Horsethief And Ruby Canyons
The Ruby-Horsethief section of the Colorado River, from Loma, Colorado, to Westwater, Utah, is a 25-mile stretch of mostly flatwater with sections of Class I and II. This section of the Colorado runs through beautiful red rock canyons and has many day hike opportunities offering both solitude and exploration. The Black Rock section is composed of rock known as Vishnu schist, which dates back about 1.7 billion years. This same rock, which geologists refer to as “an unconformity”, is exposed in certain sections of the Grand Canyon. There is an abundance of wildlife including great blue herons, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep.
Suggested river levels for paddling this section of the Colorado River are between a bare minimum of 1,000cfs and a high of 25,000cfs.
River conditions sourced from USGS 09163500, the Colorado River Near Colorado-Utah State Line
Remember only watercraft are permitted
at Horsethief and Ruby Canyons.
Run Stats
Status | Runnable |
Class Level | II to II+ |
Elevation | 4,330 ft |
Run Length | 27.0 Mi |
Gradient | 5 FPM |
Streamflow Discharge | 1960 cfs |
Gage Height | 2.7 ft |
Air Temperature | 58° |
River | Colorado River |
Reporting Streamgage |
Colorado River Near Colorado-Utah State Line
USGS 09163500 |
Gauge | Streamflow | Stage |
---|---|---|
Piceance Creek Bl Ryan Gulch
USGS 09306200 |
3 cfs | 3.5 ft |
Colorado River Near Cameo
USGS 09095500 |
1,900 cfs | 4.1 ft |
Colo River Blw Grd Valley Div Nr Palisade Co
USGS 09106150 |
463 cfs | 3.3 ft |
San Miguel River At Uravan
USGS 09177000 |
248 cfs | 3.3 ft |
Dolores River At Bedrock
USGS 09169500 |
23 cfs | 0.8 ft |
Dolores River Near Bedrock
USGS 09171100 |
25 cfs | 2.2 ft |
Colorado River Near Colorado-Utah State Line
USGS 09163500 |
1,960 cfs | 2.7 ft |
Dolores River Near Gateway
USGS 09179450 |
288 cfs | 7.4 ft |
Dolores River Near Cisco
USGS 09180000 |
263 cfs | 7.5 ft |
White River Near Watson
USGS 09306500 |
416 cfs | 2.1 ft |
Snotel Site | Snowpack | 24hr Change |
---|---|---|
Black Mesa
SNOTEL 1185 |
47" | -2" |
Lasal Mountain-Lower
SNOTEL 1215 |
5" | 5" |
glade park,co
SNOTEL GDPC2 |
2.75" | 0" |
Lone Cone
SNOTEL 589 |
10" | 1" |
Campground | Campsites | Reservations | Toilets | Showers | Elevation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fruita - Colorado River State Park | 45 | 4,484 ft | |||
Highline Lake State Park | 25 | 4,725 ft | |||
Saddlehorn - Colorado National Monument | 80 | 4,685 ft | |||
Miracle Rock | 4 | 6,572 ft | |||
North Fruita Desert | 35 | 5,392 ft | |||
Mud Springs | 14 | 8,525 ft |
Ski Area | Snowpack | Air Temperature | 5 Day Forecast |
---|
River Run | Streamflow | Length | Class |
---|---|---|---|
Westwater | 2170.0cfs | 17.0 Mi | III to IV |
Horsethief and Ruby Canyons | 1960.0cfs | 27.0 Mi | II to II+ |
Gateway to Dewey Bridge (Colorado River) | 263.0cfs | 32.0 Mi | III- to IV |