Gore Canyon
Gore Canyon or "Gore" is the run that all kayakers want to hit to consider themselves coming of age. Every state or area has classic runs and Gore is Colorado's crown jewel at the head of the mighty Colorado river. Once the Colorado river has gained some volume after flowing out of Rocky Mountain NP it cuts a rowdy path through Gore Canyon leaving some of the best solid IV and light V rapids in the state.
Suggested river levels for paddling this section of the Colorado River are between a bare minimum of 370cfs and a high of 2,400cfs.
River conditions sourced from USGS 09058000, the Colorado River Near Kremmling
Remember only watercraft are permitted
at Gore Canyon.
Run Stats
| Status | Runnable |
| Class Level | IV to V+ |
| Elevation | 7,356 ft |
| Run Length | 9.0 Mi |
| Gradient | 115 FPM |
| Streamflow Discharge | 701 cfs |
| Gage Height | 4.7 ft |
| Air Temperature | 42° |
| River | Colorado River |
| Reporting Streamgage |
Colorado River Near Kremmling
USGS 09058000 |
|
Applesauce
Class IV+ |
|
Gore Rapid
Class V- to V |
|
Scissors
Class IV to IV+ |
|
Pyrite
Class IV+ |
|
Little Scissors
Class IV |
|
Shawn's Hole (aka Kayaker's Nightmare)
Class IV |
|
Tunnel
Class V- |
|
Toilet Bowl
Class IV+ |
|
Kirshbaum
Class IV+ to V- |
| Gauge | Streamflow | Stage |
|---|---|---|
|
Blue River At Blue River
USGS 09046490 |
9 cfs | 0.6 ft |
|
Black Gore Creek Near Minturn
USGS 09066000 |
4 cfs | 2.7 ft |
|
Middle Creek Near Minturn
USGS 09066300 |
0 cfs | 2.2 ft |
|
Straight Cr Blw Laskey Gulch Nr Dillon
USGS 09051050 |
7 cfs | 4.1 ft |
|
North Platte River Near Northgate
USGS 06620000 |
159 cfs | 3.0 ft |
|
Yampa River Below Stagecoach Reservoir
USGS 09237500 |
42 cfs | 2.7 ft |
|
Snake River Near Montezuma
USGS 09047500 |
11 cfs | 1.0 ft |
|
Lake Creek Near Edwards
USGS 09067200 |
22 cfs | 0.5 ft |
|
Wurtz Ditch Near Tenneessee Pass
USGS 09062500 |
-999 cfs | -4.1 ft |
|
Elk River Near Milner
USGS 09242500 |
323 cfs | 2.5 ft |
| Snotel Site | Snowpack | 24hr Change |
|---|---|---|
|
Dry Lake
SNOTEL 457 |
26" | -3" |
|
Sargents Mesa
SNOTEL 1128 |
39" | -1" |
|
Buckskin Joe
SNOTEL 938 |
28" | 0" |
|
Cinnabar Park
SNOTEL 1046 |
45" | -2" |
|
Joe Wright
SNOTEL 551 |
54" | -4" |
|
Butte
SNOTEL 380 |
26" | 0" |
|
Upper Taylor
SNOTEL 1141 |
30" | -1" |
|
Arapaho Ridge
SNOTEL 1030 |
54" | -1" |
|
Brooklyn Lake
SNOTEL 367 |
60" | -2" |
|
Elliot Ridge
SNOTEL 1120 |
46" | 0" |
|
Columbine
SNOTEL 408 |
39" | -2" |
|
Zirkel
SNOTEL 1033 |
38" | -3" |
|
Rough And Tumble
SNOTEL 939 |
28" | -1" |
|
Vail Mountain
SNOTEL 842 |
31" | -1" |
|
Chapman Tunnel
SNOTEL 1101 |
32" | -1" |
|
Whiskey Park
SNOTEL 859 |
56" | -3" |
|
Independence Pass
SNOTEL 542 |
39" | -1" |
|
co st forest st park
SNOTEL CSFC2 |
1.41" | -1.46" |
|
Lake Irene
SNOTEL 565 |
61" | -2" |
|
tabernash 2.7 nw, co
SNOTEL CO-GR-68 |
2.18" | -0.74" |
|
pitkin 1.1 sw, co
SNOTEL CO-GN-59 |
2.17" | -1.29" |
|
Jones Pass
SNOTEL 970 |
38" | -2" |
|
Kiln
SNOTEL 556 |
25" | -2" |
|
Loveland Basin
SNOTEL 602 |
53" | 0" |
|
Ivanhoe
SNOTEL 547 |
46" | 0" |
|
vail 3.5 e, co
SNOTEL CO-EG-53 |
20.25" | -0.79" |
|
Hoosier Pass
SNOTEL 531 |
39" | -2" |
|
Brumley
SNOTEL 369 |
35" | -1" |
|
Grizzly Peak
SNOTEL 505 |
40" | -2" |
|
Mccoy Park
SNOTEL 1040 |
22" | -3" |
|
frisco 0.5 n, co
SNOTEL CO-SU-4 |
2.52" | -1.29" |
|
Never Summer
SNOTEL 1031 |
44" | -1" |
|
gothic
SNOTEL GTHC2 |
38.7" | -0.41" |
|
Summit Ranch
SNOTEL 802 |
19" | -1" |
|
crested butte 6.2 n, co
