Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

Utah | Moab / Professor Valley

Colorado RiverHittle Bottom to Takeout Beach

Classic Moab Daily run through Professor Valley. BLM documents the 13-mile Hittle Bottom-to-Takeout Beach section, its Class I-III rapids, camping rules, and managed public access facilities; USGS 09180500 near Cisco is the product-supported upstream Colorado River gauge.

Route location

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceAbout 13.0 mi
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 4 hr to 6 hr for a day run
ShuttleCar shuttle
A broad western river corridor in the Colorado-Utah region.
River contextUtah-region river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceAbout 13.0 miHittle Bottom to Takeout Beach
DifficultymoderateThis is a popular first-river-trip corridor, but BLM documents Class I-III rapids and whitewater safety gear. The card is marked whitewater so casual discovery does not flatten the route into a simple scenic float.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the take-out at Takeout Beach, then drive Highway 128 back to Hittle Bottom. The corridor is popular with outfitters and private boaters, but groups should verify BLM ramp conditions, parking, and river traffic before committing.
PermitsNone notedNo normal day-use river permit is listed for the Moab Daily, but BLM fee sites, campground fees, group-site reservations, and downstream permit boundaries can apply. Confirm current Moab Field Office rules before any overnight or extended trip.
CampingOptions nearbyCamping is allowed only within the BLM rules shown on the Moab Daily map: on river right, use designated sites and sandbars; on river left, use developed campgrounds. Overnight trips need firepans and a washable reusable toilet system or approved disposable bags in a leakproof container.
SeasonMar-NovThe Moab Daily is commonly run spring through fall, with snowmelt and storm pulses changing character. Low summer/fall water can expose rocks and sandbars; higher water makes the rapids faster and more consequential.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Hittle Bottom and take out at Takeout Beach for the classic 13-mile Moab Daily / Fisher Towers section of the Colorado River. Expect scenic desert canyon paddling with named rapids that change from Class I to Class III as levels rise.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Hittle Bottom Recreation Site boat ramp
Open mapDirections to put-in

BLM maintains access facilities along the Daily stretch, including Hittle Bottom, Rocky Rapid / Ida Gulch, Sandy Beach, and Takeout Beach.

Finish

Take-out

Takeout Beach Landing
Open mapDirections to take-out

Hittle Bottom is also a campground and fee-area access; do not block the boat ramp or campground traffic while rigging.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • BLM maintains access facilities along the Daily stretch, including Hittle Bottom, Rocky Rapid / Ida Gulch, Sandy Beach, and Takeout Beach.
  • Hittle Bottom is also a campground and fee-area access; do not block the boat ramp or campground traffic while rigging.
  • Takeout Beach is the default finish before the slackwater toward Moab. The stored coordinate is an AW access-area/waterbody anchor that audited 111 ft from the matched flowline and within 50 ft of the NHD waterbody, so identify the actual landing/ramp on arrival.
  • Use legal public river stops and BLM-managed camps only. Private land on the corridor is marked no camping on the BLM map.

Watch for

  • Rocky Rapid, Professor Creek Rapid, New Rapid, Onion Creek Rapid, White's Rapid, and Salt Wash Rapid.
  • Class I-III behavior depending on season and flow; low water exposes rocks and higher water makes wave trains and holes stronger.
  • PFD-wear requirement on the BLM map, spare propulsion, throwable PFD for boats over 16 feet, repair/bailing gear, and group first aid.
  • Commercial rafts, private groups, roadside users, wind, heat, thunderstorms, and sparse services between managed access points.
  • Overnight waste, firepan, trash pack-out, and 14-day river-trip limit rules.

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.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

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.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

A broad western river corridor in the Colorado-Utah region.
Utah-region river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0; regional context only

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.

Data status
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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.

Why
  • Checking data sources and update times.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times

These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.

Gauge siteColorado River near Cisco, UT
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor2,000 cfs
High thresholdWater-level guidance unavailable
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scorePublished Moab Daily recommended-flow context paired with BLM route map
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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.

  • Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-06USGS 09180500 at 1,140 cfs / 1.50 ft

    This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.

    Source

  • Route shapeMoab Daily, 13 miles

    The BLM river-runner map says the Moab Daily, also called the Fisher Towers section, runs from Hittle Bottom to Takeout Beach and is Utah's most popular river trip.

    Source

  • Endpoint coordinates38.76070, -109.32600 to 38.66174, -109.50074

    American Whitewater publishes Hittle Bottoms access and Take-Out Beach access coordinates; BLM separately confirms both as maintained access facilities on the Moab Daily. Coordinate audit placed Hittle Bottom 23 ft from the matched Colorado River flowline and Takeout Beach 111 ft from the matched flowline but within 50 ft of the NHD waterbody.

    Source

  • CampingDesignated river camps, sandbars, and developed campgrounds only

    BLM restricts river-right camping to designated sites and sandbars, river-left camping to developed campgrounds, requires firepans and toilet systems for overnight trips, and limits trips to 14 days.

    Source

  • Threshold postureMinimum-only at 2,000 cfs

    Published Moab Daily guide context gives 2,000 cfs as the recommended low end. The app uses that as a floor only because BLM does not publish a formal scoring ladder.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

More in Utah

All 6 routes
Utah route guideBrowse every tracked Utah route.Moab / Professor ValleyJump to routes in this region.

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Colorado RiverCorn Lake State Park to Redlands Parkway Boat Ramp · about 51 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 10 river milesColorado RiverRiverbend Park (Harky's Launch) to Corn Lake State Park · about 57 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 6.5–7 river milesColorado RiverBeavertail Mountain cutoff to Roller Dam take-out · about 64 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 1.2 river miles

Quick answers

Colorado River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Hittle Bottom to Takeout Beach route on the Colorado River?

Paddle Today watches Colorado River near Cisco, UT and uses 2,000 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does the Hittle Bottom to Takeout Beach route on the Colorado River start and end?

This route starts at Hittle Bottom Recreation Site boat ramp and ends at Takeout Beach Landing, about 13.0 mi on the water.

Is the Hittle Bottom to Takeout Beach route on the Colorado 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.

Report a changeEmail update