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Colorado Whitewater

Raft Kayak Canoe


Colorado Whitewater

Raft | Kayak | Canoe


Colorado is a mecca for whitewater enthusiasts, offering a wide range of thrilling river runs for all skill levels. One of the most popular destinations is the Arkansas River, particularly the Brown's Canyon section near Buena Vista. This 14-mile stretch features exciting Class III rapids surrounded by stunning Rocky Mountain scenery. Ideal streamflow levels for Brown's Canyon typically range from 700-3,000 cubic feet per second, providing a perfect balance of challenge and enjoyment. For a more adrenaline-pumping experience, the Numbers section of the Arkansas River offers intense Class IV-V rapids that will test even the most experienced paddlers.

Another must-visit spot for whitewater adventurers is Clear Creek, just a short drive from Denver. The Upper Clear Creek segment near Idaho Springs boasts thrilling Class IV rapids with continuous action from start to finish. With streamflow levels between 500-1,000 cubic feet per second, this run will keep your heart pounding and adrenaline flowing. Safety is paramount when exploring Colorado's whitewater, so be sure to always wear a properly fitted life jacket, helmet, and appropriate footwear. Additionally, it's recommended to paddle with a knowledgeable guide or experienced group, especially on more challenging runs. With its diverse array of river runs and breathtaking scenery, Colorado offers an unforgettable whitewater experience for kayakers and rafters alike.

