River guideColorado
Colorado River
Plan a paddle across 5 paddle areas. Compare distance, difficulty, and today’s conditions before choosing your stretch.
Trip picker
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Start with distance, then compare today’s conditions.
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River overview
Colorado River paddle planning
What to verify before you commit.
Water levels
These Colorado River routes use 5 gauge references depending on the stretch.
Route options
Compare 5 scored routes across De Beque Canyon / Cameo, Glenwood Canyon / Lower Colorado River, Grand Valley / Clifton to Grand Junction, Grand Valley / Palisade to Clifton, Lower Colorado River / Glenwood Springs. Open a route page for put-in, take-out, distance, source confidence, and access notes.
Difficulty
Colorado River routes here are marked hard and moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.
Quick answers
Colorado River paddling FAQ
Where can I paddle the Colorado River?
Paddle Today tracks 5 Colorado River routes across De Beque Canyon / Cameo, Glenwood Canyon / Lower Colorado River, Grand Valley / Clifton to Grand Junction, Grand Valley / Palisade to Clifton, Lower Colorado River / Glenwood Springs. Compare the route cards on this page, then open an individual route for put-in, take-out, distance, and access notes.
How should I check Colorado River water levels?
Start with the route score and gauge notes for the stretch you plan to paddle. This hub includes routes watched with 5 gauges or gauge references, and each route page explains its own target range or low-water floor.
Which Colorado River route is best today?
Use the live route cards above to compare today's Paddle Today scores. The best stretch can change with water level, recent trend, weather, access, and route difficulty.