Hint: If viewing from a smart phone, hold the phone sideways.
| River | Stretch | Class | Days | Time of Year | Comments [APR = Avoid Peak Runoff] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARKANSAS | Fractions (above Buena Vista) | III(+) | 1 | May-Aug | APR |
| Buena Vista Town Run | III- | 1 | May-Aug | APR | |
| Milk Run (Stone Bridge to Salida) | II+ | 1 | May-Aug | APR – Lowhead dam has boat chute on left | |
| Salida to Rincon | III- | 1 | May-Aug | APR | |
| Rincon to Vallie Bridge | III- | 1 | May-Aug | APR | |
| Florence to Pueblo Reservoir | I+ | 1 | May-Aug | APR – twisty with strainers | |
| Pueblo Reservoir Dam thru town | II | 1 | May-Aug | APR – 1 or 2 dams to portage | |
| BLUE | Green Mtn Res Dam to Spring Creek Road | III(+) | 1 | July-Sept | APR – 2 diversion dam drops and a hopping narrows section; tough put-in is best done with ropes |
| CHAMA | El Vado Res Dam to Big Eddy Take-out | II+(III) | 3 | May-June (thru Aug on a wet year) | APR – Lottery Permit; Season varies widely by snowpack; weekend releases start late Friday mornings. |
| COLORADO | Pumphouse | III- | .5 | May-Sept | APR – often combine 2 of these 3 sections |
| Red Canyon (Radium to Yarm.Brg) | III- | .5 | May-Sept | APR | |
| Yarmony Bridge to State Bridge | II+ | .5 | May-Sept | APR | |
| State Bridge to Landing Strip | I to II | .5 | May-Oct | APR – usually paired with next stretch to Catamount | |
| Landing Strip to Catamount | I | .5 | May-Oct | APR – usually start at State Bridge | |
| Catamount to Twin Bridges | II to III- | 1 | May-Oct | APR – portage Rodeo Rapid (III+ and sharp concrete) on right | |
| Twin Bridges to below Swtwtr Rd. | III- | 1 | May-Oct | APR – or start earlier at Pinball put-in | |
| Below Sweetwater Rd. to Dotsero | II+ | .5 | May-Oct | APR | |
| Dotsero to Hanging Lake | I+ | 1 | May-Oct | APR – good beginner run with 3 small rapids | |
| Grizzly Creek to Glenwood Springs (2 Rivers Park) | III- | 1 | May-Oct | APR | |
| Glenwood to South Canyon | III- | .3 | May-Oct | APR – can get very windy; done with Cemetery or Grizzly runs | |
| New Castle to Silt | I+ | .7 | April-Oct | APR | |
| Rifle to Rulison/Parachute | II+ | 1 | April-Oct | APR | |
| Fruita to Westwater | I to II | 2-3 | April-Oct | APR – do <12,000cfs; summer's crowded; car vandals at Loma | |
| Cisco Landing to Dewey Bridge | I | 1 | April-Oct | APR – can do this with next 2 sections | |
| Dewey Bridge to about Onion Crk | II | 1 | April-Oct | APR – can do this with next section | |
| Onion Crk to above Moab | III- | 1 | April-Oct | APR – also called the Day Run; popular with rafts | |
| Moab to Potash Mine | II? | 1 | April-Oct | APR | |
| Potash Mine to Spanish Bottom | II? | 2-3 | April-Oct | APR | |
| DOLORES | Cahone to Slick Rock | III+ | 2-3 | May-earlyJune | MANY rapids; Portage Snaggletooth Rapid – class IV |
| Slick Rock to Bed Rock | III | 3-4 | May-earlyJune | Prior section and this 1 depend on big snowpack | |
| Bed Rock or last bit of San Miguel to Gateway | III- | (2-)3 | May-June | Runnable due to San Miguel water, even if the Dolores is not getting a release from McPhee Res. | |
| EAGLE | Edwards to below Wolcott | II+(III) | 1 | May-July | APR |
| Gypsum to Dotsero/BairRanch | II+ | 1 | May-July | APR – No Eagle R. takeout at Dotsero, so add Colo. R. miles | |
| GREEN | Below Fontanelle Dam to I-80 | II | 3 | May-Sept? | No camping in Seedskadee Refuge, so 2 segments; camp twice at the first location below the dam |
| Flaming Grg Dam to Swallow Cyn | II+(III) | 3 | May-earlyOct | Must reserve 1st river campsite | |
| Lodore to end of Split Mtn | III+ | 4-5 | May-midOct | APR – Lottery Permit; can’t always get 5th day | |
| Deso-Gray, ends @ Green R, UT | III | 6-9 | April-Oct | Want 1500-6000cfs, but can do less | |
| Labyrinth – Green River,UT or Ruby Ranch to Mineral Bottom | I+ | 2-4 | April-Oct | ||
