Although Colorado Kayaking is much different than any other state you’ll kayak in, it’s still one of the best for kayaking and here are some reasons on why that is.

Most states have a lot of variety in how big you want to go but out here that is not the same. The tallest waterfall that gets run the most is just shy of 25 feet on OBJ outside of Crested Butte.

So with that being said we don’t have big drops, but we do have big rapids. In this category you can choose how big you want to go and how much you want your boat to have the chance of breaking. A lot of the rivers out here are blast rock from roads, and if it’s not blast rock then it’s sharp granite or slate.

A big thing with Colorado creeking is that there are a lot of small creeks that haven’t been explored/run. This is where Google Earth scouting and knowing some people in the area come in handy.

Not every state has a good whitewater park, or even a whitewater park, but Colorado has over 30! In that number are 3 of the best features I’ve ever played in. Those are the Buena Vista Top Hole, Salida’s Boat Ramp Hole, and Steamboats C-Hole. Along with the man made holes, there are some waves that are amazing too. These waves are M-wave and the Glenwood wave.

Another factor with Colorado kayaking is water temperature. Since everything is running during the snow melt, everything is freezing because it was snow literally the day before at the latest. With this being said, after snowmelt everything that runs is dam release. So with everywhere else if it’s a top feeding dam, the water is warmer and if it’s a low feeding dam, the water is still cold. If you’re kayaking in Colorado after June, don’t assume what the water temp is going to be if you don’t know where it’s coming from.

The last main point in Colorado Kayaking is how long the season lasts. In reality, it’s however long you want to make it. Snowmelt starts at the end of April/Beginning of May but there are always some low water runs around Denver that don’t have ice covering it in the winter. At the end of the season, most runs are out by mid October but those same runs are running throughout the winter so really the season can be year round if you’re up for it!

I hope this gave you all a pretty good insight of what kayaking in Colorado is like and what it consists of in a normal season!