Raft Trips
San Miguel River Class II and some Class III at high water
The San Miguel River winds its way through alpine
terrain near Telluride, Colorado and Trout Lake in the shadows of
14,000 foot Mount Wilson in the San Juan Mountains to a desert confluence
with the Dolores River, 80 miles to its north. Natural flood cycles
and a history of very little development have kept many parts of
this river in pristine condition. With 3 Conservancy-protected preserves
along its length, the San Miguel River hosts scenic sandstone canyons
and mysterious granite passages. Rare riverbank plant life thrives
along with abundant birdlife including great blue herons with this
river supporting some of the best riparian (streamside) habitat
in the Upper Colorado Basin.
 As
you raft downstream toward the Dolores and lower elevations, the
San Miguel’s flora and fauna change around each bend of the
river. This is a terrific family trip with the Class II and III
rapids along the Upper San Miguel River provide more challenging
kayaking and rafting. San Miguel River trips varying in length from
1-5 days are available and trips of 6-12 days are available by combining
the San Miguel with the Dolores River and the Colorado River.
Destination Location
The San Miguel River winds its way through alpine terrain near Telluride
and Trout Lake to a desert confluence with the Dolores River 80
miles north. Sandstone canyons vie with granite passages for nature
at its best. Some rare riverbank plant life thrives here and as
you work your way toward the Dolores and lower elevations, the flora
and fauna will change seemingly around each bend.
Class II and III rapids along the Upper San Miguel provide challenging
kayaking and rafting. Trips varying in length from 1-5 days can
be done on the San Miguel and trips of 6-12 days are available by
combining the San Miguel with the Dolores and Colorado Rivers.
Guide(s)
Our guides are experienced men and women skilled at handling their
craft. They all have current first aid, CPR and Swiftwater Rescue
training and have fulfilled all guide qualification requirements
in the states of Colorado, Utah, Texas and New Mexico. Trip leaders
have thousands of river miles on all classes of rivers including
all those Dvorak Expeditions run.
 Food
All on-river meals are provided, beginning with lunch the first
day and ending with lunch the last day. The food is fresh and hearty
and the guides will prepare it for you while you enjoy the homey
atmosphere generated around each river camp. You can set up your
tent or go for an evening walk, relax, read, or join the guides
in the kitchen if you so desire.
A typical five-day menu may include as a main course BBQ Steak,
Baked Fish, Pork chops and dumplings, chicken enchiladas, seafood
spaghetti, cashew chicken, Chinese Teriyaki Chicken, Mexican Chili,
combination entrees, fresh vegetables and salads. Dutch-oven desserts
or breads, hors d’oeuvres, fresh fruits, fruit juices, coffee,
tea and complimentary glass of wine with dinner.
Lunches are buffet style with a wide variety of salads, sandwiches,
fruit, cheeses, sliced meats, nuts and juices or sodas.
Breakfast includes fruit juice, eggs in all styles, special pancakes,
French toast, melons, fruit, and cereals with milk, sausage, bacon,
coffee, tea or hot chocolate. We can accommodate special diets with
advance notice and almost always the menu suits the vegetarian.
ALCOHOL
You are welcome to bring alcohol as long as it is in unbreakable
containers. Discretion in alcohol consumption during whitewater
days is strongly advised. If you would like us to pick up a particular
beer and bring it to the river, please advise and payment can be
made for your purchase at the river put-in with your Trip leader.
Transportation
PRE-TRIP ARRANGEMENTS
By Plane: Arrive in Cortez, Co. the day prior to the trip. Dvorak
Expeditions will pick you up at your motel at 7:30 a.m. on the morning
of the first day of your trip and transport you to the river put-in
point near Telluride, Co., about a one and one-half hour drive.
Call to confirm times.
By Car: You will need to arrive in Placerville, Co. (the junction
of Hwy 62 and 145, which is the turn off to Telluride) by 8:00 a.m.
the morning your trip begins. Camping is available in the Telluride
Town Park or at various Recreation sites along the San Miguel River.
Dvorak Expeditions will send you a map of the exact rendezvous site
with your trip confirmation package.*
*Trips longer than 5 days necessitate flying out of Grand Junction,
Co. at trips end if flying, or arranging a car shuttle to the trips’
end point if driving. We will work these logistics out with you
when you book your trip. If driving from Grand Junction, take US
50 to US 550 and travel south to C62 and take C145 to Placerville.