SNOTEL CO-GN-18 |
33.42" | -1.14" |
|
Sand Lake
SNOTEL 731 |
82" | -4" |
|
Park Cone
SNOTEL 680 |
27" | -1" |
|
Willow Creek Pass
SNOTEL 869 |
38" | 1" |
|
Berthoud Summit
SNOTEL 335 |
54" | -2" |
|
Buffalo Park
SNOTEL 913 |
34" | -1" |
|
Lost Dog
SNOTEL 940 |
44" | -1" |
|
Phantom Valley
SNOTEL 688 |
19" | -2" |
|
Bear River
SNOTEL 1061 |
27" | 0" |
|
Porphyry Creek
SNOTEL 701 |
35" | -2" |
|
Lynx Pass
SNOTEL 607 |
18" | -2" |
|
North French Creek
SNOTEL 668 |
69" | -1" |
|
Tower
SNOTEL 825 |
82" | -1" |
|
Copper Mountain
SNOTEL 415 |
32" | -1" |
|
fairplay 2.7 wnw, co
SNOTEL CO-PK-15 |
18.93" | -0.64" |
|
Fool Creek
SNOTEL 1186 |
50" | -2" |
|
Old Battle
SNOTEL 673 |
78" | -1" |
|
South Brush Creek
SNOTEL 772 |
19" | -2" |
|
Deadman Hill
SNOTEL 438 |
56" | -4" |
|
Stillwater Creek
SNOTEL 793 |
1" | -1" |
|
Fremont Pass
SNOTEL 485 |
47" | 0" |
|
Med Bow
SNOTEL 1196 |
91" | -3" |
|
Blackhall Mtn
SNOTEL 1119 |
69" | -4" |
|
Middle Fork Camp
SNOTEL 1014 |
21" | -2" |
|
climax coop
SNOTEL CLXC2 |
34.33" | -0.77" |
|
silverthorne 2.1 wsw, co
SNOTEL CO-SU-6 |
13.77" | -0.87" |
|
Nast Lake
SNOTEL 658 |
11" | -2" |
|
Jackwhacker Gulch
SNOTEL 935 |
33" | -1" |
|
Rawah
SNOTEL 1032 |
25" | -2" |
|
Beaver Ck Village
SNOTEL 1041 |
18" | -1" |
|
Saint Elmo
SNOTEL 1100 |
25" | -1" |
|
Roach
SNOTEL 718 |
43" | -2" |
|
Webber Springs
SNOTEL 852 |
46" | -2" |
|
Rabbit Ears
SNOTEL 709 |
36" | -2" |
|
Elk River
SNOTEL 467 |
31" | -2" |
|
Hayden Pass
SNOTEL 1102 |
36" | -2" |
|
yampa 5.1 s, co
SNOTEL CO-RT-26 |
5.28" | -1.24" |
|
Little Snake River
SNOTEL 1047 |
50" | -2" |
| Campground | Campsites | Reservations | Toilets | Showers | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gore Creek | 25 | 8,720 ft | |||
| Elliott Creek | 15 | 8,018 ft | |||
| Cataract Creek | 5 | 8,578 ft | |||
| Pumphouse | 14 | 7,491 ft | |||
| Willows | 35 | 7,973 ft |
| Ski Area | Snowpack | Air Temperature | 5 Day Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breckenridge Ski Resort | 32" | 48° | 8.08" |
| Ski Cooper | 28" | 42° | 9.32" |
| Vail | 31" | 41° | 10.93" |
| Copper Mountain Resort | 32" | 48° | 8.08" |
| Beaver Creek Resort | 22" | 53° | 9.58" |
| River Run | Streamflow | Length | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Ten Mile | 40.5cfs | 2.0 Mi | IV+ to V |
| Lower Blue (Green Mountain to Spring Creek) | 265.0cfs | 3.8 Mi | II+ to III |
| Dowd Chute | 67.0cfs | 1.0 Mi | III+ to IV+ |
| Pumphouse | 701.0cfs | 14.0 Mi | II- to III+ |
| Lower Blue (Green Mountain to Spring Creek) | 265.0cfs | 3.8 Mi | II+ to III |
| Gore Canyon | 701.0cfs | 9.0 Mi | IV to V+ |
| Lower Eagle (Edwards Water Plant to Eagle) | 144.0cfs | 17.0 Mi | III- to III+ |
| Upper Gore Creek | 57.6cfs | 4.0 Mi | II+ to III |
| State Bridge to Burns | 701.0cfs | 20.0 Mi | I to II+ |
| Upper Gore Creek | 57.6cfs | 4.0 Mi | II+ to III |
| Middle Ten Mile | 40.5cfs | 3.0 Mi | III+ to IV |
| Lower Eagle (Edwards Water Plant to Eagle) | 144.0cfs | 17.0 Mi | III- to III+ |
| Lower Blue (Green Mountain to Spring Creek) | 265.0cfs | 3.8 Mi | II+ to III |
| Silverthorne Town Run | 36.5cfs | 0.5 Mi | II to III- |
| Lower Ten Mile | 40.5cfs | 3.0 Mi | II to III |
| Upper Blue (Blue River CG to Columbine Landing) | 256.0cfs | 3.0 Mi | III to IV- |
| Upper-Upper Ten Mile | 40.5cfs | 3.0 Mi | III+ to IV- |
| State Bridge to Two Bridges | 701.0cfs | 4.8 Mi | I to II+ |
| Lower Blue (Green Mountain to Spring Creek) | 265.0cfs | 3.8 Mi | II+ to III |