About the River & Us:
Welcome to A1 Wildwater! Since 1982 we have been providing exciting quality rafting adventures on the Cache La Poudre River west of Ft. Collins, Colorado. The original owners are still having fun and 2024 will be our 42nd year providing quality rafting adventures for first time adventurers, families, and seasoned veterans. So get out of that chair and get outside with us to experience a beautiful canyon, some exciting whitewater and a whole bunch of fun!
The Cache La Poudre River was first identified by French trappers in the early 18th century and for thousands of years before that Indians lived and hunted along the River know today as the “Poudre” (Poo-der). The Poudre was designated a National Wild & Scenic River in 1986 and is still Colorado’s only nationally designated Wild & Scenic River. This honor was granted by Congress for Rivers that are still running wild & free and exhibit exceptional scenic beauty. On its way from the snow covered peaks of the Rockies, the Poudre courses through deep forested canyons with rapids rated from mild to wild until its arrival at the Great Plains. It would be our sincere privilege to have you as our guest and show you the wonders of this national jewel.
A1 Wildwater was begun by Robert Breckenridge in 1982. Breck grew up on the Rivers and Oceans of Florida and traveled to the Mountains of East Tennessee to play football and attend college in the early seventies. After learning to canoe the Rivers around Smokey Mountain NP, a hitchhiking trip West lead to the magical discovery of the Poudre. A move to be in the proximity of this River and its Mountains led to a degree in Biology from Colorado State University. It was here that rafting and kayaking took hold and became a lifelong passion. Running Rivers all over the U.S., Canada, Alaska, and Costa Rica ensued along with stints working as a River Ranger in the high deserts of Utah and as a high school biology teacher. Summers were spent teaching kayaking, rafting, and running class V Rivers wherever they could be found. While making some of the earliest first descents of the Upper Poudre Narrows in both kayak and raft, the decision was made to start a business teaching kayaking and providing rafting trips on the Poudre. A home was built from scratch along the banks of the River overlooking one of the many class IV rapids named by Breck, and a life spent on Rivers started to make sense. Amazingly, with the Poudre’s protected status, not much has changed since those very first trips so many years ago. The high quality of the Poudre River experience with its exciting mix of challenging rapids and spectacular scenery continues. Today, Breck works as a landscape painter in the off-season and as the owner of A1 Wildwater along with his wife Betty, who manages the office.
The mission of A1 Wildwater has always been to provide high quality rafting and kayaking adventures so that our guests may participate and enjoy the wonders of a wild River while experiencing thrilling rapids. Our guides are well trained, certified by Colorado Parks & Recreation standards, and are known as the best and friendliest on the River. Our permit allows us to have more options for trips and times than our competitors due to our longevity on the River, which means we can offer more choices for large groups and families. We have a continuous legacy of excellent customer service and satisfaction since our inception. In 2007 we purchased land and built our store at the North West corner of N. Shields St. and Hwy 287 (also known as Hwy 14). We have the largest parking area, the best indoor changing rooms and restrooms of any outfitter (we don’t use porti-potties like our competitors!) and have a nice picnic/staging area for our guests along with a full retail store with snacks, T-shirts, Photos of your trip, and other amenities. We are the only outfitter who uses different size rafts depending on River water levels. We use larger safer rafts when the water is high and smaller sportier rafts during lower water conditions which make the trips more exciting and challenging. We provide helmets, life jackets (PFD’s), splash jackets with neck & wrist closures, and paddles for all trips. We rent Wetsuits and booties for the early high water season. We have group rates and specials for early and late season times. We’ve taken more than a quarter million people down the Poudre and hope you’ll join us for an adventure. Please contact us for more information.
A1 Wildwater is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. All or part of this operation is conducted on Public Lands under special permit from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Medicine Bow and Roosevelt National Forest.
© A1 Wildwater Rafting 2022
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