| Stillwater – Min. B. to Spanish Btm | I+ | 4-6 | April-Oct | APR of Colo R last 2 miles; need jet boat up Colo R. | |
| GUNNISON | Delta or Escalante Bridge to Whitewater | I-II+ | 2-3 | April-August | APR – usually do a full day of hiking Dominguez Canyon; car vandalism at both ends, so park at motel in Whitewater |
| NIOBRARA | Near Valentine, Nebraska | I+ | 2 | May-Sept | Spring fed river keeps fairly constant cfs |
| N. PLATTE | Six Mile Gap CO/WY line to Treasure Island Rec Site | II+(III) | 3 | midMay-midJune | APR when BIG snowpack; only runs for a week or less in low snowpack years |
| Saratoga to I-80 | I+(II) | (2-)3 | May-earlyJuly | Put in at hot spring or Foote camp ground; great beginner overnighter except for difficulties at diversion dam | |
| Wendover Cyn – Glendo 2 Guernsy | I+(II) | 1 | May-midSept | ||
| POUDRE | Bridges | III+ | .5 | May-Aug | APR – 2nd bridge is dangerous/fatal at higher water |
| Filter Plant | III- | .5 | May-Aug | APR – Very popular | |
| RIO GRANDE | Above Creede | III(+?) | 1 | May-June | Want around 500cfs; River Hill Campground to private trailhead |
| Wagon Wheel Gap to S. Fork | III-? | 1 | May-June | ||
| ROARING FK | Cemetery – S. Glenwood to Colo R | III- | .7 | May-July | APR – Usually combine with Colo R to S. Canyon |
| SAN JUAN | Sand I. (Bluff, UT) to Mexican Hat | II(III-) | (2-)3 | lateApr-midOct | APR – Lottery Permit; extreme wind can add 1 day; flash floods |
| Mexican Hat to Clay Hills Crossing | II(III+) | (4-)5 | lateApr-midOct | APR – Lottery Permit; extreme wind can add 1 day; flash floods | |
| SAN MIGUEL | Ledges – final miles before Dolores | III | 1 | May-June | APR? |
| S. PLATTE | Below Deckers – Bridge Crossing Picnic Ground to Pine Creek Rd. | II+ | 1 | May-July? | APR – Water depends on Cheeseman Res. Release; can start at Scraggy View PG (mid of this run) and continue thru Chutes |
| Chutes and a few miles down | III+ | .4 | May-July? | APR – Chutes are very scary; car portage them to a bad put-in | |
| C470 to Union Chutes | II-III- | 1 | April-Oct? | APR – river is easy, but man-made drops/chutes are trickier | |
| Brighton to Ft. Lupton | I+ | 1 | April-Oct? | APR – cfs varies; 1 dam portage when gate is down | |
| Evans to Kersey/Kuner | I+ | 1 | midMarch-Oct? | 2 dam portages | |
| WHITE | Rangely/Bonanza 2 Enron GasWls | I-II | 3 | May-June(July) | Several put-ins to manage long mileage; shuttle is a maze |
| YAMPA | Craig to Duffy Mtn Ramp | I | 2(-3) | midJune-earlyJuly | Want <9000cfs; tough to catch Duffy ramp at >6000cfs; may need to go extra flat/windy miles/half-day to Juniper Hot Spgs |
- This document puposefully is not listing class III+ to IV day trips such as Brown’s, Shoshone, Westwater, and Numbers which are usually done by the “A” Team (A = Adrenaline-addicted).
- Information given (especially in the Comments) are parameters designed to help decide if you want to lead a trip. Good points and trip description are left out due to space considerations. They are all good.
- All trips listed are within a medium day’s drive of the Front Range; 455 miles to the San Juan is the longest distance. To go further afield, consider:
- Montana – Smith River (lottery permit) or Missouri River
- Teton/Yellowstone N.P. region – Snake and Yellowstone Rivers
- Minnesota – Boundary Waters or Quetico (Canada)
- Texas – Rio Grande – several sections in and near Big Bend N.P. and see Texas Paddling Trails for many other paddling options in Texas
- Arkansas – Buffalo River
- CANADA – Endless possibilities
- The class rating and other details are subject to variation based upon water levels and many other factors. Other information in this listing is subject to change as well; so do your own research prior to selecting a trip to lead.
Poudre Paddlers has a nice list of lakes and rivers in the Colorado area at https://www.poudrepaddlers.org/descriptions-and-maps.html.