon run. Being it was towards the end of the season, we were not honestly expecting much. However, we got lucky with a plenty of water flow to make for a great trip. Our guide, Shawn, was fantastic. Our raft was full of adults, so when we asked him to make our trip as exciting as possible, he did not fail. I would highly recommend AVA to anyone looking for a rafting trip. BTW, the guides made what would ordinarily being a boring bus ride actually enjoyable.

Will our guide was really experienced and made our whitewater rafting trip amazing. I highly recommended it.

It was one of our most enjoyable vacations we have been on as a family. We had 12 people in our group and my wife, myself and our boys were so lucky to get fence as our guide! He really loves what he does, and it shows! He in’s a great guy and is very experienced! He really deserves a big pat on the back from you guys! The reservation was under the Hennen party. Thanks again to Fence and crew for a great trip!!!

Our family of four (2 adults and 2 teenagers) spent the day with the AVA team and had a wonderful experience. We started the morning with with a very short introduction to our zip lining gear by our expert guides, Gage and Jess, who made us feel very comfortable with the equipment and their experience and concern for our safety. Then after a short bus ride to our starting point, we did a very short, 5-7 minute hike to the first zip line. Jess and Gage continued to put us at ease and talked us through every step of our journey, that would consist of 6 different zip lines. There were 10 of us in our group, which meant we did have to wait a bit between zip lines. This was great for those of us that needed a few minutes for our heart rates to subside before getting to the next zip line, though may be a nuisance for those seeking more action-packed adventure. The zip lines themselves varied in height and speed, with the hardest being almost at the end. There is also a point at zip line 3 where the faint-of-heart could have opted to stop. Though no one in our group decided to do that, Jess and Gage continued to let us know that was an option. And after that point, they continued to encourage us and make us feel comfortable at every next zip line. At the end of our 2 hr. adventure, we headed back to the main site of AVA to return our gear, get some water, and have our lunch. We opted to partake of the lunch that was included in the day-long package of zip line in the morning and river rafting in the afternoon. The lunch consisted of the same turkey and cheese wrap for everyone, along with an apple, a chip bag, and a cookie in a bag (no drinks included). For anyone like us who have some picky eaters, this option may not work. And there is no food available for purchase at the AVA main site -- though they do sell water shoes, t-shirts, rash guards, shorts, and other sundries (sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, water bottles, etc.). We definitely should have brought our own food and snacks, as there also isn't any place within reasonable driving distance to grab something quick -- even though we did have about 90 - 120 minutes to wait before our rafting adventure started. The rafting adventure had a lot more participants involved -- around 10 boats with 6-8 people per boat. We were in a boat of 6 (along with a group of 2 that we had met earlier in our zip lining crew) . Chris was our guide for this adventure. He was also the leader of all the other guides. He was very talkative and very funny. We were provided at the start with helmets, personal flotation devices and an oar. There was option for a wetsuit or a splash jacked. Since it was fairly warm and sunny at the main AVA site, we did not opt for the wetsuit or the splash jacked. However, after we rode the 25 minutes to the starting point on our very run down school bus, some of us wished we had opted for the splash jacked, as the wind had picked up and the water was extremely cold. We all did get very, very wet at times. We only went through grade 1, 2 and 3 rapids, so nothing was super dangerous, and we never felt like we were in danger, but we all did get very wet. We paddled for about 10 miles, with Chris giving us lots of insights into the history of the canyon and telling funny jokes and asking us about ourselves. All-in-all a fun way to spend 4.5 hours of our afternoon, though some of us were frightfully cold at the end of it all. Thanks to AVA -- and especially Jess, Gage and Chris -- for a wonderful day!

We did the Class 3 rafting trip where our guide, Alex, did a good job navigating us down the river. She was personable, shared tidbits about the landmarks and let us have fun on the river. The half day afternoon rafting went from 1:30 to 6:00 where there was some bus and unloadingloading time. I was glad to get the 20 action photos afterwards for $66 ($3.30 per photo). There were Go-Pro mounts on the helmets, so bring yours if you have one. AVA was good about safety with their pre-trip video and then followed-up while on-site; the Class 3 trip was good for younger rafters. We had 4 adults and a 16-year-old where the only thing I'd do different would have been to go for the Class 4 rafting. So.... if you have big people, go for the big rapids! Overall, great experience and added to our vacation memories!

We have rafted so many rivers, and the experience is always dependent on your guide. They have to be knowledgeable and dependable. Brooks was both! He had so much information to share, and was great fun while we were on the water. Now we know what the gold standard is! Thanks to Brooks for a great trip and AVA for a great experience.