Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 3 routes on Gunnison River

Colorado | Gunnison River / Gunnison County

Gunnison RiverGunnison Whitewater Park

A bounded approximately 0.2-mile Class II(III) engineered Gunnison Whitewater Park reach from the named park put-in to the downstream exit, paired directly with USGS 09114520.

Route location

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

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 0.2 engineered river miles; American Whitewater lists the downstream access at approximately 0.5 miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAllow a daylight window for parking
ShuttleNo shuttle
The Gunnison River flows past the Spann Diversion near Gunnison, Colorado.
Route photoGunnison River corridor context at Spann Diversion; not a specific endpoint imagePhoto by U.S. Geological Survey

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 distanceApproximately 0.2 engineered river miles; American Whitewater lists the downstream access at approximately 0.5 milesGunnison Whitewater Park
DifficultyhardShort engineered Class II(III) play water with feature-specific holes and changing hydraulics; suitable only for boaters whose skills, rescue plan, and equipment match the current features.
ShuttleNo shuttleNo vehicle shuttle is required. Use the documented park parking and access, stage equipment before launching, and confirm the downstream exit and walk-back route before entering.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Gunnison County and park access rules, posted fees or closures, event controls, Colorado boating/PFD requirements, and all current river-use signs.
CampingDay tripNo route camping is included. The nearby Shady Island River Park has separate camping rules; do not camp at the whitewater course, riverbank, access, or downstream feature.
SeasonMay-SepSnowmelt, summer storms, and upstream operations can change feature behavior quickly. Check direct discharge, trend, weather, closures, and visual hydraulics every session.

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

A short public Gunnison Whitewater Park play reach with direct 09114520 telemetry, survey-backed 600–5000 cfs acceptable flow guidance, named park access, and a mandatory conservative exit.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Gunnison Whitewater Park put-in
Open mapDirections to put-in

American Whitewater identifies the park put-in and downstream take-out access records; verify current parking, carry, landing, signs, fees, and any construction or event closure before unloading.

Finish

Take-out

Gunnison Whitewater Park downstream exit
Open mapDirections to take-out

The course is a series of engineered features, not a casual float. Scout the top, middle, and bottom features and keep swimmers, surfers, downstream traffic, and rescue lanes clear.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • American Whitewater identifies the park put-in and downstream take-out access records; verify current parking, carry, landing, signs, fees, and any construction or event closure before unloading.
  • The course is a series of engineered features, not a casual float. Scout the top, middle, and bottom features and keep swimmers, surfers, downstream traffic, and rescue lanes clear.
  • Exit at the named downstream access before extending into the larger town-run reach or Psychedelic Falls. Do not infer a route extension from the nearby Almont-to-North-Bridge route.
  • If the park is closed, crowded beyond safe control, physically changed, inaccessible, or inconsistent with the current gauge and scouting, treat the route as unavailable.

Watch for

  • USGS 09114520 below 600 cfs, above 5000 cfs, rapidly changing, unavailable, or inconsistent with feature inspection; the AW range is planning guidance, not a guarantee
  • sticky holes, rock structures, diversion behavior, cold water, strainers/debris, swimmers, surfers, crowding, and fast changes after storms or releases
  • posted closures, event traffic, parking or fee changes, private-bank boundaries, and failure to take out before downstream town-run hazards

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.

The Gunnison River flows past the Spann Diversion near Gunnison, Colorado.
Gunnison River corridor context at Spann Diversion; not a specific endpoint imagePhoto by U.S. Geological Survey
USGS public domain

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 siteGunnison River at Gunnison Whitewater Park, CO
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred range900 cfs to 5,000 cfs
Low threshold600 cfs
High threshold5,000 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreAmerican Whitewater Gunnison Whitewater Park 600–5000 cfs acceptable / 900–5000 cfs optimal band
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.

  • Named park corridorGunnison Whitewater Park; approximately 0.2 miles; Class II(III); three engineered play features

    American Whitewater lists the park as a distinct short reach, while the local boating guide describes its three features as larger than the natural Gunnison rapids.

    Source

  • Direct live gauge and flow gateUSGS 09114520; 600–5000 cfs acceptable and 900–5000 cfs optimal planning band

    USGS provides direct discharge telemetry at the park station. American Whitewater and the basin flow assessment provide station-tied recreational guidance; scout hydraulics and trend before every session.

    Source

  • Lawful park accessAmerican Whitewater park put-in and downstream take-out access records

    The named access records provide the route endpoints and coordinates; Gunnison County and the basin district document the public course, access infrastructure, and operational context.

    Source

  • Safety boundaryScout all three features, carry rescue gear, manage traffic, and exit before downstream hazards

    American Whitewater documents feature-specific hydraulics and downstream Psychedelic Falls; the local guide emphasizes right-slot decisions, downstream priority, and scouting.

    Source

  • Camping and logisticsDay-use course; nearby Shady Island camping is separate and rules-controlled

    Gunnison County documents the nearby River Park’s designated walk-in camping and paid parking; do not treat the whitewater course or its banks as camping areas.

    Source

  • Duplicate separationDistinct 09114520 engineered park course, separate from 09114500 Almont–North Bridge town-run segment

    The existing route ends at North Bridge before the park. This route covers only the separately named engineered feature reach and uses the direct park gauge.

    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 Colorado

All 48 routes
Colorado route guideBrowse every tracked Colorado route.Gunnison River / Gunnison CountyJump to routes in this region.

More on Gunnison River

All 3
Almont to North BridgeGunnison River / Gunnison CountyModerate · Approximately 8.2 river miles from Almont to Garlic Mike’s / North BridgeChukar Boat Launch to Gunnison Forks Day-Use Recreation SiteGunnison Gorge National Conservation Area / Montrose CountyHard · Approximately 13.5 river miles

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Taylor RiverFive Mile Access to Almont · about 15 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 5 river miles from Five Mile Access to AlmontEast RiverCrested Butte South to Almont · about 19 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 12 river miles from CB South to Almont, with an optional Roaring Judy exit around 7.5 milesTaylor RiverAbove Todd’s Slot to below Todd’s Slot · about 20 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 0.54 river miles from above Todd’s Slot to below Todd’s SlotTaylor RiverCR 748 Bridge to Pieplant Ranch / CR 742.8 access · about 33 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 3 river miles

Quick answers

Gunnison River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Gunnison Whitewater Park route on the Gunnison River?

Paddle Today watches Gunnison River at Gunnison Whitewater Park, CO and treats 900 cfs to 5,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does the Gunnison Whitewater Park route on the Gunnison River start and end?

This route starts at Gunnison Whitewater Park put-in and ends at Gunnison Whitewater Park downstream exit, Approximately 0.2 engineered river miles; American Whitewater lists the downstream access at approximately 0.5 miles on the water.

Is the Gunnison Whitewater Park route on the Gunnison River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

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