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Colorado | Uncompahgre River / Ridgway

Uncompahgre RiverRollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir (Town Run)

A guarded approximately 4.5-mile Class II–III town run from public Rollans Park in Ridgway to the Ridgway Reservoir edge, including the Ridgway Whitewater Park features and a condition-dependent reservoir take-out.

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 4.5 river miles
DifficultyModerate
Typical timePlan 1.5–2.5 hours for the moving-water reach
ShuttleCar shuttle
Uncompahgre River at Ridgway, Colorado, in the Ridgway Town Run corridor.
Route photoUncompahgre River at RidgwayPhoto by Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons

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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 4.5 river milesRollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir (Town Run)
DifficultymoderateClass II–III town water with engineered features, shallow cobble, cold water, and a reservoir transition. Appropriate for paddlers with moving-water judgment, self-rescue, and a clear take-out plan.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at the Ridgway Reservoir endpoint, then shuttle to Rollans Park in Ridgway. Confirm current town parking, event restrictions, state-park entry/parking, and the final reservoir-side carry before launch.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current Town of Ridgway, Ridgway State Park/CPW, county, boating, posted access, fire, and event rules. Do not treat the route source’s access coordinates as permission to park on shoulders or cross private land.
CampingOptions nearbyRidgway State Park provides nearby designated campgrounds and facilities; reserve or confirm availability separately. Rollans Park and the reservoir-side endpoint are day-use access areas, not endpoint camping sites.
SeasonMay-AugSnowmelt and managed flows shape the main season. Check the direct gauge, trend, weather, fire restrictions, park conditions, and reservoir access; late-season low water may require carries.

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 approximately 4.5-mile Ridgway Town Run with direct 09146200 telemetry, Class II–III park features, a 500–2,500 cfs planning correlation, public Rollans Park access, and a condition-dependent Ridgway Reservoir take-out.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Rollans Park public Uncompahgre River access
Open mapDirections to put-in

American Whitewater publishes the exact Rollans Park and reservoir endpoint coordinates. Treat them as planning anchors and verify the current public carry, parking, bank, water entry, and reservoir-side landing in person.

Finish

Take-out

Ridgway Reservoir / Pa-Co-Chu-Puk reservoir-side take-out anchor
Open mapDirections to take-out

Rollans Park is a public river-side town park with restroom/picnic context and local paddling activity; check town/event restrictions and do not unload from a roadway or private business frontage.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • American Whitewater publishes the exact Rollans Park and reservoir endpoint coordinates. Treat them as planning anchors and verify the current public carry, parking, bank, water entry, and reservoir-side landing in person.
  • Rollans Park is a public river-side town park with restroom/picnic context and local paddling activity; check town/event restrictions and do not unload from a roadway or private business frontage.
  • The reservoir endpoint is not a promise of a maintained take-out ramp for this moving-water route. Confirm the waterline-to-vehicle carry and state-park access before committing; postpone if the final landing is unsafe or unlawful.
  • Ridgway State Park camping is nearby basecamp context only. Follow reservations, park hours, fees, fire restrictions, and current closures separately.
  • The route ends at the reservoir edge; do not continue into open reservoir travel or substitute a downstream private-bank landing.

Watch for

  • USGS 09146200 below 500 cfs, above 2,500 cfs, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the local river visual
  • Ridgway Whitewater Park features, shallow cobble, exposed rocks, strainers, cold water, bridge/park users, and the reservoir transition/take-out
  • Town events, parking changes, CPW/state-park fees or closures, stage 2 fire restrictions, private-property boundaries, water-quality advisories, and an unsafe reservoir-side carry

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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Route gallery

Photos

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Uncompahgre River at Ridgway, Colorado, in the Ridgway Town Run corridor.
Uncompahgre River at RidgwayPhoto 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 siteUncompahgre River near Ridgway, CO
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
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Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred range700 cfs to 1,600 cfs
Low threshold500 cfs
High threshold2,500 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreRidgway Town Run 500 cfs minimum and 2,500 cfs maximum route correlation
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 corridorRollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir Town Run, approximately 4.5 miles, Class II–III

    American Whitewater names the route, endpoint pair, length, and difficulty; Ridgway sources corroborate the town park and recreational corridor.

    Source

  • Direct live gauge and flow guidanceUSGS 09146200; 500 cfs minimum and 2,500 cfs maximum route correlation

    USGS provides direct discharge telemetry and BoaterBeta pairs the route with the station and 500–2,500 cfs planning bounds. The preferred window is a conservative product planning choice within that correlation.

    Source

  • Endpoint access and coordinatesRollans Park 38.152,-107.752 to Ridgway Reservoir 38.191,-107.748

    American Whitewater publishes the exact endpoint anchors. Ridgway local materials identify Rollans Park as a river-side public park; CPW documents the nearby state-park/reservoir facilities. Confirm the final waterline landing.

    Source

  • Safety boundaryScout Ridgway Whitewater Park and shallow cobble; mandatory reservoir take-out

    The route includes instream features and a reservoir transition. Preserve the reservoir endpoint as a hard boundary and treat published flow bands as planning evidence only.

    Source

  • Camping and logisticsNearby designated Ridgway State Park camping; no endpoint camping

    CPW documents designated campgrounds and facilities at Ridgway State Park. Rollans Park and the route endpoint remain day-use access areas.

    Source

  • Duplicate separationDistinct Rollans Park-to-reservoir town corridor, separate from Ouray/Uncompahgre Gorge and downstream Uncompahgre opportunities

    The exact Rollans Park/reservoir endpoint pair, direct Ridgway gauge, town-run features, and reservoir boundary distinguish this route from other Uncompahgre reaches.

    Source

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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.Uncompahgre River / RidgwayJump to routes in this region.

Nearby routes within 75 miles

San Miguel RiverDown Valley Park to Specie Creek (San Miguel Canyon) · about 19 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 10.6 river milesSan Miguel RiverSpecie Creek to Beaver Creek (Lower San Miguel Canyon) · about 21 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 9.3 river milesGunnison RiverChukar Boat Launch to Gunnison Forks Day-Use Recreation Site · about 33 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 13.5 river milesGunnison RiverGunnison Whitewater Park · about 51 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 0.2 engineered river miles; American Whitewater lists the downstream access at approximately 0.5 miles

Quick answers

Uncompahgre River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Rollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir (Town Run) route on the Uncompahgre River?

Paddle Today watches Uncompahgre River near Ridgway, CO and treats 700 cfs to 1,600 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does the Rollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir (Town Run) route on the Uncompahgre River start and end?

This route starts at Rollans Park public Uncompahgre River access and ends at Ridgway Reservoir / Pa-Co-Chu-Puk reservoir-side take-out anchor, Approximately 4.5 river miles on the water.

Is the Rollans Park to Ridgway Reservoir (Town Run) route on the Uncompahgre River suitable 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.

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