See all 5 routes on Homestake Creek
Colorado | Homestake Valley / Red Cliff
Homestake Creek
Highway 24 roadside access to 1/4 mile above the Eagle River confluence
Check current paddling conditions for this Homestake Creek route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A short but consequential Class V Homestake Creek steep-creek run with direct USGS 09064000 telemetry, conservative 60–200 cfs planning bounds, documented Highway 24 roadside access, and nearby designated Gold Park camping.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Homestake Creek roadside access near Eagle River confluenceAmerican Whitewater describes roadside access along Highway 24 and a dirt road to the Eagle River confluence, but roadside access is not permission to stop or unload anywhere. Confirm legal pull-offs, shoulder safety, current road work, and land boundaries before travel.
Take-out
Homestake Creek roadside access 1/4 mile above Eagle River confluenceUse the exact AWA put-in and take-out coordinates as planning references only; verify the physical bank, current access, and a safe exit on site.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- American Whitewater describes roadside access along Highway 24 and a dirt road to the Eagle River confluence, but roadside access is not permission to stop or unload anywhere. Confirm legal pull-offs, shoulder safety, current road work, and land boundaries before travel.
- Use the exact AWA put-in and take-out coordinates as planning references only; verify the physical bank, current access, and a safe exit on site.
- Gold Park Campground is nearby basecamp context and is not an endpoint, shuttle staging guarantee, or permission to launch from a campsite. Confirm current reservation, road opening, fire restrictions, food storage order, and water availability.
- The 60–200 cfs band and inferred 80–150 cfs preferred window are planning references only; require current visual scouting and expert judgment.
Watch for
- USGS 09064000 below 60 cfs, above 200 cfs, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the local river visual
- Class V steep-creek drops, sharp rock, narrow channels, strainers/wood, cold water, limited recovery, and the rarely run lower section
- Highway 24 traffic, unsafe shoulders, road or campground closures, private-property boundaries, railroad corridor, fire restrictions, and accidental continuation into Gilman Gorge
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Homestake Creek at Gold Park, 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 |
| Target band | 80 cfs to 150 cfs |
| Low threshold | 60 cfs |
| High threshold | 200 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Homestake Creek Class V reach 60–200 cfs planning band; 80–150 cfs inferred preferred window |
| 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 whitewater corridorHomestake Creek near Eagle River confluence; approximately 0.51 miles; Class V; 480 fpm average gradient
American Whitewater names the reach, length, Class V difficulty, steep-creek character, and highway-access logistics. RiverBrain independently describes the run as a short Class V steep-creek section used by expert boaters.
- Direct live gauge and flow gateUSGS 09064000; 60–200 cfs planning bounds; 80–150 cfs inferred preferred window
USGS provides direct discharge and gage-height telemetry for Homestake Creek at Gold Park. American Whitewater associates this reach with a 60 cfs low-runnable and 200 cfs high-runnable correlation; RiverBrain reports a broader 40–400 cfs recommendation. This route uses the narrower AWA band conservatively, and the preferred window is explicitly an inference.
- Endpoint access and coordinatesPut-in 39.5069999694824,-106.378997802734; take-out 39.5009994506836,-106.375999450684
American Whitewater publishes both endpoint coordinates and describes Highway 24 roadside access along the run plus a dirt road to the confluence. Treat the coordinates as planning references and verify safe legal roadside access on the day of travel.
- Lawful access and camping contextHighway 24 public-road corridor with nearby White River National Forest Gold Park designated campground
American Whitewater supplies the roadside route logistics. The Forest Service identifies Gold Park Campground along Homestake Creek with 12 sites, restrooms, no potable water, and nearby wilderness restrictions; camping is treated as a nearby basecamp rather than riverbank access.
- Safety boundaryExpert Class V only; current scouting, cold-water/rescue readiness, and mandatory exit before Gilman Gorge
American Whitewater and RiverBrain describe sharp rock, steep continuous and pool-drop sections, limited recovery, and serious consequences. Keep this route separate from the downstream Eagle River/Gilman Gorge reach.
- Camping and logisticsNearby Gold Park Campground basecamp; no on-route or riverbank camping assumed
The Forest Service campground page documents 12 sites, restrooms, no potable water, food-storage requirements, and Highway 24/Homestake Road access. Confirm current availability and restrictions separately from the river decision.
- Rights-clean image decisionApproved public-domain NARA Camp Hale Memorial context image via Wikimedia Commons
The selected federal image is public domain and provides nearby upper Eagle River watershed context. It is not presented as a precise Homestake Creek rapid or endpoint photograph.
- Duplicate separationDistinct Homestake Creek tributary steep-creek run, separate from Eagle River Camp Hale–Red Cliff and Gilman Gorge routes
This route uses Homestake Creek’s own Class V corridor and direct Gold Park gauge, with AWA endpoints above the Eagle River confluence. It is not a duplicate of the Eagle River mainstem route or the separate Gilman Gorge continuation.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- American Whitewater Homestake Creek reach 3415
- RiverBrain Homestake Creek run
- USGS 09064000 monitoring location
- USGS 09064000 current conditions
- USGS 09064000 station report
- White River National Forest Gold Park Campground
- Forest Service Gold Park campground map
- Wikimedia Commons public-domain Camp Hale context image
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Homestake Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Homestake Creek?
Paddle Today watches Homestake Creek at Gold Park, CO and treats 80 cfs to 150 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Homestake Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Homestake Creek roadside access near Eagle River confluence and ends at Homestake Creek roadside access 1/4 mile above Eagle River confluence, about Approximately 0.51 river miles on the water.
Is this Homestake Creek route good 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.