About the role
Now closed for the 2026 season. Thank you to everyone who came out and ran the rivers with us! See you next Summer!
Now closed for the 2026 season. Thank you to everyone who came out and ran the rivers with us! See you next Summer!
Now closed for the 2026 season. Thank you to everyone who came out and ran the rivers with us! See you next Summer!
Now closed for the 2026 season. Thank you to everyone who came out and ran the rivers with us! See you next Summer!
Now closed for the 2026 season. Thank you to everyone who came out and ran the rivers with us! See you next Summer!
Now closed for the 2026 season. Thank you to everyone who came out and ran the rivers with us! See you next Summer!
River Trips Clear CreekIdaho Springs BeginnerClass II–IIIIntermediateClass III–IVAdvancedClass IV Colorado RiverKremmling Upper ColoradoScenic RaftingInflatable KayakPaddle Your OwnGore CanyonClass VOvernightMulti-Day Adventure Need Help Deciding?Find the right trip for you Groups Corporate EventsTeam building & off-sitesBachelor & BacheloretteParty on the riverSchool & Youth GroupsStructured & funSports TeamsOff-season bondingWedding PartiesAll ages welcomeChurch & CommunityGroup pricing availableReunions & MilestonesBirthdays, anniversaries & more
About Us Meet Our GuidesThe crew on the waterFAQsYour questions answeredWhy Choose UsWhat sets us apartContact UsGet in touchJoin Our TeamGuide jobs & hiringBlogStories & adventure guides Local Area All LocationsOverviewDenver40 min awayBoulder45 min awayBreckenridge40 min awayKeystone35 min awaySilverthorne30 min awayFrisco35 min awayVail45 min awayWinter Park30 min awaySteamboat SpringsRiver townIdaho SpringsClear Creek OutpostKremmlingColorado River OutpostGranby20 min awayGrand Lake25 min awayColorado Springs2 hrs awayGeorgetown15 min awayRocky Mtn NPvia Grand Lake Shop Waiver Contact Book Now Home All River Trips Clear Creek — Idaho Springs ↳ Beginner ↳ Intermediate ↳ Advanced Colorado River — Kremmling ↳ Upper Colorado ↳ Inflatable Kayak ↳ Gore Canyon ↳ Overnight Need Help Deciding? All Groups ↳ Corporate Events ↳ Bachelor & Bachelorette ↳ School & Youth ↳ Sports Teams ↳ Family Reunions ↳ Church & Community ↳ Reunions & Milestones All Locations↳ Denver↳ Boulder↳ Breckenridge↳ Keystone↳ Silverthorne↳ Frisco↳ Vail↳ Winter Park↳ Steamboat Springs↳ Idaho Springs↳ Kremmling↳ Granby↳ Grand Lake↳ Colorado Springs↳ Georgetown↳ Rocky Mtn NP Shop
About Us ↳ Meet Our Guides ↳ FAQs ↳ Why Choose Us ↳ Contact Us ↳ Join Our Team ↳ Blog Waiver Contact Book Now Home / Join Our Team / Guide Training We're Hiring GUIDE TRAINING Acquire the skills to navigate a raft full of guests through Class IV whitewater — and get paid to do it. The Program Become a Professional Rafting Guide Acquire the skills necessary to successfully navigate a raft full of passengers through exciting Class IV whitewater — and get paid to do it! No whitewater experience is necessary.
We will teach you commercial river guiding from the ground up, equipping you with the experience, knowledge, and official certification to begin working as a professional whitewater river guide anywhere in the state of Colorado. Although we are happy to train individuals who have no intention of employment, this course is designed for those who will begin employment with Liquid Descent on Clear Creek and the Colorado River once training is complete. The state of Colorado requires 50 hours of on-river training to be a certified river guide.
We require at least 100 hours of on-river training in addition to pool sessions and classroom lessons. Trainees must demonstrate the necessary skills to be a competent river guide before beginning employment. Our trainers are highly motivated to help you succeed — extra coaching, one-on-one training, and after-hours sessions are all available.
