Colorado Experience Gifts for People Who'd Rather Be Outside

The best gift for someone who'd rather be outside isn't another fleece. It's a day on the Arkansas River in July, a night camping in a national monument, or a long weekend in a Colorado mountain town.

Here are our favorite Colorado experience gifts, grouped by who you're shopping for. Every one of them fits on a Salida River Adventures gift card, which we email right away, so they work for last-minute shoppers too.

For the family that needs a real adventure: Browns Canyon ½ Day

Teenagers will only go on so many hikes. A half day in Browns Canyon is 10 miles and 7 Class III rapids through a national monument, and it's the trip kids talk about all year.

• $109 per person, ages 7 and up, 50 pounds minimum
• 3 hours, with four departures a day
• Gift tip: multiply $109 by the number of people in the family

For the couple or crew who want a night off the grid: Browns Canyon Overnight

Twenty-four hours on the river, a camp on a quiet riverbank, dinner cooked by your guides and a sky full of stars. We bring the tents and the food. They bring a sleeping bag.

• $399 per person, ages 7 and up
• Runs May 14 to August 15
• Read what a night in Browns Canyon is really like

For the thrill-seeker: the Numbers or Pine Creek

For someone who has rafted before and wants more, the Numbers is continuous Class IV. Pine Creek is Class IV–V, the steepest whitewater on the Arkansas, for strong swimmers in good shape who already have experience.

• The Numbers: from $129 per person, ages 14 and up
• Pine Creek: $229 per person, ages 16 and up, opens in July

For younger kids or a gentler day: Upper Bighorn or the Salida Town Run

Kids can go at 5 on these, and paddling is optional.

• Upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon: $99 per person, continuous Class II rapids, steep canyon walls and cliff jumping, five minutes from our outpost
• Salida Town Run: $99 per person, a scenic float through a wildlife preserve where osprey nest, right into downtown Salida

For the angler: a guided fly fishing float

The Arkansas is Gold Medal trout water for 102 miles, including the stretch around Salida. A guided float gets them onto water they can't reach from the bank.

• Half day from $525
• Full day from $675

For the outdoorsy young person who wants a summer job: raft guide training

Our rookie guide school runs three weeks, May 17 to June 4, 2027, for $449. Trainees who make the cut get a job offer to guide with us. Details are on our Work With Us page.

Make it a Salida weekend

Pair the gift with a few days in Salida. It's about 2.5 hours from Denver, with a walkable downtown on the river, local breweries and lodging that doesn't cost resort prices. Mount Princeton Hot Springs is about 20 minutes away for a soak after a day on the water. Our Plan Your Trip page has the rest.

How our gift cards work

• Any amount. Pick a number, or match it to a trip, like $109 for a Browns Canyon half day.
• Emailed right away. We send it with a note from you, so it works for last-minute shoppers.
• Good for any trip. Rafting, inflatable kayaks, tubing, fly fishing and shuttles, any day of the season.
• They pick the date. If weather or water cancels their trip, the card stays good and we help them rebook.
• One card, several people. The balance works on any booking until it runs out.

Buying 10 or more for a team? Call us at (719) 626-1350.

The best gift they'll open in July

Buy a rafting gift card and we'll email it right away.