Colorado Original Rafts

Under Colorado law, the youngest person who may operate a motorboat, including a personal watercraft, is 14. Operators ages 14 through 17 must complete a Colorado Parks and Wildlife approved boating safety course and possess the certificate issued by the course provider; people under 14 may not operate a motorboat. At 18, the youth certificate requirement no longer applies. The rental operator sets its own booking minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife (cpw.state.co.us)

Colorado does not require a boating license or safety card for recreational motorboat operators age 18 or older. Operators ages 14 through 17 may operate only after completing a Colorado Parks and Wildlife approved boating safety course and carrying the provider issued certificate; this rule includes personal watercraft. Anyone under 14 may not operate a motorboat.

Rental customers are not exempt: renters under 18 must meet the same age and certificate requirements, and the state rule provides no temporary rental certificate alternative. The age and education requirements do not apply on bodies of water located on private property. Colorado Parks and Wildlife administers the program.

Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife (cpw.state.co.us)

The best boating in Colorado spans Grand Lake in the northern mountains, Blue Mesa Reservoir on the Western Slope, and the Colorado River for moving water. Grand Lake, beside Rocky Mountain National Park, offers summer kayaking, paddleboarding and boating on a mountain lake. Blue Mesa, near Gunnison in high mountain desert country, is Colorado’s largest body of water and has long stretches of reservoir water with arms reaching into secluded canyons. The Colorado River adds a river option with whitewater rafting, while eastern prairie and Western Slope reservoirs offer motorboating and water skiing.

Source: Colorado Tourism Office (colorado.com)

Popular boating destinations in Colorado include Grand Lake for summer boating, kayaking and paddleboarding; Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison for its vast water, speedboating and rocky beaches; Chatfield Reservoir for boating, swimming and fishing; Lake Pueblo for 4,600 acres of water, extensive shoreline and full service marinas; and Horsetooth Reservoir for powerboating, canoeing, kayaking and rafting. These destinations give day boaters a varied choice of motorized recreation, paddling, fishing and marina access.

Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife (cpw.state.co.us)