River guideArizona
Verde River
Compare trips by distance, difficulty and current conditions. Open a trip for its map, directions and planning tools.
Compare trips
Choose a route
Start with distance, then compare current scores where available.
Showing all 32 trips.
Clear a filter to see more of this river.
Loading trip map.
End of mapRiver overview
Verde River paddle planning
What to verify before you commit.
Water levels
These Verde River routes use 2 gauge references depending on the stretch.
Route options
Compare 32 routes (1 scored · 31 planning) across Verde River Greenway / Verde Valley, Verde Valley / Yavapai County. Open a route page for put-in, take-out, distance, data reliability, and access notes.
Difficulty
Verde River routes here are marked hard and moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.
Arizona · Verde River
Choose a section by reach and conditions
The Clarkdale reach, Verde River Greenway, and remote Wild and Scenic section have different flow guidance and access. Start with these four documented trips; the picker keeps 28 other public trip options available.
Lower TAPCO to Tuzigoot · 3 miles
The Town identifies this as its Clarkdale kayak section. It discourages boating at 300 cfs and above and blocks launch areas at 1,000 cfs and above. Use the Clarkdale gauge and confirm current launch access.
Open the Clarkdale section guideTuzigoot to Highway 89A Bridge · 6.5 miles
Friends of the Verde publishes a dedicated map for this Greenway stretch. Check the route map for access details and do not apply Clarkdale’s high-flow restrictions beyond the reach they describe.
Open the Tuzigoot–89A guideWhite Bridge to Beasley Flat · 9 miles
This named Class II run has route-specific community flow references of 150–1,000 cfs at the Camp Verde gauge. Treat them as planning cues, scout the river, and check the trend.
Open the White Bridge–Beasley guideBeasley Flat to Childs · about 16–17 miles
A remote Class III–IV+ Wild and Scenic run for expert paddlers. RiverBrain publishes route-specific flow context, but this trip remains planning-only because a flow number is not a safe-launch recommendation.
Review the Wild and Scenic tripFriends of the Verde warns that flow conditions, obstacles, and hazards vary by stretch and change daily. Read its paddle guide index and river access map. Use USGS 09504000 near Clarkdale for the Clarkdale section and USGS 09506000 near Camp Verde for the named lower and Wild and Scenic routes; neither reading represents the entire river.
Seven trips involving Sheep Crossing remain unavailable while the exact water-entry point and long boat carry are verified. The access map marks Sheep Crossing as a difficult haul but does not locate the landing edge. Use the other public options above or in the trip picker until that access review is complete.
Quick answers
Verde River paddling FAQ
Where can I paddle the Verde River?
Start with one of four distinct sections: the 3-mile Lower TAPCO–Tuzigoot trip in Clarkdale, Tuzigoot–Highway 89A, White Bridge–Beasley Flat, or the remote Beasley Flat–Childs whitewater run. The picker keeps 28 other public trip options available. Seven options around Sheep Crossing remain withheld until the landing and difficult carry are verified.
How should I check Verde River water levels?
Use the guidance for the exact reach. Clarkdale discourages boating at 300 cfs and above and blocks launch areas at 1,000 cfs and above on Lower TAPCO–Tuzigoot. The only scored trip is the community-sourced 9-mile White Bridge–Beasley Flat range of 150–1,000 cfs at the Camp Verde gauge; it is not a safety limit. RiverBrain’s Beasley Flat–Childs figures are planning references for that expert-only run. Other trip options have no route-specific numeric band.
Which Verde 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.