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AT TRIPS END
After de-rigging and loading equipment late afternoon on the last
day of your trip, Dvorak Expeditions will either shuttle you back
to Cortez or Grand Junction.
Arrange to have your car shuttled to the take-out at an extra cost.
(see confirmation letter)
Although you can usually make a connection flight home after 7 p.m.
on the last day of the trip, we recommend you fly out the following
morning in case inclement weather or other circumstances delay our
arrival in Grand Junction.
Remember “River Time” in unpredictable.
Ages 5 low water and 8 highwater and Up (flow may effect ages)
| San Miguel River |
Adults |
Youths under 12 |
| 2 Days Horsefly Creek |
$352.00 |
$318.00 |
| 3 Days The Ledges |
$539.00 |
$476.00 |
| 4 Day The Ledges/Slickrock |
$688.00 |
$631.00 |
| 5 Day All Sections |
$855.00 |
$751.00 |
*Colorado Govt. Use Fees of 3% will be added to these fees.
Early and late trips may need to be changed due to weather/water and trip of 8 or less people.
To see dates for any of these trips, choose a trip
from the option box and press the submit button above. Once you are
registered, you will get a confirmation email from Dvorak Expeditions
for your trip.
You can search all the trips that we offer:
You can also search by geographic area:
San Miguel River Itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1: Canyon River Journey General Itinerary
General Itinerary for multi-day Expeditions
And So It Begins River Magic Dvorak Style!
When you reserve your adventure with Dvorak Rafting & Kayak
Expeditions, you will be taken care of from the time you meet us
until we send you on your way at the end. We will schedule pre trip
meetings to check our lists and finalize last minute details before
you fly, shuttle or walk to the river launch sites. We will fit
you out with your personal floatation device (PFD), issue your waterproof
bag for personal gear to transfer your river gear into, confirm
your camping equipment is there (tents/sleeping bags/pads/rain gear/wetsuit/boots
etc.) and gather everyone to the circle for introductions and a
river safety talk. Once we are a river family, we will designate
the rafters and kayakers to their crafts and we will be on our way.
“We are now officially on “River Time”
Diversity!
A week, two days, three days, or more, Dvorak Rafting & Kayak
Expeditions cater to all tastes. Right from the start, our staff
does the tough stuff – the glory of adventure, without the
worry! Based on your input, our consultants will help you choose
a personally – suited expedition, a getaway, vacation, challenge
or another river feather in your hat! From this point, we will takeover
and do all the planning, make the lists and check them twice, the
cooking, and the loading and detailing. Kick back and soak it all
in. However, if you desire to recall the rugged, rough and tumble
routes of “roughing it”, we can go there, too.
Tents or Castle?
Some like it wet and wild. Others like it quaint and calm. Just
like our selection of nine rivers in the southwest Dvoraks offer
you choices; sleep under the stars in your skivvies, tent on a sandy
riverbank, cozy up in a bed & breakfast or luxury base camp
with us on the Arkansas River Center in walled tents with the hot
showers right next door! Great granite fireplace and pavilion for
families, corporate groups and afternoon Bar B.Q. after a day of
rafting.
Morning Sunrise
Dawn is accompanied by the sweet morning chorus of the river birds
singing, rustling tents opening, and nature stretching its wings
and the call of “Cawfeee” hot and rich to your senses.
As you make your way to the kitchen, the smell of fresh bacon, pancakes
and nibbles of fresh fruit and juices entice your appetite to begin
the day. Your crew leisurely shuffles about, while breaking down
camp and packing up the rafts in preparation for the days adventures
ahead. By the time, the sun moves into camp over the canyon walls
you will have packed your dry bag and will have taken the fleece
off to ready for the days rapids and hikes to come.
Afternoon Delight!
Now that you’re wet and wild, you have explored a side canyon
or perhaps walked back in time to the ancient one’s ruins
or stopped for a snack on the water’s edge on a sunny beach
- your tank of adrenaline has come and gone and guess what ? There
is still half the day left. Your guides will set up a banquet of
lunch delicacies for your delight and relax as you take in the grand
view of this wilderness canyon as you sip a cool drink on the river’s
edge. After lunch we’ll pack up for a afternoon run of whitewater
and not so river wild water where you can swim or play till we reach
our river camp this late afternoon.