Location Streamflow (cfs) Difficulty (class)
Headwaters To Confluence With Medano Creek
4 II-IV
Headwaters At Medano Lake To Ends On The Sand Sheet Past The Southern End Of The Dunes
1 II-III
Western Edge Of Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site To Eastern Edge Of Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
235 III
Headwaters To Ends 0.5 Miles Away From Trail Ridge Road
418 III+
Begins 0.5 Miles Away From Trail Ridge Road To Ends Where River Segment Exits Rocky Mountain National Park
-999 III
Headwaters To Ends 0.5 Miles Upstream From End Of Fern Lake Road
-999 III-IV
Headwaters To Boundary Of Rocky Mountain National Park
-999 II-III
Begins 0.5 Miles Upstream From End Of Fern Lake Road To Eastern Boundary Of Rocky Mountain National Park
418 IV-III
Headwaters To Fan Lake
-999 NONE
Headwaters To Ends 0.5 Miles Upstream From End Of County Hwy 115
5 III-IV
Headwaters To Confluence With Sand Creek
1 III-IV
Headwaters To The Mountain Front
1 II-IV
Mountain Front To Western Park Boundary
1 III-IV
Eastern Boundary Of Park To Western Park Boundary
1 IV
Begins 0.5 Miles Upstream From End Of County Hwy 115 To Eastern Boundary Of Rocky Mountain National Park
5 III-IV
Eastern Boundary Of Dinosaur National Monument To Confluence With Green River
1400 III-IV+
Headwaters At Indian Spring To Ends Where The Creek Is Diverted Into Irrigation Ditches
1 III-IV
Curecanti National Recreation Area Boundary To High Water Line Of Blue Mesa Reservoir
44 III-IV
Curecanti National Recreation Area Boundary To High Water Line Of Morrow Point Reservoir
57 III-IV
The Southern Boundary Of The Black Canyon Gunnison National Monument To The Painted Wall
669 III-IV
The Painted Wall To The Black Canyon Gunnison National Monument Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Boundary
669 III-V
South Fork Sec 19, T35n, R4e To Sec 36, T35n, R4 1/2e
8 NONE
Middle Fork Headwaters To Weminuche Wilderness Boundary
0 III
Ef/Middle Fork At Weminuche Wilderness Boundary To Forest Development Road 631
177 NONE
Colorado Stateline To Nf Boundary
103 III-IV
Rio Nutritas To Stewart Meadows
103 III-IV
Headwaters To Rio San Antonio
103 III-IV
Sec 1, T33n, R3e To Confluence With East Fork Sec 17, T33n, R4e
60 III-IV
Dipping Lakes Sec 5, T33n, R4e To Confluence With West Fork Sec 17, T33n, R4e
60 NONE
Sec 30, T41n, R2e To Sec 11, T40n, R2e
92 III-IV
Source In Se 1/4 Sec 25, T10n, R75w To End Of The Four Wheel Drive Road East Of The Nf Poudre Campground (Nw 1/4 Of Sec 21, T10n, R74w
-999 NONE
End Of Four Wheel Drive Road To Pearl Creek In Se 1/4 Sec 21, T10n, R74w
3 NONE
Pearl Creek To Junction Of Road West Of Creedmore Lakes In Sw 1/4 Sec 5, T10n, R73e
3 NONE
Fdr 631 To Indian Creek
162 III
Indian Creek To Co Hwy 160
162 NONE
Road West Of Creedmore Lakes To Junction Of Intermittent Stream In Sw 1/4, Sec 29, T11n, R72w
38 NONE
Intermittent Stream To Junction With Co Division Of Wildlife Angler Access Trail In Sw 1/4 Sec 22, T11n, R72w
38 NONE
Co Dow Anlger Access Trail To Nf Boundary On East Section Line, Sec 24, T11n, R72w
38 III-IV
Eleven Mile Canyon Dam To Private Land In Vicinity Of Lake George
128 III-IV
Private Land To Confluence With Beaver Creek
128 NONE
Beaver Creek To Cheeseman Reservoir
128 III-IV
Nf Boundary To East End Of Glenwood Canyon
1670 III-IV
Shoshone Power Plant To Nf Boundary
1670 III-IV
Jicarilla Apache Reservation Boundary To Nf Boundary
274 III-IV
Jicarilla Apache Reservation Boundary To Colorado Stateline
274 III-IV
Cheeseman Dam To Wigman Club
104 III-IV
Wigman Club To Strontia Reservoir
203 III-IV
North Fork Insmont To Estabrook
203 III-IV
Estabrook To Cliffdale
203 III-IV
Cliffdale To Confluence With South Platte
203 III-IV
Headwaters At Deep Lake Outlet To 1/4 Mile Downstream
1050 NONE
1/4 Mile Below Headwaters To Deep Creek Diversion Ditch
1050 NONE
Deep Creek Diversion Ditch To Blm/Private Land Boundary
1050 NONE
Headwaters To Holy Cross Wilderness Boundary
13 NONE
North Fork Headwaters To Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Boundary
7 NONE
Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Boundary To Confluence With South Fork
7 NONE
South Fork Headwaters To Beaver Lake
7 III-IV
Beaver Lake To Sweet Jessup Headgate
90 III-IV
Headwaters To Flat Tops Wilderness Boundary
340 III/IV-III/IV
Flat Tops Wilderness Boundary To Nf Boundary
340 III-IV
West Section Line Sec 2, T38n, R16w (Below Mcphee Reservoir) To Bradfield Ranch Bridge
82 III-IV
