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 4:30 p.m. Closed 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch. Closed Saturdays and Sundays
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 4:30 p.m. Closed 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch. Closed Saturdays and Sundays
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:
Construction Closures: Vallie Bridge, Ruby Mountain -
Vallie Bridge Day Use Area is closed 10/28/2024 through 12/12/2024. 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.
River Outfitters
For Visitors Seeking a River Guide
Many people use a river outfitter to enjoy the whitewater of the Arkansas River. Look up an AHRA river rafting or fishing outfitter, photographer or shuttle service in the Outfitter List.
You can also go to the Arkansas River Outfitters Association website and learn how to choose a river outfitter.
For River Outfitters Wanting to Guide on the Arkansas River
All river outfitters operating in Colorado are required to first obtain a river outfitter license from Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Visit the River Outfitter Licensing Page to learn more.
Colors of Water
View the Colors of Water report on the Arkansas Basin Water Operations Dashboard.
Announcements
| Date | Announcement | Details |
|---|---|---|
| November 19, 2024 | Water Order FAP25-02 Amended | Mount Elbert Powerplant GENERAL Sugarloaf Dam Twin Lakes Dam Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs. Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs. Friday, November 15, 2024 at 00:00 Hrs. Store all native inflows to Twin Lakes for Twin Lakes Canal Company. Maintain these flows until further notice. |
| November 12, 2024 | Water Order FAP 25-02 | Mount Elbert Powerplant GENERAL Sugarloaf Dam Twin Lakes Dam Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs. Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 09:00 Hrs. Friday, November 15, 2024 at 00:00 Hrs. Maintain these flows until further notice. |
| October 15, 2024 | Water Order FAP 25-01 | Mount Elbert Powerplant General Sugarloaf Dam |
| October 7, 2024 | Increase in Twin Release | From USBR: We are going to decrease the release from Twin Lakes by 27 cfs today at 0900 hrs. After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 15 cfs - about 2 cfs account and the rest native." |
| October 3, 2024 | Decrease in Twin Release | From USBR: We are going to decrease the release from Twin Lakes by 25 cfs today at 0930 hrs. After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 47 cfs- about 2 cfs of account and the rest native. |
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. |
|
Water Flow Levels
The information below depicts the Flow Program Target and the flow of the Arkansas River as measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) at the Wellsville Gage near Salida, CO. This page also tracks, in acre feet (af), the amount of water released as part of the summer component of the Voluntary Flow Program. For your reference, 1 Cubic Foot/Second (cfs) = 1.98 Acre Feet (af).
Waterflow Summary
Program Water
1000
Flow Program Releases
793
Estimated Program Water Remaining
207
Waterflow Readings
| Gauge | Value | Water Flow Data |
|---|---|---|
| Wellsville | 390 cfs |