Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 2 routes on Clear Creek

Colorado | Clear Creek Canyon / Clear Creek County

Clear CreekKermit's Access to County Line / Highway 119

A guarded 5.4-mile Class IV Clear Creek reach from CDOT's Kermit's boating access to the County Line / Highway 119 take-out. American Whitewater names the Upper Clear Creek (Kermits) run and pairs it with USGS 06716500.

Route location

Loading the route map.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 5.4 river miles
DifficultyHard
Typical timeVariable
ShuttleCar shuttle
Clear Creek flows through Idaho Springs, Colorado, between rocky banks.
River contextClear Creek at Idaho Springs; same-river context river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by James St. John via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 5.4 river milesKermit's Access to County Line / Highway 119
DifficultyhardAmerican Whitewater rates the named Kermits / Upper Clear Creek reach Class IV. Preserve expert-only, rescue-readiness, and mandatory scouting language.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the take-out at County Line / Highway 119, then shuttle west along US 6/I-70 frontage roads to Kermit's Access. Confirm road, parking, construction, and access conditions before leaving the vehicle.
PermitsCheck posted rulesThe county map identifies Kermit's under CDOT and County Line under county access. Follow current CDOT and Clear Creek County parking, construction, and boating rules; do not trespass at commercial/private rafting accesses.
CampingDay tripNo endpoint camping is established by the cited access sources. Use a separate lawful campground or lodging reservation and never camp at the access pullouts or on private banks.
SeasonMay-JulThe section generally runs during the mid-May to mid-July snowmelt window. Require same-day gauge, trend, weather, debris, road, access, and local river checks; high water can make the expert reach more hazardous.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

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

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

An expert-only CDOT-to-county Clear Creek whitewater reach with a station-linked 200–1,000 cfs planning range, cold-water hazards, and roadside access that must be rechecked before every run.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

CDOT Kermit's Access
Open mapDirections to put-in

Use only the mapped CDOT Kermit's boating access and Clear Creek County Line access. Do not substitute Clear Creek Outpost, Mile Hi, or other private/commercial access points.

Finish

Take-out

Clear Creek County Line / Highway 119 Access
Open mapDirections to take-out

The county GIS coordinates are map-derived access-point centroids, not survey monuments. Verify the physical launch/take-out, parking, construction, and any seasonal restrictions on site.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Use only the mapped CDOT Kermit's boating access and Clear Creek County Line access. Do not substitute Clear Creek Outpost, Mile Hi, or other private/commercial access points.
  • The county GIS coordinates are map-derived access-point centroids, not survey monuments. Verify the physical launch/take-out, parking, construction, and any seasonal restrictions on site.
  • The USGS station is at Lawson, upstream from Kermit's; use the station-linked guidance as a flow reference, not as a guarantee that conditions at every rapid are equivalent.

Watch for

  • USGS 06716500 below 200 cfs, above 1,000 cfs, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with the local river visual
  • Beaver One, Beaver Two, continuous Class IV rapids, cold snowmelt, strainers, bridge/roadside hazards, and limited recovery options
  • CDOT construction or parking changes at Kermit's, county access changes at County Line, private-bank temptation, and a failed expert/rescue plan

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Gauge detail

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

Clear Creek flows through Idaho Springs, Colorado, between rocky banks.
Clear Creek at Idaho Springs; same-river context river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by James St. John via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

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 corridorKermit's (Upper Clear Creek), approximately 5.4 miles, Class IV

    American Whitewater names the exact Kermits / Upper Clear Creek reach, gives its Class IV difficulty and 5.4-mile length, and describes the put-in near US 6/I-70 with the Highway 119 take-out.

    Source

  • Direct live gauge and flow rangeUSGS 06716500; 200–1,000 cfs planning bounds

    USGS provides continuous Clear Creek near Lawson telemetry. BoaterBeta associates that station with this segment and publishes 200 cfs minimum and 1,000 cfs maximum recommended values; these remain conservative planning bounds rather than a safety guarantee.

    Source

  • Lawful endpoint accessCDOT Kermit's Access to Clear Creek County Line / Highway 119 Access

    The county access map identifies Kermit's as CDOT boating access and County Line as county access; the county GIS access layer supplies coordinates for both named points.

    Source

  • Access coordinatesKermit's 39.7465013,-105.4365389; County Line 39.7460435,-105.3981520

    Coordinates are from Clear Creek County GIS access-point features. They are map-derived centroids and must be confirmed against current on-site access, parking, and construction conditions.

    Source

  • Safety boundaryExpert Class IV only; cold-water/rescue readiness; no runnable guarantee

    American Whitewater describes continuous Class IV creeking and hard rapids at the put-in. Apply expert-only limits, current scouting, and rescue readiness regardless of gauge value.

    Source

  • Camping and access caveatNo endpoint camping; separate lawful lodging/camping required

    The cited county access and visitor sources establish boating facilities and rules but do not establish overnight camping at either endpoint. Keep camping separate and lawful.

    Source

  • Duplicate separationDistinct upper Clear Creek Kermit's-to-County-Line reach

    This route is separate from Clear Creek access points farther upstream and downstream and from the existing Colorado River routes; it uses its own named reach, endpoints, and USGS station-linked guidance.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Share your trip

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

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.Clear Creek Canyon / Clear Creek CountyJump to routes in this region.

More on Clear Creek

All 2
Golden Whitewater Park to Vanover ParkClear Creek / GoldenModerate · Approximately 0.56 river miles

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Eagle RiverCamp Hale historical-site access to Red Cliff / Gilman Gorge put-in · about 52 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 4.7 river milesHomestake CreekHighway 24 roadside access to 1/4 mile above the Eagle River confluence · about 53 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 0.51 river milesEagle RiverFR 707 to Forest Service Visitor Center (Minturn Town Run) · about 53 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 4.6 river milesCross CreekAbove Snap to Cross Creek confluence near Minturn · about 54 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 0.68 river miles

Quick answers

Clear Creek paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Kermit's Access to County Line / Highway 119 route on the Clear Creek?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Kermit's Access to County Line / Highway 119 route on the Clear Creek start and end?

This route starts at CDOT Kermit's Access and ends at Clear Creek County Line / Highway 119 Access, Approximately 5.4 river miles on the water.

Is the Kermit's Access to County Line / Highway 119 route on the Clear Creek suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update