About Us

You might think that choosing among the many companies who offer a half day or full day of rafting on one of the rivers in Denver’s Front Range would be a fairly easy decision. After all, a raft is a raft is a raft. You get suited up, get a quick safety demo and a bit of basic instruction and off you go. Every operator runs pretty much the exact same stretch of river. The guides seem like they’re pretty much interchangeable (usually tanned, fit, attractive, and full of happy chatter or an oh-so-laid-back go-with-the-flow attitude). And their prices are pretty much the same, too. So, it would seem obvious to pick the operator that seems to be the largest or at the top of the search engine rankings (they must be safe, everyone uses them, right?) and/or the lowest price (save a few bucks, right?). Well, you’d be absolutely wrong (except if you’re someone who honestly doesn’t care all that much about the quality and the totality of your experience).

“What I experienced really mattered to them”

Take a close look at our rafting, rock climbing, fly fishing and other outdoor activities and you’ll see that we stand apart from the herd. How so? At the heart and soul of our company is each staff members’ deep love of sharing and preserving our planet’s natural resources and invitingour guests to fully enjoy and appreciate nature’s transformative powers. If you had to label it, you might call it ‘adventure with a purpose’. This is at the core of our “DNA” – creating incredibly fun and deeply memorable outdoor adventure vacations for adventurous, caring and curious individuals, families and groups. We incorporate sustainable practices, education and premium personal service to promote active appreciation, stewardship, protection and restoration of the rivers and lands it utilizes. Quite simply, we love nature and want to share it with you.

Being smaller than its key competitors has so many big advantages that make for a better experience. If you want truly personalized, caring and attentive service, we are the right choice. If you prefer smaller vans (powered by lower footprint natural gas) over big diesel-belching “cattle call” buses, we are definitely the right choice. If you like traveling with a company who pays attention to every detail yet is nimble and flexible to respond to changes in weather and guest preferences, again, we’re the right choice. And if you like the feeling of immediately becoming part of a colorful and quirky team that puts safety first while giving you real (not virtual) scream out loud thrills, well, you guessed it.

“How grateful we are…family time is so important”

In addition to offering scheduled individual activities including rafting (on both Clear Creek and the Upper Colorado), and rock climbing, we also have a wide variety of adventure packages, including ‘raft & train’, ‘saddle & paddle’ and fly fishing. Our base of operations and the put-in point for Clear Creek trips is in Idaho Springs, a small town only 45 minutes west of Denver and full historical charm and well worth a visit in its own right (something we’re happy to set up). We are the only multi-sport outfitter that is based in Idaho Springs, so we really know the town and can provide expert recommendations on accommodations, dining, local attractions, etc.

Half day, full day, a long weekend, a week…we’ll will show you the best time you can have in the Front Range when your time is limited. Our Adventure Concierge can custom craft a fully immersive experience full of activity choices that blend appreciation, education and fun. If desired, we will assign you your own personal guide who will lead your entire trip. On every Wide Open trip, expect the premium touches that make a difference: free pick up and (and return) shuttle service at Denver International Airport for out of town guests, free eco water bottle, sunscreen, and a tall glass of our signature post-trip lemonade or ice tea for all guests.

“I felt comfortable, secure and safe with them”

Make no mistake about it, we want you to have fun…big fun. And it just might take you a bit outside your comfort zone. Knowing that indelible memories come from doing something new and challenging, we offer three levels of rafting adventure – scenic, thrill-seeker and adrenaline junkie. Many of our guests who choose scenic or thrill-seeker are barely out of the raft at the Clear Creek take-out point and opt for another run, this time the next level up. Just as zipliners will probably go ‘hands free’ on their third zip from tree-to-tree on our zip line course, located on a beautiful stretch of property we own alongside Clear Creek. It’s also a great spot for a picnic lunch and evening camp fire.

We are very picky about who we hire as guides and drivers; and the ones who do make the team are locals with deep expertise about all the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. Our employees will tell you they take care of each like family. And that family feeling extends to every guest. Yet another example of the many ways that we help you to get the most from every minute of your precious time be it on your own, with family & friends or a group.

At Wide Open, going ‘above & beyond’ is definitely not marketing-speak. It’s how we roll.

We’re small, different and damn proud of it. Come play in our neighborhood.

All or part of this operation is conducted on Public Lands under special permit from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.