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Colorado | Upper Colorado River / Colorado River Valley and Kremmling Field Offices
Colorado RiverRadium Recreation Area to Rancho Del Rio
A public 6.5 river miles Upper Colorado River section between documented river-access sites, with current BLM endpoint facilities and same-river USGS telemetry.
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Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.
Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
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 public-to-fee-access 6.5-mile Radium-to-Rancho Class II–III section with direct 09058000 telemetry and explicit private-access controls.
Access map
Put-in
BLM Radium Recreation Area boat rampRadium is a BLM developed access; Rancho Del Rio is private and fee-based. Confirm the operator’s current landing, parking, fee, and shuttle rules.
Take-out
Rancho Del Rio fee river accessDo not substitute adjacent shoreline or informal roadside pullouts for the named endpoints.
Road shuttle
Access notes and hazards
Access caveats
- Radium is a BLM developed access; Rancho Del Rio is private and fee-based. Confirm the operator’s current landing, parking, fee, and shuttle rules.
- Do not substitute adjacent shoreline or informal roadside pullouts for the named endpoints.
- The 900 cfs value is a conservative planning floor; take out at Rancho before the separate Rancho-to-State Bridge section.
Watch for
- USGS 09058000 below 900 cfs, rapidly rising, unavailable, or inconsistent with local conditions
- Red Eye and Class III Yarmony, cold water, wood/strainers, and limited recovery
- private-access rules, fees, parking, road changes, weather, and commercial traffic
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast
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USGS measurements
More about this gauge
These measurements come from the gauge station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Colorado River near Kremmling, CO. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Gauge detail
Water-level history and forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Hourly forecast
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Short-route forecast
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Route gallery
Photos
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Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.
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.
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- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Colorado River near Kremmling, 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 |
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| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 900 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Radium section low-acceptable planning floor: 900 cfs at USGS 09058000 |
| 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 corridorRadium Recreation Area to Rancho Del Rio; 6.5 river miles
The current regional section guide identifies this as a distinct popular Upper Colorado section between named accesses.
- Direct live gauge and flow gateColorado River near Kremmling, CO; 900 cfs minimum
USGS telemetry is on the same Upper Colorado River. Flow values are conservative planning cues, not a guarantee of safe runnable conditions.
- Lawful water accessBLM Radium Recreation Area boat ramp to Rancho Del Rio fee river access
Radium is a current BLM developed two-ramp access with camping; Rancho Del Rio is a current private fee access listed by the operator as a public river-access/shuttle point.
- Safety boundaryhard moving-water section; PFD, cold-water, rescue, weather, and wood checks required
Current BLM guidance warns of dangerous rapids and changing access/parking conditions on the Upper Colorado corridor.
- Camping and logisticsRadium offers designated BLM campsites by reservation/fee. Rancho Del Rio is a private fee access and campground; confirm its current launch, parking, camping, and shuttle terms directly before relying on it.
Only designated or explicitly fee-based camping is included; no private-bank or dispersed camping is inferred.
- Duplicate separationDistinct endpoint pair and river-mile section within the Upper Colorado corridor
This record is a shorter named section for trip planning and discovery; it preserves the existing macro-reach records and their endpoint boundaries.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
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Quick answers
Colorado River paddling FAQ
What water level is best for the Radium Recreation Area to Rancho Del Rio route on the Colorado River?
Paddle Today watches Colorado River near Kremmling, CO and uses 900 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does the Radium Recreation Area to Rancho Del Rio route on the Colorado River start and end?
This route starts at BLM Radium Recreation Area boat ramp and ends at Rancho Del Rio fee river access, 6.5 river miles on the water.
Is the Radium Recreation Area to Rancho Del Rio route on the Colorado 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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