When to Go: Best Times for Clear Creek Rafting (Spring vs. Summer)

For the person thinking of a white water trip on Clear Creek, the season can utterly transform the experience. Picture driving in late May. The air may still hold a sharpness, a hint of the not-too-long-ago thaw of the high peaks. And you look at the creek.

The first view of Clear Creek late in May is an epiphany. The snowmelt is in full flow, changing the water to a forceful, rushing torrent. This torrent of nature stimulates a special mix of unadulterated excitement and that hair-raising thrill of nervous anticipation in anyone preparing to run the rapids.

But come back a few months later, maybe in July, and the same stretch of water, even with the same rafting outfit, is an entirely different experience. The creek softens, the water warms, the perfect setup for a first-time white water experience.

It's in seeing these different experiences, watching rafters come down the creek at different times of year, that an important lesson is revealed: timing greatly influences the adventure.

This same knowledge is what prompted this guide. Whether the invitation is to the thrill of Class IV rapids or the pleasure of safe, splashy family fun, the time at which one rafts Clear Creek is more important than one might at first suppose.

And for anyone arranging their own Clear Creek Rafting trip, this analysis comparing spring and summer conditions will be a goldmine in choosing the ideal window for their memorable adventure.