We intend to hire every guide we train, though participation in training does not guarantee employment. Training begins May 14th and runs through the first week of June. Monday–Friday participation is required.
Weekends are available for those who want to finish faster. Most trainees complete their coursework and river miles in early June and are ready to begin employment. What You'll Learn On-river training takes place at a variety of locations including the Colorado River and Clear Creek.
Time in the pool and classroom covers the many aspects of running rivers: Anatomy & Characteristics of Rivers — "River Sense" Learn to read whitewater and recognize hazards: river characteristics, currents, eddies, rapids, and more. Rope Work Practice knots, mechanical advantages, rescue systems, and understand the benefits and hazards of rope use in swift water. Equipment Proper use, maintenance, and rigging of paddles, boats, and gear.
Strokes & Commands The techniques, uses, and effectiveness of every stroke and command you'll use as a commercial river guide. Rescue Self-rescue, rescues from shore, rescues from other boats, throw bags, technical rope systems, and additional scenarios. Safety Safety is a game of inches.
We teach you to think critically and mitigate risk — many safety mistakes happen before the raft ever leaves shore. You'll learn to identify and mitigate hazards that others miss. Expression River guiding is a form of expression.
As a guide, you're also a performer and entertainer. Style points matter — guests tip guides they enjoy. We teach public speaking, personality, humor, and confidence on the water.
Guiding Technical navigation is the core skill. We teach all the tips and tricks from years of commercial guiding: angles, commands, customer placement, boat selection, and pod integrity. Most importantly — how to turn inexperienced guests into a powerful paddling engine.
Why Train With Liquid Descent? Our instructors are some of the most experienced guides in Colorado — all with thousands of river miles and experience on rivers worldwide. They're also hilarious and great to be around.
The training is challenging but genuinely fun. The camaraderie you'll build with fellow trainees and the Liquid Descent crew is unparalleled. We run some of the most exciting commercial sections in the country, including Gore Canyon.
As a trainee and first-year guide, you'll experience all of it. Cost: $450.00 — This covers every aspect of training and all the river gear you'll need. Trainees are welcome to camp during training.
Trainees who become employees will have half their training fee returned after completing their 1st season , and the remainder after their 2nd season. CPR and First Aid certifications are required before employment can begin. Training begins May 14th, 2026 at 9am at our shop in Idaho Springs, CO.
Apply Now Guide Training Application ✅ Thanks! Your application has been submitted — we'll be in touch soon. Position: Guide Training Name * Name * Email * Phone * Address * Do you have any previous whitewater experience?
If so tell us about it. * How well can you swim? * Excellent Decent Terrible Why would you like to become a whitewater rafting guide? * Do you have any skills or previous training that you feel would be beneficial to you as a whitewater guide? * What are your hobbies and interests? * Job history — Please list any previous employment that might be relative * Additional Comments We'll follow up within a few business days. Have questions before applying? Reach out directly at ben@liquiddescent.com and we'll get back to you.
Not Ready to Apply? Come Ride First.
Experience Clear Creek or the Colorado River before you commit. Book a trip and see what guiding looks like from the raft. Book Now Back to Openings Colorado's premier whitewater rafting company. Two locations, elite guides, premium gear. River Trips All Trips Idaho Springs Kremmling Group Trips
About Us Our Story Meet Our Guides FAQs Why Choose Us Contact Us Join Our Team Contact 1896 Stanley Rd, Idaho Springs 400 Park Ave, Kremmling (970) 372-2870 raftliquid@gmail.com Plan Your Trip Rafting Near Denver Rafting Near Boulder Rafting Near BreckenridgeRafting Near Silverthorne Rafting Near Vail Rafting Near Keystone Rafting Near Winter Park Rafting Near Colorado Springs View All Locations © 2026 Liquid Descent Rafting. All rights reserved. Licensed through Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
All or part of this operation is conducted on Public Lands under special permit from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Idaho Springs & Kremmling, Colorado Book Your Trip Liquid Descent Rafting Loading booking...
