Whitewater rafting in Browns Canyon
Trade the lake for the Arkansas River. On Friday of your camp week, your unit can head out together for a guided raft trip through one of Colorado’s best-known canyons.
Friday
Of your camp week. Your unit goes together.
Browns Canyon
On the Arkansas River, inside Browns Canyon National Monument
Swimmers only
Every rafter, youth and adult, passes the BSA swimmer test
2027 pricing coming soon
Paid separately from your camp fee
Your unit’s big day on the river
Browns Canyon is one of the most popular whitewater runs in Colorado, with granite walls, big views, and rapids that keep every paddler busy. Professional guides captain each raft and teach your crew to paddle as a team before you reach the first rapid.
For a lot of Scouts, it’s the story they tell first when they get home.
How it works with your unit
Rafting is a unit trip, not a merit badge class. Your unit signs up together, drives its own group to the river and back, and brings at least two registered adult leaders, the same as any Scouting outing.
From sign-up to splashdown
Departure and return times come from the outfitter. We’ll share them with registered units before camp.
December
Sign up
Rafting sign-up usually opens in December. Unit leaders add the trip for everyone in the unit who’s going.
Before camp
Plan the drive
Line up drivers and vehicles. Your unit provides its own transportation to the river and back.
Sunday
Pass the swim test
Everyone going rafting, youth and adult, takes the BSA swimmer test at the pool after check-in.
Friday morning
Hit the river
Gear up with the outfitter, get a safety talk from your guides, and launch.
Friday afternoon
Head back to camp
Dry off, load up, and bring the stories back to the campfire.
Rules for every rafter
- Swimmers only. Every youth and adult on the trip must pass the BSA swimmer test. Swim checks happen at the pool on Sunday after check-in.
- Life jackets stay on. Everyone wears a properly fitted, Coast Guard approved life jacket on the water, following Scouting America’s Safety Afloat rules. The outfitter provides them.
- Outfitter rules apply. The rafting company may set its own minimum age or weight and require its own waiver.
- Health forms. Every rafter needs complete health forms in CampDoc, the same as for the rest of camp.
What to wear on the river
- Quick-dry clothes or a swimsuit. Skip cotton; it stays cold once it’s wet.
- Water shoes or sandals with a heel strap. No flip-flops.
- Sunscreen, plus a strap for hats and sunglasses
- A water bottle
- A dry change of clothes and a towel for the drive back
If the outfitter sends its own list, follow theirs.
Sign up in December
Rafting sign-up usually opens in December, separate from merit badge registration. Unit leaders add the trip for everyone in the unit who’s going. Rafting is paid separately from your camp fee, and 2027 pricing is coming soon.
Health forms and waivers
Rafters use the same health forms as the rest of camp, all in CampDoc. The outfitter may also require its own waiver. We’ll share it at leader meetings and email it to registered units once it’s set.
Questions about rafting?
Email camp.alexander@scouting.org or call 719-219-2916.
