(970) 482-1995
At A Wanderlust Adventure, we don’t just take people rafting. We help create the kind of days people end up talking about for years.
For more than 45 seasons, we’ve been guiding guests down the wild, scenic, and unforgettable Cache La Poudre River just outside Fort Collins and Estes Park. That’s Colorado’s only federally designated Wild and Scenic River, and it just happens to be one of the best places on earth to spend a summer day.
What started as a simple love for rivers and adventure turned into a place where families, couples, thrill-seekers, youth groups, and vacationers from all over the world come to laugh, splash, paddle hard, and make memories together.
Over the years, more than 250,000 people have climbed into our rafts. Some were nervous first-timers. Some were chasing big waves and bigger smiles. A lot of them came back again and again. That’s one of our favorite parts of what we do.
The Poudre River is the real star of the show.
It flows straight out of the mountains near Rocky Mountain National Park and winds through a beautiful canyon filled with granite walls, pine trees, wildlife, and crystal-clear water. Thanks to protected status and limited commercial permits, it stays uncrowded and peaceful compared to many other rafting rivers in Colorado.
That means more scenery, more space, and more time to enjoy the ride.
We run everything from mellow, family-friendly trips to longer, splashier adventures packed with wave trains, drops, and Class III rapids that will absolutely wake you up.
Our guides are the heart of Wanderlust.
They are highly trained, safety-focused, and genuinely fun to be around. They know every bend in the canyon, every rapid name, and exactly when it’s time to paddle hard and when it’s time to sit back and take in the views.
Most of them come back season after season because they love this river and love sharing it with people. That energy shows up on every single trip.
We take comfort and quality seriously, because freezing or feeling unsafe is not anyone’s idea of a good adventure.
We use modern self-bailing rafts, provide paddle jackets to keep you warm, and offer wetsuit rentals for colder days. Our check-in process is smooth, organized, and built to get you on the river with a smile instead of a headache.
And when you’re done conquering the rapids, the fun is not over.
Right upstairs is Vern’s Place, our legendary onsite restaurant that’s been feeding hungry Coloradans for over 80 years. Burgers, fries, milkshakes, cold drinks, and that perfect “we just crushed a rafting trip” feeling all come standard.
We also snap photos and videos of your trip and stock one of the biggest collections of Wanderlust shirts, hats, and souvenirs around, because you are definitely going to want proof you did this.
We love watching first-timers go from nervous smiles at the launch point to standing up in the raft at the take-out yelling, “Can we go again?”
We love the laughter, the surprise splashes, the quiet canyon moments, the high-fives, and the shared stories at the end of the day.
Most of all, we love being part of people’s Colorado memories.
Whether you’re visiting Estes Park, exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, or just looking for the best whitewater rafting in Northern Colorado, we would love to take you down our favorite river. Grab a paddle. Bring your sense of adventure. We will handle the rest. See you on the Poudre.
