River guideArizona
Salt River
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End of mapLower Salt River · Tonto National Forest
Choose a Lower Salt trip by reach
Compare the four adjacent sections and all 10 trip options in the trip picker. Every trip opens its own details page.
Water Users to Goldfield · busy upper corridor
The 6.5-mile upper reach is the most popular tubing stretch and can be crowded in season. The Water Users–Blue Point section is short, but HikeArizona describes a sharp Class II riffle near mile 0.4 and a shallow alternate channel. Blue Point is at about mile 2.5; Pebble Beach is a separate access at about mile 2.0.
- Water Users to Blue Point · 2.5 mi
- Blue Point to Goldfield · 4.0 mi
Goldfield to Granite Reef · channel changes and slower water
The lower five miles are generally better suited to paddlers than passive floats. Between Goldfield and Phon D. Sutton, shallow channels and the Coon Bluff access are useful planning landmarks. Below Phon D. Sutton, the current fades over the final stretch and paddling becomes more important on the way to Granite Reef.
- Goldfield to Phon D. Sutton · 2.4 mi
- Phon D. Sutton to Granite Reef · 3.1 mi
Flow, parking, and day-of checks
HikeArizona gives 500 cfs as a community minimum and 1,000 cfs as a desired flow, but does not publish an upper limit. Its route description was contributed in 2016, so use it for river-mile context and verify current conditions separately. USGS 09502000 is a direct gauge below Stewart Mountain Dam. Check the trend, local conditions, heat, crowding, and access notices for both ends of your trip. This picker focuses on five route endpoints; the source also lists Pebble Beach and Coon Bluff as intermediate access points.
Review the Lower Salt access and flow guide, the USGS Salt River gauge, the Forest Service Interactive Visitor Map, and current Tonto National Forest alerts and pass information before setting a shuttle.
Compare the four adjacent sections and six longer combinations. Every trip opens its own page with exact endpoints, mileage, access notes, and shuttle details.
River overview
Salt River paddle planning
What to verify before you commit.
Water levels
USGS 09502000 below Stewart Mountain Dam is direct telemetry for this Lower Salt reach. HikeArizona gives 500 cfs as a community minimum and 1,000 cfs as desired, but does not publish an upper cutoff; check live trend, current advisories, and local conditions.
Route options
Compare all 10 Lower Salt endpoint choices from Water Users through Blue Point, Goldfield, and Phon D. Sutton to Granite Reef. Choose an adjacent section or longer combination, then open its trip page for endpoints, mileage, access notes, and shuttle details.
Difficulty
Salt River routes here are marked moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.
Quick answers
Salt River paddling FAQ
Where can I paddle the Salt River?
Paddle Today tracks 10 Salt River routes across Lower Salt / Tonto National Forest. 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 Salt River water levels?
Check the gauge notes for your stretch and its live score where available. This hub uses Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam, AZ. Planning routes have no live score; check their source guidance and current access notices.
Which Salt River route is best today?
Compare current scores where available, along with water level, recent trend, weather, access, and route difficulty. Planning-only cards provide trip information without a live paddling recommendation.