Oh Be Joyful


If you haven't heard of Oh Be Joyful (OBJ), then (a) let me welcome you to the world of kayaking or (b) please crawl out of the cave you've been living in the for past 20 years.  Oh Be Joyful has become so synonymous with creekboating, that it seems to bring out people to brave its massive features who normally don't even consider running class V creeks.  Perhaps it's the reputation for big and clean drops with easy moves that brings out the hordes.  Or perhaps the stunning location in the high alpine forests just outside of Crested Butte.  Or perhaps its the excellent camping adjacent to the run where you're sure to see a few familiar faces from the boating scene and meet a few new ones.  Or perhaps its the stunning clusters of wildflowers that tend to be in full bloom when the creeks are running.  Or perhaps its the abundant trails perfect for hiking, mountain biking, and dirt biking that make this excellent place to bring nonboating friends or make it a multisport weekend.  Most likely, it's all of the above.

Suggested river levels for paddling this section of the Oh Be Joyful are between a bare minimum of 500cfs and a high of 2,000cfs. River conditions sourced from USGS 09114500, the Gunnison River Near Gunnison Remember only watercraft are permitted at Oh Be Joyful.

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Area Hydrology

Gauge Streamflow Stage
Crystal River Ab Avalanche C
USGS 09081600 		227 cfs 1.5 ft
Taylor River At Almont
USGS 09110000 		366 cfs 2.3 ft
Tomichi Creek At Gunnison
USGS 09119000 		286 cfs 2.5 ft
Cimarron River Bl Squaw Creek
USGS 09127000 		61 cfs 8.0 ft
Homestake Creek At Gold Park
USGS 09064000 		196 cfs 5.1 ft
Gore Creek At Mouth
USGS 09066510 		137 cfs 6.4 ft
Cochetopa Creek Below Rock Creek Nr Parlin
USGS 09118450 		65 cfs 2.4 ft
Tomichi Creek At Sargents
USGS 09115500 		116 cfs 1.4 ft
Beaver Creek At Avon
USGS 09067000 		17 cfs 2.3 ft
Ohio Creek Above Mouth Nr Gunnison
USGS 09113980 		49 cfs 2.8 ft
Snotel Site Snowpack 24hr Change
Overland Res.
SNOTEL 675 		1" 1"
Moon Pass
SNOTEL 1124 		1" 0"
Lily Pond
SNOTEL 580 		6" -5"
Grayback
SNOTEL 1058 		3" 1"
Vallecito
SNOTEL 843 		1" 1"
Stump Lakes
SNOTEL 797 		2" 1"
Brumley
SNOTEL 369 		189" 0"
Mccoy Park
SNOTEL 1040 		1" 0"
Cochetopa Pass
SNOTEL 1059 		1" 0"

Outdoor Recreation

Campground Campsites Reservations Toilets Showers Elevation
Gothic 4 9,657 ft
Elk Creek - Curecanti Area 160 7,575 ft
Dry Gulch - Curecanti Area 10 7,583 ft
Palisades Senior RV Park 59 7,680 ft
Stevens Creek - Curecanti Recreation Area 54 7,540 ft
Lake Irwin 32 10,400 ft
Silver Queen 6 8,682 ft
Ski Area Snowpack Air Temperature 5 Day Forecast
Buttermilk Mountain 0" 63° 0"
Aspen Mountain 0" 64° 0"
Snowmass 0" 63° 0"
Sunlight Mountain Resort -1" 68° 0"
Crested Butte Mountain Resort 0" 66° 0"
Aspen Highlands 0" 63° 0"
River Run Streamflow Length Class
Barrel Springs 1840.0cfs 4.0 Mi IV+ to V+
Avalanche Down 227.0cfs 12.0 Mi III
Carbondale to Westbank (Pink to Black) 814.0cfs 7.0 Mi II
Oh Be Joyful 653.0cfs 1.0 Mi V
Waterfall to Confluence 513.0cfs 1.0 Mi V-
Bogan Canyon 227.0cfs 6.85 Mi III to III+
Grizzly Creek to Two Rivers Park 1840.0cfs 6.0 Mi II to III
Castle Creek 366.0cfs 2.0 Mi IV+ to V-
Shoshone (Power Plant to Grizzly Creek) 1840.0cfs 1.7 Mi III- to IV
Catherine Store Section 513.0cfs 4.0 Mi II to II+
Cemetery 814.0cfs 12.0 Mi II+ to III+
Barrel Springs 1840.0cfs 4.0 Mi IV+ to V+
Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park 2270.0cfs 0.25 Mi II to IV-
Shoshone (Power Plant to Grizzly Creek) 1840.0cfs 1.7 Mi III- to IV
Crystal Mill Falls 227.0cfs None Mi V- to V