Colorado | Fort Collins / Cache la Poudre
Cache la Poudre RiverShields Street River Access to Legacy Park Bridge
A short, named Cache la Poudre Class II urban reach from the public Shields Street River Access to the Legacy Park Bridge exit.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Need to know
Why this call
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.
Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A public city-access Class II reach with no endpoint camping and a mandatory Legacy Park Bridge exit before downstream diversion hazards.
Access map
Put-in
Shields Street River AccessUse only the named Shields Street public river access and Legacy Park Bridge/Legacy Park exit. Confirm the marked water entry and exit on site.
Take-out
Legacy Park Bridge take-outConfirm current hours, parking, construction, and temporary closures before launching.
Road shuttle
Access notes and hazards
Access caveats
- Use only the named Shields Street public river access and Legacy Park Bridge/Legacy Park exit. Confirm the marked water entry and exit on site.
- Confirm current hours, parking, construction, and temporary closures before launching.
- Legacy Park is the end of this route. Lake Canal Dam and downstream low-head dams are outside the route and must not be approached.
Watch for
- USGS 06752260 below approximately 50 cfs, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the local visual check
- cold water, debris, engineered features, low-head dams, swimmers, and urban obstructions
- city closures, parking changes, thunderstorms, and failure to exit at Legacy Park Bridge
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
USGS measurements
More about this gauge
These measurements come from the gauge station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Cache la Poudre River at Fort Collins, CO. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Gauge detail
Water-level history and forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampWeather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route gallery
Photos
Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Cache la Poudre River at Fort Collins, CO |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 50 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Fort Collins Poudre Play Park low-flow planning guidance: approximately 50 cfs minimum; 300 cfs generally preferred |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Named public corridorShields Street River Access to Legacy Park Bridge, approximately 1.0–1.4 miles, Class II
American Whitewater names the Fort Collins Play Park reach and the City of Fort Collins identifies the public Shields Street and Legacy Park access context.
- Direct live gauge and flow guidanceUSGS 06752260; approximately 50 cfs conservative minimum planning floor
USGS supplies direct discharge telemetry. Recreational guidance is used as a planning aid only, not a guarantee of safe conditions.
- Lawful endpoint accessCity of Fort Collins Shields Street River Access to Legacy Park Bridge
Both endpoints are named city-managed public access locations with published coordinates and hours.
- Safety boundaryMandatory Legacy Park exit before Lake Canal Dam and downstream low-head dams
Fort Collins river-safety material explicitly identifies the downstream dam hazard and directs users to exit at Legacy Park.
- Camping and logisticsNo endpoint camping; short urban reach with public day-use access
The city endpoint pages establish day-use access and parking, not overnight camping. Keep lodging separate and lawful.
- Duplicate separationDistinct Fort Collins urban play reach
This corridor is separate from the Clear Creek routes and from North Fork Cache la Poudre reaches by river, endpoints, gauge, and hazard boundary.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.
More in Colorado
All 48 routesNearby routes within 75 miles
Quick answers
Cache la Poudre River paddling FAQ
What water level is best for the Shields Street River Access to Legacy Park Bridge route on the Cache la Poudre River?
Paddle Today watches Cache la Poudre River at Fort Collins, CO and uses 50 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does the Shields Street River Access to Legacy Park Bridge route on the Cache la Poudre River start and end?
This route starts at Shields Street River Access and ends at Legacy Park Bridge take-out, Approximately 1.0–1.4 river miles on the water.
Is the Shields Street River Access to Legacy Park Bridge route on the Cache la Poudre River suitable for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.