With 87% of Colorado’s water flowing in rivers west of the Continental Divide, Western Colorado and Eastern Utah river enthusiasts have plenty of choices when it comes to recreation.
The Colorado River is the grand-daddy of them all. It ultimately drains every drop of Colorado’s Western Slope water. Utah has the Green River. The two mighty rivers join roughly 50 miles below Moab.
Together, the two rivers offer recreationalists a wide array of trips. Kayakers, rafters or paddlers of any kind can find one-day floats or one-day whitewater adventures on up to multi-day whitewater trips or multi-day floats on calm water. It is possible to do any of the trips with professional guides or as a private boater. Most whitewater trips, however, are permitted and private boaters must apply during the winter months to secure permits.
Following are brief descriptions of some of the most popular runs in our backyard.

Rafters and kayakers have two excellent choices in Glenwood Canyon. More experienced boaters will want to start a one-day adventure at Shoshone Powerplant. In the first mile the river runs through five big-water rapids. At moderate and low flows, these rapids are straightforward Class III or III+ runs on a 6-point scale. At high water, Upper Superstition, Lower Superstition, The Wall, Tombstone and Maneater rapids generate potentially dangerous hydraulics.  Less experienced paddlers might want to run these waters with one of the several professional guide companies based in the Glenwood Springs area.
Only two miles below the Shoshone Powerplant put-in is Grizzly Creek where thousands of paddlers begin a beautiful one-day trip back to Glenwood Springs. Rapids in this section are minor, but the fun and scenery are big league.
Fisherman enjoy running the Roaring Fork river from Carbondale down to its confluence with the Colorado. This 13-mile trip makes an excellent one-day fishing excursion with some Class II water (Class III at higher flows).
Anglers might also opt to continue down the Colorado to various boat ramps all the way to the town of Rifle.

Below Grand Junction and Fruita at the I-70 Loma exit, The Colorado changes character from a swift, cold, mountain river to a broad and powerful desert run. Ruby and Horsethief Canyons are the first of several spectacular canyon desert stretches over the next 120 miles.
Ruby and Horsethief is a flatwater run of 25 miles. Most people run this stretch in two days. Camping is plentiful along the way with the most popular stop being in the Black Rocks area. Canoeists should beware of the swirling, unpredictable water around Black Rocks.
Westwater Canyon
The Ruby and Horsethief Canyon trip ends where Westwater Canyon begins. The 17 miles of Westwater rank as one of the best stretches of whitewater in the west. It is a justifiably popular run where permits are required, along with proper equipment and experience. Several professional outfitters are available to run this trip for those not ready to go it alone.
About seven miles in to the Westwater trip is where the action begins. The scenic canyon walls narrow considerably, pinching the river into a swift and powerful torrent. In the next 5 miles are roughly ten good sized drops ranging from Class III fun to Class IV Skull Rapid and its companion Room of Doom, the signature rapid on this stretch. This section offers excellent whitewater at almost any flow, but as is typical, the hydraulics become bigger and more dangerous as flows increase. Many a boat has flipped in Westwater Canyon, so caution is advised.

Most boaters end their Westwater trip near Cisco, Utah, but it is possible to run the next 12 miles of flat, braided water to Dewey Bridge. Below Dewey Bridge the river enters a 6-mile flat section with towering canyon walls. A highlight of this section is one of the classic views in the American West. Just as the canyon begins to open, the boater is treated to a stunning view of Fisher Towers with the La Sal Mountains as a backdrop.
Hittle Bottom, just below Fisher Towers, is a popular put-in for the Moab Daily, a 13-mile stretch punctuated with fun, moderate rapids. Take-Out Beach is
where the trip typically ends, but it is possible to add 10 miles to the trip, taking out just above the automobile bridge in Moab.

The next 51 miles of the Colorado River is serene and scenic through the heart of Utah’s Canyonlands. This section of calm water ends at Spanish Bottom and the confluence of the Green River and the Colorado. This is a popular run, but boaters must plan ahead to arrange jet boat service at Spanish Bottom to take you back upstream to Moab. The only other way out is to run Cataract Canyon into Lake Powell.

Because of the logistical difficulties of running Cataract Canyon, boaters are fairly scarce. Just below Spanish Bottom, the Colorado, now twice the size with the addition of the waters of the Green, gets big, powerful and busy. In moderate flows, any boater has his hands full as the rapids come in quick succession. Most are Class III or III+ but all of them can cause trouble. The climax of Cataract Canyon is a series of three rapids known as Big Drop One, Big Drop Two and Big Drop Three. When river flows are at their most benign, this is Class IV water. At high flows, Cataract becomes a monster with 15-foot waves capable of flipping any boat on the water. Those who enter Cataract Canyon do so looking for whitewater adventure. Several professional outfitters in the area offer trips through this thrilling section.
When Lake Powell levels are up, Cataract Canyon boaters must use motors to power across the upper portion of the lake to Hite Marina. When lake levels are low, there is enough current to float to Hite where the National Park Service has built a temporary take-out for river runners.

Just below the Flaming Gorge Reservoir dam begins a fisherman’s one-day dream trip. The water from Flaming Gorge exits the dam from below. This cold, crystal clear water is ideal for trout, many of which have taken full advantage and have grown to trophy proportions. For about 15 miles, the water runs clear, cold and bountiful. Most of the boaters on this stretch are anglers.
As the waters begin to warm and silt up, the Green meanders peacefully for another 30 miles through Browns Park. This section of the Green is plentiful with wildlife and notable as one of only two places in Colorado where water  flows in to the state. It doesn’t stay in Colorado for long, however, as it quickly circles back to Utah through the Gates of Lodore.

The next 44 miles on the Green River are packed with spectacular sights and punctuated with fun and sometimes menacing rapids. The first 20 miles of this multi-day trip run through Canyon of Lodore. notable rapids in this stretch include Upper and Lower Disaster Falls, Harp Falls, Triplet Falls and Hells Half Mile. The most difficult of the bunch is Hells Half Mile, rated at IV-. High water is rare as it is controlled by Flaming Gorge, but all of these rapids, particularly Hell’s Half Mile, turn treacherous in high flows.
The next nine miles run through Whirlpool Canyon, a placid stretch that earned its name because of swirling, tricky currents.
The Yampa River enters the Green at scenic Echo Park. The last 46 miles of the Yampa River is another popular multi-day trip. Mostly flatwater, the Yampa treats boaters to a surprising climax on the last day with a big Class IV rapid known as Warm Springs. Warm Springs is a modern rapid. It formed after a rock fall in 1965.
The Green River continues past Echo Park to Jones Hole, Island Park and Rainbow Park before it enters Split Mountain where the pace of the river quickens and several Class III rapids add good fun to the trip’s last day. The Split Mountain Section is also run as a day-trip from Rainbow Park.