Bradfield Ranch Bridge To Dissappointment Creek
79 III
Dissappointment Creek To Little Gypsum Valley Bridge
79 III-IV
Little Gypsum Valley Bridge To One Mile Above Hwy 90 Bridge
85 III-IV
West Dolores Source To Confluence With Mainstem
82 III-IV
Headwaters To Los Pinos
103 II-III
Tierra Amarilla Grant Boundary To Colorado Stateline
103 III
Roaring Fork (West Section Line Sec 28 T9n, R82w); Red Canyon (Nw1/4 Sec 5, T8n, R82w) To East Section Line Sec 34, T9n, R82w
6 NONE
South Sec Line, Sec 2, T11n, R80w To Co/Wy Stateline
209 NONE
Headwaters Of North, Middle And South Forks To Confluence Of South Fork With Encampment River
6 II-III
South Section Line Sec 34, T1n, R83w To Confluence With Decker Creek
597 III-IV
Lake Fork Confluence With South Fork To 1 Mile Below Town Of Platoro
8 III-IV
Sec 17, T35n, R4e To Sec 36, T35n, R4e
8 NONE
Sec 23, T32n, R5e To Sec 20, T32n, R6e (Co/Nm State Line)
103 NONE
Lower Branch Sec 28, T33n, R3e; Upper Branch Sec 15, T33n, R3e To Sec 7, T32n, R4e
60 III-IV
Co/Wy Stateline To Douglas Creek
209 NONE
Flint Creek Headwaters To Confluence With Los Pinos
37 III-IV
Rincon La Osa Headwaters To Confluence With Los Pinos
0 III-IV
Rincon La Vaca Headwaters To Confluence With Los Pinos
0 III-IV
Snowslide Canyon Creek Headwaters To Confluence With Los Pinos
0 III-IV
Sierra Vandera Headwaters To Confluence With Los Pinos
0 II-II
Below Rio Grande Reservoir (Sec 13, T40n, R4w) To Spring Creek (Sec 31, T41n, R2w)
0 III
Below Big Meadows Reservoir Dam To Sec 9 And 10, T39n, R3e
92 III-IV
Sec 10, T42n, R1e To Sec 13, T41n, R1e
134 III-IV
Confluence Of North, Middle And South Forks (Sec 4, T43n, R3e) To Nf Boundary (Sec 17, T44n, R4e)
37 III-IV
North Fork Sec 8, T35n, R2e To Confluence With Middle Fork
8 III-IV
Middle Fork Sec 13, T35n, R2e To Confluence Of Three Forks Sec 14, T35n, R3e
8 NONE
El Rito Azul Blue Lake (Sec 26, T35n, R3e) And Portion Of Conejos Above Platoro Reservoir To Upper Reach Of Platoro Reservoir Sec 6, T35n, R4e
8 IV-V
Confluence With Rincon La Vaca And North Fork To Northern Line Of Granite Peak Ranch
37 III-IV
Lake Creek Headwaters To Confluence With Los Pinos
37 III-IV
Sec 9, T32n, R6e To Sec 22, T32n, R6e (Co/Nm State Line)
103 NONE
Yampa River Segment 3
571 III-IV
Yampa River Segment 2
786 III
Yampa River Segment 1
786 III-IV
Deep Creek Segment 2b
1050 III-IV
Deep Creek Segment 3
1050 III-IV
Coyote Wash
85 IV-V
La Sal Creek Segment 1
85 NONE
Ice Lake Creek Segment 1
85 IV
Lion Creek Segment 1
85 IV-V
Lion Creek Segment 2
85 III-IV
La Sal Creek Segment 2
85 III
Spring Creek
85 IV-V
La Sal Creek Segment 3
85 III
San Miguel River Segment 6
100 III-IV
San Miguel River Segment 5
86 III
Tabeguache Creek Segment 2
100 III-IV
Tabeguache Creek Segment 1
86 III-IV
North Fork Mesa Creek
194 III-IV
Dry Creek
86 NONE
Naturita Creek
78 III-IV
San Miguel River Segment 3
86 III-V
San Miguel River Segment 2
78 III+-IV
Beaver Creek
78 BEAVER-III
Saltado Creek
78 III-IV
Cottonwood Creek
270 NONE
Roubideau Creek Segment 2
270 III-IV
Potter Creek
270 III-V
Gunnison River Segment 2
1250 III-IV
Deep Creek
-999 III-IV
Lower Dolores River
91 II-III
West Beaver Creek
24 III-IV
Arkansas River Segment 1
82 III-IV
Arkansas River Segment 3
214 III-IV
Arkansas River Segment 2
144 III-IV
East Fork Arkansas River
0 IV-V
East Gulch
310 III-IV
Fourmile Creek
24 III-IV
Pass Creek
214 III-IV
Grape Creek Segment 1
21 III-IV
Little High Creek
24 IV-IV
Eightmile Creek
24 NONE
Falls Gulch
276 III-IV
Grape Creek Segment 3
404 III-IV
Arkansas River Segment 4
310 III
Rio Grande River Segment A
279 II-III
Rio Grande River Segment B
279 III-IV
Rio Grande River Segment C
352 II-IV
Ice Lake Creek Segment 2
85 NONE
Colorado River Segment 4
597 NONE
Animas River
77 III-IV
Colorado River Segment 5
597 III-IV
Colorado River Segment 7
1050 NONE
Mineral Creek
15 III-IV
Monitor Creek
270 IV-V
Roubideau Creek Segment 1
270 III
San Miguel River Segment 1
31 II-III
Grape Creek Segment 2
21 III-IV
Dolores River Segment 2
85 III-IV
Colorado River Segment 6
18 IV
Star Canyon, Colo. River Segment 2
3620 IV-V
Unknown
3620 NONE
Marble Canyon, Colo. River Segment 2
3620 III-IV
Colorado River
3620 III-IV
Little Dolores, Colo. River Segment 2
3620 II-III+
Big Creek
209 IV-V
Skull Creek
571 V-IV
Dolores River Mcphee To Bedrock Segment In Uncompahgre Field Office
85 II-IV
Dolores River Mcphee To Bedrock Segment In Tres Rios Field Office
82 III-IV
San Juan River
13 II-III

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