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Colorado | San Miguel River / Norwood

San Miguel RiverSpecie Creek to Beaver Creek (Lower San Miguel Canyon)

A guarded approximately 9.3-mile Class II+–III San Miguel reach from the public BLM Specie Creek Boat Launch to the public Upper Beaver Creek Recreation Site, with direct Placerville gauge guidance and day-use endpoints.

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 9.3 river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timePlan a full daylight window for the continuous Class II+ reach
ShuttleCar shuttle
San Miguel River in Placerville, Colorado, used as approved context imagery for the Specie Creek to Beaver Creek corridor.
Route photoSan Miguel River in the lower canyon corridorPhoto by Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 9.3 river milesSpecie Creek to Beaver Creek (Lower San Miguel Canyon)
DifficultyhardClass II+ moving water with Class III features, cold water, changing wood, limited recovery, and a hard day-use take-out. Appropriate for experienced paddlers with rescue judgment and a full daylight plan.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the Upper Beaver Creek Recreation Site take-out, then shuttle to Specie Creek via Highway 145. Confirm the easy-to-miss Beaver Creek turn, current parking, landing, and road conditions before committing.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current BLM access rules, Colorado boating/PFD requirements, invasive-species procedures, fire restrictions, and all posted closures. Boat ramps are for loading and unloading; do not use adjacent private banks or informal roadside pullouts.
CampingDay tripNo endpoint camping. BLM identifies both Specie Creek and Upper Beaver as day-use sites. Caddis Flats and Lower Beaver are separate BLM camping options near the corridor; confirm current availability and rules separately.
SeasonMay-JulSnowmelt drives the primary boating season. Check the direct gauge, trend, weather, debris, fire restrictions, road status, and both BLM access sites before departure.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

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Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A guarded 9.3-mile Lower San Miguel Canyon run with direct 09172500 telemetry, station-linked 500–5,000 cfs guidance, public BLM boat launches, continuous Class II+/III water, and a day-use Upper Beaver take-out.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

BLM Specie Creek Boat Launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

BLM documents Specie Creek as a public boat launch and day-use site. Confirm the M44 Road approach, current parking, landing, and day-use rules before unloading.

Finish

Take-out

BLM Upper Beaver Creek Recreation Site
Open mapDirections to take-out

BLM identifies Upper Beaver as a public boat-launch site with a restroom, cabanas, picnic tables, no fee, and day-use-only posture. The turn is easy to miss on Highway 145; verify the approach and vehicle staging before launch.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • BLM documents Specie Creek as a public boat launch and day-use site. Confirm the M44 Road approach, current parking, landing, and day-use rules before unloading.
  • BLM identifies Upper Beaver as a public boat-launch site with a restroom, cabanas, picnic tables, no fee, and day-use-only posture. The turn is easy to miss on Highway 145; verify the approach and vehicle staging before launch.
  • The endpoint coordinates are authoritative near-water access points from the AW route record and matching BLM site pages, but they are not a survey of the exact waterline or carry. Verify the physical ramp, current channel, parking, and private-property boundaries on arrival.
  • Do not substitute Caddis Flats, Lower Beaver, private banks, or the downstream Beaver Creek-to-Pinon Bridge reach for the named endpoint pair. No endpoint overnight staging is assumed.

Watch for

  • USGS 09172500 below 500 cfs, above 5,000 cfs, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the local river visual
  • Continuous Class II/II+ current, Class III features, changing wood/strainers, cold water, bridge/channel hazards, and limited recovery
  • BLM closures, fire restrictions, Highway 145 traffic, Specie Creek M44 Road conditions, the easy-to-miss Beaver Creek turn, private-property boundaries, and failure to take out at Upper Beaver

Plan this paddle

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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Gauge

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Weather

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Route gallery

Photos

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San Miguel River in Placerville, Colorado, used as approved context imagery for the Specie Creek to Beaver Creek corridor.
San Miguel River in the lower canyon corridorPhoto by Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 4.0