River Dance Begins
First timers will rest assured that when we arrive to camp for
the night your guides will set up camp and help you or show you
how to set up tents. The camp shuffle-dance will begin as the dinner
crew prepare the evening meal and sets out your appetizers and cold
drinks and wine for after all that fresh air - “fuel for the
fires of appetite” will have taken over. Dvoraks is famous
for always making sure they are dinners are plentiful, delicious
and to die for! Meanwhile the rest of the day is yours to relax,
read, and play river games with the crew or visit with your family
and new river friends. The setting will have by now doubled your
distance from jobs, freeways, telephones and workday responsibility.
You will have sharpened your senses to those around you and will
inhabit the delights of this natural world around you.
(Make sure we know when there’s a birthday or anniversary
because there will be one in the works from the kitchen crew)
A Good Nights Sleep!
Sleeping well is an essential luxury of any vacation. Our guests
bed down in roomy four season tents with floors and flys, warm sleeping
bags, atop self-inflating pads. Our bed & breakfast guests snooze
like royalty in four-star comfortable choices; (Western, Tudor,
Victorian, Eclectic, Country styles). You will find them just downright
incredible. As you move away from the open fire after the recounting
the day’s escapades and post dinner drinks, hot cocoa, tea
or cool water you will never remember your head hitting your river
pillow. Just before you close your eyes one last time - look up
and see STARS like you have never seen before!
Variety is the Spice of Life
You can count on each day of your trip having some new twists and
turns and a wild ride or two along with some quiet gentle moments
on the river. Water will be a big part of each day as the full days
run is from about 9:00 a.m. thru until 3-4:30 p.m. Some days have
more hiking - others are more rafting. One thing for sure is your
trip will be like no other and the friends, laughter and experiences
will be a good time – every time! Please feel free to call
our adventure consultants for more details and do look over the
float notes for those special and unique qualities our rivers will
offer you. Remember the memories never go away and it is up to all
of us to protect these resources for our children and their children
beyond our time. The whitewater thrills will fade but the tall tales
just get taller every year!
“River Magic” Dvorak style!
Meeting Place & Time
Placerville City Park
Park is located on the East Side of Hwy.145 in the middle of Placerville.
From Telluride: take Hwy. 145 towards Placerville. Go 12 miles. City
Park is on right (East side) in the middle of town.
From Ouray: take Hwy. 550 South and go 10 miles to Ridgeway. Then turn
left on Hwy. 62 to Hwy. 145. Turn left on Hwy 145 towards Placerville.
City Park is on the left.
Responsibility Waiver
Dvorak Expeditions will assume no responsibility for injury to trip
members, damage or loss of belongings or for time or expense incurred
as the result of a Dvorak Expeditions trip. We require you to read
and sign a liability release form prior to your trip as well as
a health questionnaire.
Because of the risk associated with river trips, including possible
personal injury, property loss and financial loss in the event of
cancellation, we strongly urge all trip participants to obtain vacation
insurance.
Forms We Need:
Please return the following forms to us via mail as soon as you
have booked your trip:
Trip
Questionnaire - Passenger List - Rental Request
Vacation Insurance Form - use the below information for online viewing.
Medical
Risk Form
 What
to Bring
Please see our packing
list and answers to common questions.
Refund Policy
It is sometimes necessary for us to cancel or modify a trip because of unusual circumstances. We reserve the right to cancel or modify any trip due to weather or water conditions or other circumstances beyond our control. In such cases, we cannot be responsible for paying any expenses you may have incurred other than to refund monies due to you for trip costs per the policies below.
Dvorak Expeditions recommends that you obtain trip vacation insurance in order to protect yourself from any losses you might incur if you suddenly need to cancel your reservation. If you have to cancel your trip and have not obtained trip insurance, we recommend you try to find someone to take your place.
Please read carefully our cancellation policy, below, as it applies in every instance:
One-Day Trips
When cancellation is made 2 days or more prior to departure, all monies are refunded less a 50% (of total trip price) cancellation fee, or the total deposit if it is less than 50% of the trip price.
With less than 2 days notice, no monies are refunded (this includes credit card charges).
Multi-Day Trips:
When cancellation is made 30 days or more prior to departure, all monies are refunded less a 15% (of total trip price) cancellation fee.
With less than 30 days notice, but more than 14 days notice, a 25% (of total trip price) cancellation fee is non refundable.
With 14 days or less notice, no monies are refunded ( this includes credit card charges).
Travel Insurance:
We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance through Travelex Insurance (please reference locator account # 06-0520 – product # A0105102) in the event you need to cancel your trip with us.
www.travelex-insurance.com
1-800-228-9792
Product No. TR01 05/00
Location No. 06-0520
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