Raft Guides

cityWILD adult guides are all 18 years of age or older and hold CPR/First Aid certification in accordance with Colorado State law.  They are also trained well beyond the minimum standards for state guides.  cityWILD takes your safety extremely seriously.  Now on our 10th season, cityWILD has never had a serious injury while rafting over 15,000 clients down the S. Platte and Arkansas Rivers.

S. Platte Guides – For many years, 50% of cityWILD adult guides on the S. Platte have been former cityWILD students and/or Junior Guides.  S. Platte guides are trained on the rigors of the Arkansas River so they are best equipped to guide on the more mellow S. Platte.  Many of our guides are bi-lingual in Spanish and English.

Arkansas Guides – cityWILD only hires already trained and qualified guides for the Arkansas River.  To guide a river like the Arkansas, guides typically undergo a 6-8 week training, learning such things as river navigation, swift water rescue, and first-aid.  cityWILD hires guides who have this training already for the Arkansas.

Junior Guides – cityWILD hires local high school youth to be assistant guides on the S. Platte and (occasionally) Arkansas River.  Because these youth are under the age of 18, they cannot be a certified adult guide.  However, their skills are often on par with cityWILD adult guides as many of our Junior Guides are in the 3rd or 4th years of guiding!  Junior Guides often graduate out of the program and become certified adult guides for cityWILD.

Chip Swanson – Head Guide/Guide Trainer/Trip Leader

Chip has been rafting for 15+ years and is in his 4th season with cityWILD.  He has over 2000 guiding miles on many rivers, including 1000+ on Browns Canyon alone.  Chip is a former EMT, Search and Rescue team leader, ski patroller and all around great guy!  He currently holds his Wilderness First-Aid certification.  Chip is also cityWILD’s climbing guide for our students.  Be sure to say hi to Tahoe, Chip’s dog, when rafting the Arkansas!