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Colorado | Taylor Park / Gunnison County
Taylor River
CR 748 Bridge to Pieplant Ranch / CR 742.8 access
Check current paddling conditions for this Taylor 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 3-mile high-alpine Taylor River whitewater reach with direct 09107000 discharge, a conservative 450 cfs low-water stop and 500 cfs preferred minimum, named access points, cold-water/wood/private-bank hazards, and no route 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
CR 748 / Rocky Brook Road bridge accessAmerican Whitewater identifies the CR 748 bridge put-in and Pieplant Ranch take-out with exact access coordinates. Treat both as planning anchors: verify current signage, parking, road condition, river landing, and lawful access before launching.
Take-out
Pieplant Ranch / CR 742.8 accessThe take-out is mandatory. Do not continue downstream into the broader Taylor corridor, where sources identify low bridges, barbed wire, private-bank constraints, and different whitewater/access conditions.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- American Whitewater identifies the CR 748 bridge put-in and Pieplant Ranch take-out with exact access coordinates. Treat both as planning anchors: verify current signage, parking, road condition, river landing, and lawful access before launching.
- The take-out is mandatory. Do not continue downstream into the broader Taylor corridor, where sources identify low bridges, barbed wire, private-bank constraints, and different whitewater/access conditions.
- No informal shoreline, private ranch, South Bank, or reservoir landing is included. If either named access is closed, occupied, unsafe, or unclear, the route is unavailable.
- Use a separate lawful campground or lodging reservation. The Taylor River corridor is not a dispersed-camping exception, and the route does not authorize camping on public-looking banks or at bridges.
Watch for
- USGS 09107000 below 450 cfs, rapidly changing, unavailable, or inconsistent with the 500 cfs preferred minimum and the actual river
- cataracts, Class III features, cold water, strainers/wood, shallow rough water, storms, snow, road closures, and limited recovery
- private-bank boundaries, low bridges and barbed wire downstream of the route, parking/landing changes, and failure to exit at Pieplant before extending into a separate corridor
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 | Taylor River at Taylor 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 450 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Taylor Park reach: rough below approximately 450 cfs and quality above 500 cfs |
| 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 corridorCR 748 Bridge to Pieplant Ranch, approximately 3 miles, Class I–III
American Whitewater names the exact Taylor Park reach, length, difficulty, no-permit status, access directions, and core downstream endpoint.
- Direct live gauge and flow gateUSGS 09107000; 450 cfs conservative low-water stop and 500 cfs preferred minimum
USGS provides direct discharge telemetry at Taylor River at Taylor Park. American Whitewater reports that the reach is rough below approximately 450 cfs and cleans up above 500 cfs; no unsupported high-flow ceiling is inferred.
- Lawful endpoint accessAmerican Whitewater CR 748 bridge put-in to Pieplant Ranch / CR 742.8 take-out
The American Whitewater access records provide exact coordinates for both named access points and identify the reach as requiring no permit. Confirm current road, landing, parking, and signage conditions on site.
- Safety boundaryClass I–III high-alpine water; mandatory Pieplant take-out; no downstream extension
American Whitewater describes cataracts, cold high-alpine conditions, and downstream low bridges/barbed wire in the broader Taylor corridor. This route stops at the named 3-mile take-out.
- Camping and logisticsNo route camping; use separate developed campground or lawful lodging
Forest Service camping guidance restricts dispersed camping in the Taylor River Canyon corridor and near the river. Developed campground support exists nearby, but no endpoint camping is part of this route.
- Rights-clean image decisionApproved Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 Taylor River corridor image
Use the Commons Taylor River image as corridor context, not as a claim that it depicts the specific bridge, rapid, or take-out. Retain the author and CC BY-SA attribution.
- Duplicate separationDistinct upper Taylor Park 09107000 reach outside the lower Taylor Canyon and Almont route families
The route is the separate CR 748-to-Pieplant core reach described by American Whitewater; it does not duplicate the downstream Taylor Canyon, South Bank, Almont, Gunnison, or existing Colorado route families.
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 Taylor Park reach
- American Whitewater CR 748 put-in
- American Whitewater Pieplant take-out
- USGS 09107000 monitoring location
- USGS 09107000 current conditions
- Taylor River access improvement project
- Taylor River flow and access guide
- GMUG Taylor River camping order
- GMUG camping guidance
- Colorado boating and PFD guidance
- Wikimedia Commons Taylor River 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
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Quick answers
Taylor River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Taylor River?
Paddle Today watches Taylor River at Taylor Park, CO and uses 450 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Taylor River route start and end?
This route starts at CR 748 / Rocky Brook Road bridge access and ends at Pieplant Ranch / CR 742.8 access, about Approximately 3 river miles on the water.
Is this Taylor River route good 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.