Rivers

Live flow data, difficulty ratings, and conditions for the best whitewater runs in the country.

31 rivers

Arkansas River — Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge, CO

Class III-IV
456 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 600–1,200 CFSNot Runnable

Clear Creek

Front Range, CO

Class III-IV
227 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 400–1,000 CFSNot Runnable

Cache la Poudre

Northern Front Range, CO

Class III
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 300–800 CFSNot Runnable

Animas River

San Juan Mountains, CO

Class II-III
1,030 CFS→
High Water
13.8°C / 57°F
Optimal: 400–900 CFSRunnable

Colorado River — Glenwood Canyon

Glenwood Canyon, CO

Class III-IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 1,500–3,500 CFSNot Runnable

Gauley River

New River Gorge, WV

Class V
10,600 CFS→
High Water
18.1°C / 65°F
Optimal: 2,500–4,000 CFSNot Runnable

Ocoee River

Blue Ridge, TN

Class III-IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 1,000–2,000 CFSNot Runnable

Kern River

Sierra Nevada, CA

Class IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 500–1,200 CFSNot Runnable

Roaring Fork River

Roaring Fork Valley, CO

Class III-IV
88.3 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 400–1,200 CFSNot Runnable

Crystal River

Elk Mountains, CO

Class IV
738 CFS→
Low Optimal
Optimal: 500–3,000 CFSRunnable

Castle Creek

Elk Mountains, CO

Class IV-V
47.1 CFS→
Too Low
12.1°C / 54°F
Optimal: 150–450 CFSNot Runnable

Colorado River — Shoshone

Glenwood Canyon, CO

Class III-IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 1,200–4,000 CFSNot Runnable

Arkansas River — The Numbers

Upper Arkansas, CO

Class V
465 CFS→
Optimal
16.9°C / 62°F
Optimal: 200–700 CFSRunnable

Gunnison Gorge

Black Canyon, CO

Class III-IV
105 CFS→
Too Low
20.8°C / 69°F
Optimal: 1,000–3,500 CFSNot Runnable

Taylor River

Gunnison Basin, CO

Class III-IV
40.2 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 250–700 CFSNot Runnable

Skykomish River — Boulder Drop

Cascade Foothills, WA

Class IV
3,140 CFS→
Low Optimal
11.2°C / 52°F
Optimal: 2,000–7,000 CFSRunnable

White Salmon River

Columbia Gorge, WA

Class IV-V
910 CFS→
High Water
10.8°C / 51°F
Optimal: 200–600 CFSNot Runnable

Wenatchee River

Cascade Mountains, WA

Class III
6,210 CFS→
High Optimal
13.3°C / 56°F
Optimal: 2,500–7,000 CFSRunnable

Tieton River

Yakima Basin, WA

Class III-IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 1,200–2,500 CFSNot Runnable

Lochsa River

Bitterroot Mountains, ID

Class IV
8,630 CFS→
High Optimal
Optimal: 3,000–10,000 CFSRunnable

Middle Fork of the Salmon

Frank Church Wilderness, ID

Class IV
578 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 2,000–8,000 CFSNot Runnable

North Fork Payette River

Payette River Corridor, ID

Class V
2,600 CFS→
High Optimal
Optimal: 800–3,000 CFSRunnable

Selway River

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, ID

Class IV-V
12,900 CFS→
High Water
Optimal: 2,000–7,000 CFSNot Runnable

Rogue River — Wild Section

Siskiyou Mountains, OR

Class III-IV
2,460 CFS→
Low Optimal
14.6°C / 58°F
Optimal: 1,500–6,000 CFSRunnable

Deschutes River — Maupin Section

High Desert, OR

Class III
80.5 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 3,000–8,000 CFSNot Runnable

North Umpqua River

Umpqua National Forest, OR

Class IV-V
1,540 CFS→
High Optimal
20.4°C / 69°F
Optimal: 500–2,000 CFSRunnable

Illinois River

Klamath Mountains, OR

Class IV-V
178 CFS→
Too Low
18.2°C / 65°F
Optimal: 500–2,500 CFSNot Runnable

American River — South Fork

Gold Country, CA

Class III-IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 800–4,000 CFSNot Runnable

Tuolumne River

Sierra Nevada Foothills, CA

Class IV-V
393 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 600–2,500 CFSNot Runnable

Cal Salmon River

Klamath Mountains, CA

Class IV-V
678 CFS→
Low Optimal
Optimal: 600–3,000 CFSRunnable

Kings River — Garlic Falls Section

Sierra Nevada, CA

Class IV
0 CFS→
Too Low
Optimal: 1,000–4,000 CFSNot Runnable