Gunnison Gorge NCA overnight

We offer overnight river trips in the Gunnison Gorge NCA every day May through October. These trips must be booked at least 14 days in advance to guarantee availability. Please call to discuss your custom itinerary (970) 872-2352

A $100 per-person non-refundable down payment is due at time of booking. Full payment is due 60 days prior to your trip’s launch date.

• cancellations made 28 days or more before your trip launch date receive a full refund minus down payment.

• Cancellations made 15-27 from trip launch date receive a trip credit good for 1 year, minus down payment.

• No refund or credit will be given for cancellations made within 14 days of your trip launch date

Day 1: 10:00 am - Meet your guides at Western Slope SUP, 328 W Bridge street in downtown Hotchkiss. We will pack dry bags, go over a brief orientation, and take a 10-minute van ride to the river. Our day begins with instruction. Before launching, our professional instructors will teach a short course in basic SUP and river running skills. This course begins on land and covers everything from maneuvering a paddle board, to moving in and out of river currents. Once on the water, your guide will be by your side, coaching you through the calm waters, and small waves of the Gunnison River. This first river session will focus on SUP technique, and reading the river, as you learn to stand through beginner river features.

After an hour of river running, we arrive at camp, situated river-side at the most inviting swimming hole on the Gunnison. Your guides will dish up a gourmet lunch, which you can enjoy in the comfort of your camp chair. As you settle in, your guides will set up camp, and assist you with tent set-up. The afternoon will be filled with swimming, games, and relaxing on the banks of the river. Snacks and refreshments will be available throughout the day. An optional side hike from camp reveals exciting rock formations, an array of native plants, and narrow canyon passages. In the evening your guides will set up happy hour (Wine and Dine option) and begin cooking a delicious, hearty dinner. We share stories and games, as we watch the sun set beneath the deep red and gold canyon walls of the Gunnison Gorge NCA. Dinner will be served beside the campfire. After dessert, the real show begins as millions of stars come into view like you have never seen them before.

Day 2: Awake to the singing of the canyon wren and the aroma of fresh coffee. After a farm fresh breakfast, we will begin a day of river fun, and archeological adventure. In a calm pool, your guide will instruct a stand up paddle lesson that builds on the skills you learned yesterday. We ride the river about an hour before landing at Eagle Rock Beach. Here you will discover the oldest archaeological site in Colorado: 13,000 year old human inhabitation, Eagle Rock Shelter. Your guide will share the exciting history of the site, as well as interpret its petroglyphs, and artifacts. We will have an opportunity to take a short nature hike up Lawhead Gulch, to see how the inhabitants of Eagle Rock Shelter lived. Lunch will be served back at the beach. Now you are ready tackle the final stretch of the Gunnison Gorge NCA. By this point your stand up paddle skills will be much progressed. You will be confidently standing through the small waves and river features we encounter. We reach our take-out point around 2:00 pm, and take a 20-minute van ride back to Hotchkiss where your Gunnison Gorge adventure concludes

All equipment included, no additional rental fees

• SUP board, kayak, or raft, paddle, and PFD (we use extra stable, river specific stand up paddle boards)

• Spacious 3-person tent (sleeps 2 people)

• Clean sleeping bag

• Luxurious 3” thick sleeping pad (AIRE Landing Pad)

• Pillow and laundered pillow case

• Camp chair

• Portable toilet system with privacy tent

• 110-liter personal dry bag

• All meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 2, ice water, and lemonade

• Organic, farm fresh meals locally sourced from the North Fork Valley (Wine and Dine option)

• Daily happy hour wine tasting, and wine with dinner. We select only the finest North Fork Valley wines (Wine and Dine option)

• Full kitchen, all utensils

• Comprehensive first aid kit

• 1-3 experienced river guides

• Transportation to and from Hotchkiss, Colorado

Personal clothing

• Swimsuit

• Quick-dry shorts + shirts (long sleeves recommended for sun protection)

• Water sandals with strap

• Hiking boots

• Long underwear

• Sweater or jacket

• Sun hat

• Rain gear

Personal items

• Water bottle with clip

• Flashlight or headlamp

• Sunglasses with strap

• Bandana/Buff

• Insect repellent

• Small towel and toiletries

• Medication

• Large zip lock bags for wet gear

• Sunscreen/lip balm

• Moisturizer/skin lotion

• Biodegradable camp soap

Optional Gear

• Waterproof camera

• Small day pack

• Book/Journal