The Best Rafting Rivers for Summer

Summer is prime rafting season, not least because it provides a welcome antidote to the heat in many parts of the country. Rafting operations really crank into overdrive across the country, offering every kind of trip imaginable, from all-action day trips to long multi-day forays into the best of the American hinterlands. Water levels can fluctuate depending on local conditions, particularly on free-flowing courses, while dam-controlled rivers enjoy more steady and predictable flows through scheduled releases. But whatever the source of your watery provenance, summer is the perfect time in which to get wet on the river.

Animas River, Colorado
Arkansas River, Colorado
Clark Fork River (Alberton Gorge), Montana
Clear Creek River, Colorado
Green River (Desolation Canyon), Utah
James River, Virginia Kennebec River, Maine
Kern River, California
Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho
New River, West Virginia
Rogue River, Oregon
Sauk River, Washington
Selway River, Idaho
Snake River (Hell's Canyon)
Tatshenshini River, Alaska