See all 5 routes on Roaring Fork River
Colorado | Aspen / North Star Nature Preserve
Roaring Fork River
South Gate to North Star Pedestrian Bridge
Check current paddling conditions for this Roaring Fork River 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
Checking the next several hours.
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 guarded South Gate-to-North Star Pedestrian Bridge float with direct 09073400 telemetry, an official 20 cfs mandatory-closure floor, 60–600 cfs normal planning band, designated public access, wildlife/private-bank restrictions, and no endpoint 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
South Gate designated river accessUse South Gate as the route’s designated launch and the North Star Pedestrian Bridge as the designated take-out. The county’s current page identifies these access corridors and prohibits exiting elsewhere except at the signed beach.
Take-out
North Star Pedestrian Bridge / Stillwater Bridge take-outThe current Pitkin County page reports a mandatory closure below 20 cfs and says closure triggers may change. Check the live county page and all posted signs immediately before launch; do not enter during any closure.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Use South Gate as the route’s designated launch and the North Star Pedestrian Bridge as the designated take-out. The county’s current page identifies these access corridors and prohibits exiting elsewhere except at the signed beach.
- The current Pitkin County page reports a mandatory closure below 20 cfs and says closure triggers may change. Check the live county page and all posted signs immediately before launch; do not enter during any closure.
- Parking is extremely limited. Drop gear quickly, park legally at the named lots, and plan to walk or bike back. The take-out has short active-loading spaces; do not leave a vehicle or block Highway 82.
- Stay on the water through private-property sections, maintain a quiet wildlife-aware float, keep dogs off land and water, and exit before nightfall. Do not continue past the pedestrian bridge into the separate downstream corridor.
Watch for
- USGS 09073400 below 20 cfs, rapidly changing, unavailable, or inconsistent with the current Pitkin County closure page and local water visual
- Cold water, low-water contact/trespass risk, fast-rising weather, beaver dams, downed trees, moose, wildlife closures, private banks, and failure to stay within designated access corridors
- South Gate/North Star parking limits, active-loading-only take-out, Highway 82 traffic, nightfall closure, and mandatory exit at the North Star Pedestrian Bridge
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 | Roaring Fork River near Aspen, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 20 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Pitkin County North Star flow closures and launch guidance |
| 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 corridorSouth Gate to North Star Pedestrian Bridge; approximately 1.3 miles; gentle beginner-friendly float
Pitkin County identifies the North Star float, South Gate launch, North Star Pedestrian Bridge take-out, designated beach, access boundaries, and current closure rules. The 2025 management plan map identifies the South Gate-to-bridge river mileage.
- Direct live gauge and flow gateUSGS 09073400; mandatory closure below 20 cfs; 60 cfs Wildwood trigger; 60–600 cfs normal planning band
USGS provides continuous discharge and gage-height telemetry. Pitkin County’s current guidance sets the North Star mandatory-closure boundary below 20 cfs and identifies 60 cfs at direct USGS 09073400 as the commercial Wildwood suspension trigger; above 600 cfs it directs users to South Gate unless experienced.
- Lawful endpoint accessPitkin County South Gate designated launch to North Star Pedestrian Bridge designated take-out
The county limits river access to designated corridors and prohibits stopping, beaching, or exiting outside the named launch, take-out, and signed beach. Current posted restrictions control.
- Safety boundaryGentle water but cold, low-water, wildlife, private-bank, Highway 82, and mandatory-take-out hazards
Pitkin County requires a quiet, through-only wildlife-aware float, prohibits dogs and audible music, closes the preserve at nightfall, and warns against touching the riverbed or private banks. Do not continue past the bridge.
- Camping and shuttle logisticsDay-use preserve; no endpoint camping; limited parking and active-loading-only take-out
North Star is a protected preserve with limited parking and designated access. Use separate lawful lodging or camping and plan the shuttle before arriving; do not infer camping rights from river access.
- Rights-clean image decisionApproved Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0 South Gate access image
The selected image depicts the North Star South Gate entrance and is used as access/corridor context, not as a claim that it shows the take-out or water conditions. Retain the Commons attribution and license terms.
- Duplicate separationDistinct Aspen North Star preserve segment above the existing upper Class V+ and lower Glenwood Colorado routes
This route uses direct 09073400 and South Gate-to-bridge designated access. It is distinct from the upstream 09073300 Weller-to-Difficult expert run and from the downstream 09070500/09085100 Glenwood corridors.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- Pitkin County Floating North Star rules and current conditions
- Pitkin County North Star permit conditions
- Pitkin County 2025 North Star management plan
- USGS 09073400 monitoring location
- USGS 09073400 current conditions
- Upper North Star coordinate monitoring report
- Wikimedia Commons South Gate access image
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.
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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
Roaring Fork River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Roaring Fork River?
Paddle Today watches Roaring Fork River near Aspen, CO and uses 20 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Roaring Fork River route start and end?
This route starts at South Gate designated river access and ends at North Star Pedestrian Bridge / Stillwater Bridge take-out, about Approximately 1.3 river miles on the water.
Is this Roaring Fork River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.