Colorado's best river trips — from $80 (970) 372-2870Book Now Your river day awaits From $80 Call Now Book Now The Program Become a Professional Rafting Guide Acquire the skills necessary to successfully navigate a raft full of passengers through exciting Class IV whitewater — and get paid to do it! No whitewater experience is necessary. We will teach you commercial river guiding from the ground up, equipping you with the experience, knowledge, and official certification to begin working as a professional whitewater river guide anywhere in the state of Colorado.
Although we are happy to train individuals who have no intention of employment, this course is designed for those who will begin employment with Liquid Descent on Clear Creek and the Colorado River once training is complete. The state of Colorado requires 50 hours of on-river training to be a certified river guide. We require at least 100 hours of on-river training in addition to pool sessions and classroom lessons.
Trainees must demonstrate the necessary skills to be a competent river guide before beginning employment. Our trainers are highly motivated to help you succeed — extra coaching, one-on-one training, and after-hours sessions are all available. We intend to hire every guide we train, though participation in training does not guarantee employment.
Training begins May 14th and runs through the first week of June. Monday–Friday participation is required. Weekends are available for those who want to finish faster.
Most trainees complete their coursework and river miles in early June and are ready to begin employment. What You'll Learn On-river training takes place at a variety of locations including the Colorado River and Clear Creek. Time in the pool and classroom covers the many aspects of running rivers: Anatomy & Characteristics of Rivers — "River Sense" Learn to read whitewater and recognize hazards: river characteristics, currents, eddies, rapids, and more.
Rope Work Practice knots, mechanical advantages, rescue systems, and understand the benefits and hazards of rope use in swift water. Equipment Proper use, maintenance, and rigging of paddles, boats, and gear. Strokes & Commands The techniques, uses, and effectiveness of every stroke and command you'll use as a commercial river guide.
Rescue Self-rescue, rescues from shore, rescues from other boats, throw bags, technical rope systems, and additional scenarios. Safety Safety is a game of inches. We teach you to think critically and mitigate risk — many safety mistakes happen before the raft ever leaves shore.
You'll learn to identify and mitigate hazards that others miss. Expression River guiding is a form of expression. As a guide, you're also a performer and entertainer.
Style points matter — guests tip guides they enjoy. We teach public speaking, personality, humor, and confidence on the water. Guiding Technical navigation is the core skill.
We teach all the tips and tricks from years of commercial guiding: angles, commands, customer placement, boat selection, and pod integrity. Most importantly — how to turn inexperienced guests into a powerful paddling engine. Why Train With Liquid Descent?
Our instructors are some of the most experienced guides in Colorado — all with thousands of river miles and experience on rivers worldwide. They're also hilarious and great to be around. The training is challenging but genuinely fun.
The camaraderie you'll build with fellow trainees and the Liquid Descent crew is unparalleled. We run some of the most exciting commercial sections in the country, including Gore Canyon. As a trainee and first-year guide, you'll experience all of it.
Cost: $450.00 — This covers every aspect of training and all the river gear you'll need. Trainees are welcome to camp during training. Trainees who become employees will have half their training fee returned after completing their 1st season , and the remainder after their 2nd season.
CPR and First Aid certifications are required before employment can begin. Training begins May 14th, 2026 at 9am at our shop in Idaho Springs, CO. Apply Now Guide Training Application ✅ Thanks!
Your application has been submitted — we'll be in touch soon. Position: Guide Training Name * Name * Email * Phone * Address * Do you have any previous whitewater experience? If so tell us about it. * How well can you swim? * Excellent Decent Terrible Why would you like to become a whitewater rafting guide? * Do you have any skills or previous training that you feel would be beneficial to you as a whitewater guide? * What are your hobbies and interests? * Job history — Please list any previous employment that might be relative * Additional Comments We'll follow up within a few business days.
Have questions before applying? Reach out directly at ben@liquiddescent.com and we'll get back to you.