Score & sources

Why this score

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Data status
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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
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times

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

Gauge siteSan Miguel River near Placerville, CO
DischargeChecking
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24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred range800 cfs to 2,000 cfs
Low threshold500 cfs
High threshold5,000 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreLower San Miguel Canyon 500 cfs minimum, 800–2,000 cfs optimal, 5,000 cfs maximum recommended
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 public corridorSpecie Creek to Beaver Creek, approximately 9.3 miles, Class II+(III) Lower San Miguel Canyon reach

    American Whitewater names the distinct corridor, endpoint sequence, length, difficulty, and direct Placerville gauge relationship; its trip report confirms a Caddis/Specie-to-Beaver public-launch itinerary at 550 cfs.

    Source

  • Direct live gauge and flow guidanceUSGS 09172500; 500 cfs minimum, 800–2,000 cfs optimal, 5,000 cfs maximum recommended

    USGS identifies the direct San Miguel River near Placerville station. BoaterBeta pairs that station with the Lower San Miguel Canyon segment and publishes the route-specific flow bands.

    Source

  • Endpoint access and coordinatesBLM Specie Creek Boat Launch 38.030917,-108.112915 to BLM Upper Beaver Creek Recreation Site 38.106897,-108.187138

    BLM documents Specie Creek as a public boat launch/day-use site and Upper Beaver as a public boat-launch site with restroom, cabanas, picnic tables, no fee, and day-use posture; the AW endpoint coordinates match the BLM locations.

    Source

  • Hazard and safety boundaryClass II+/III current, cold water, changing wood/brush, and mandatory Upper Beaver take-out

    BLM identifies Class II+ to III boating on the San Miguel and warns of dangerous channel changes, dense trees, and brush; BLM and the route record establish Upper Beaver as the endpoint for this reach.

    Source

  • Camping and logisticsNo endpoint camping; Specie Creek and Upper Beaver are day-use sites, with nearby BLM camping options at Caddis Flats/Lower Beaver

    BLM publishes day-use rules for the launch sites and separately documents developed camping in the San Miguel corridor. Treat nearby campgrounds as separate reservations/availability decisions.

    Source

  • Duplicate separationDistinct Specie Creek-to-Beaver Creek Lower San Miguel Canyon corridor, separate from Down Valley Park-to-Specie Creek and Beaver Creek-to-Pinon Bridge

    The route uses the named AW section, a dedicated endpoint pair, direct gauge relationship, and Upper Beaver boundary.

    Source

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Reports

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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.San Miguel River / NorwoodJump to routes in this region.

More on San Miguel River

All 2
Down Valley Park to Specie Creek (San Miguel Canyon)San Miguel River / PlacervilleHard · Approximately 10.6 river miles

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Uncompahgre RiverRollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir (Town Run) · about 21 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 4.5 river milesGunnison RiverChukar Boat Launch to Gunnison Forks Day-Use Recreation Site · about 44 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 13.5 river milesGunnison RiverGunnison Whitewater Park · about 72 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 0.2 engineered river miles; American Whitewater lists the downstream access at approximately 0.5 milesColorado RiverCorn Lake State Park to Redlands Parkway Boat Ramp · about 73 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 10 river miles

Quick answers

San Miguel River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Specie Creek to Beaver Creek (Lower San Miguel Canyon) route on the San Miguel River?

Paddle Today watches San Miguel River near Placerville, CO and treats 800 cfs to 2,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does the Specie Creek to Beaver Creek (Lower San Miguel Canyon) route on the San Miguel River start and end?

This route starts at BLM Specie Creek Boat Launch and ends at BLM Upper Beaver Creek Recreation Site, Approximately 9.3 river miles on the water.

Is the Specie Creek to Beaver Creek (Lower San Miguel Canyon) route on the San Miguel 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.

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