The Cache La Poudre is Colorado’s first and only Wild and Scenic River and it is both close to Fort Collins and just an hour’s drive from Denver. Its waters range from Class II to IV rapids making it a great river for those new to rafting.

The name of the river means “hide the powder” in French, referring to a group of French trappers who were forced to bury their gunpowder by the river’s edge when they were caught in a snowstorm in the 1820s.