Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State Park in Salida, CO
Hours:
Park: Open 24 hours a day, year-round
Visitor Center: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
307 West Sackett Ave.
Salida, CO 81201-1654
United States
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
State Park in Salida, CO
Hours:
Park: Open 24 hours a day, year-round
Visitor Center: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
307 West Sackett Ave.
Salida, CO 81201-1654
United States
Navigate to:
OHV Track Maintenance Closure -
Big Bend Off-highway Vehicle Track will be closed February 3 - 6 from 8 a.m - 4 p.m. for track maintenance.
Construction Closures: Parkdale Boat Ramp, Ruby Mountain -
Parkdale Boat Ramp will be under construction from 1/13/25 through 4/15/25. Ruby Mountain Recreation Site is closed 9/1/2024 through 5/1/2025. There is a full road closure of County Rd. 300 near MM 2.2 at the entrance into Browns Canyon; and, full river closure of the Arkansas River from Fisherman's Bridge continuing Southeast to Ruby Mountain Campground. County Rd. 300 and this section of Arkansas River are closed to all vehicle, water craft and foot traffic as a result of unstable slope conditions encountered during construction. The full road and river closure will continue until project completion.
A man fishing the river from the bank.
Arkansas River Headwaters Recreation Area
About Parkdale to Cañon City
Along the Arkansas River, the 10-mile Parkdale to Cañon City section has 4 river access sites. There are no campgrounds along this section of the river, but dispersed camping is allowed on federal land.
What to Do at This River Section
- Biking
- Education Programs
- Fishing
- Gold Panning
- Picnicking
- Whitewater Boating
- Wildlife Viewing
- Rockclimbing
Arkansas River Headwaters Recreation Area
The River Below Parkdale
Parkdale Recreation Site provides public access before the river enters the Royal Gorge. From this peaceful spot, the river plunges into the Royal Gorge, the Arkansas River's most famous achievement. Over millions of years, the river carved through the hard rock of the Royal Gorge Plateau, forming the 1,000-foot walls of the Gorge.
Caution: The Royal Gorge section is Class IV to Class V (extremely difficult) rapids. Scouting and portaging this section of the river is very difficult. There is an active railroad with multiple trains a day on the left bank of the river. Boaters must be prepared to run this entire section, as walking out is not an option.
Parkdale to Cañon City Sites
The 4 river access sites are listed in order from Parkdale to Cañon City.
Choose a Site
Parkdale Recreation Site provides public access before the river enters the Royal Gorge.
Caution: It is recommended that the Royal Gorge not be run at flows over 3200 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the Parkdale gauge as read at 7:00 a.m. or as read at 12:00 p.m. for any trips that same day.
Activities and Amenities:
- Boat Ramp/Slide
- Changing Facilities
- Fishing Access
- Picnic Tables / Grills
- Restroom
- River Access
- Fee Site
- Accessible Picnic Area
- Camping
Activities and Amenities:
- Fishing Access (3/4 mile walk)
- River Access (3/4 mile walk)
- Camping
- Restroom
Activities and Amenities:
- Boat Ramp/Slide
- Changing Facilities
- Bike Trails
- River Access
- Restroom
- Camping
- Parking
Activities and Amenities:
- Fishing Access
- Hiking
- Bike Trails
- Picnic Tables / Grills
- Restroom
- River Access
- Camping
This site is managed by the town of Cañon City, CO.
High Water Advisories
| Rapid | Advisory in Effect | High Water Advisement | High Water Equipment Advisement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers | No | It is recommended that the Numbers (Section 1E) not be run when the river is flowing over 2400 cfs at the Numbers/Below Granite gage as read at 7:00 am for full day or morning trips and at 12:00 noon for afternoon Numbers trips. |
|
| Pine Creek Rapid | No | It is recommended that Pine Creek Rapid (within Section 1D) not be run when the river is flowing over 1250 cfs at the Numbers/Below Granite gauge as read at 7:00 a.m. for full day or morning trips. |
|
| Royal Gorge | No | It is recommended that the Royal Gorge (Section 5) not be run at flows over 3200 cfs at the Parkdale gauge as read at 7:00 a.m. for full day or morning trips and at 12:00 noon for afternoon Royal Gorge trips. |
|
Camping
There are no developed campgrounds or dispersed camping areas in this section.
- Changing Area
- Grill
- Picnic Table
- Tent Pad
- Vault Toilet
- Potable Water
- RV Hook-ups
- Trash Cans
Dispersed camping is available throughout the AHRA outside of developed campgrounds and day-use areas. Popular locations include Granite Rock, Stone Cabin, Rapid Number 4, The Wall, Rapid Number 5 1/2, Boulderfield, Rapid Number 6, Riverside, Elephant Rock, Tunnelview, Five 1/2 Points, Texas Creek, Lazy J, Bootlegger, Red Wall, and at Brown’s Canyon National Monument.
All dispersed camping is first come, first served. Camps cannot be left unattended for more than 24 hours.
Camping outside of a developed campground does not include any amenities so campers will need to:
- Bring a portable toilet device.
- Use a fire container if having a fire and follow local fire restrictions (see links under the "Use Fire Containers, Follow Fire Restrictions" tab below)
- Camping is limited to 14 days in any 28 day period.
For camping on forest land, contact the USFS Salida Ranger District, or for camping on Bureau of Land Management Land or information on Browns Canyon National Monument contact the Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Field Office
The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is comprised of over 6,000 acres of public lands, owned by and cooperatively managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the United States Forest Service (USFS).
It is the recreator's responsibility to know what land they are on, and the rules and regulations tied to those lands. Private landowners are not required to post signs.
In addition to traditional paper maps, there are online tools and phone apps to help you locate and access public lands around the AHRA. Some popular tools include:
- COTREX - The Colorado Trail Explorer: Search for Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
- The Colorado Hunting Atlas
- Map apps including OnX and Avenza Maps
- Paper maps, such as those sold in the AHRA Visitor Center
- Maps and Publications offered by the US Forest Service
Within the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, fire containers must have at least a two-inch rigid side and must be elevated up off the ground. Always check for local fire restrictions before building a fire. Know what land you are recreating on and follow the rules for that area:
Permits for collecting firewood on Bureau of Land Management land within the AHRA are only available on the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office website.
US Forest Service firewood collecting permits are available from the Salida Ranger District Office.