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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

Contact:

719-539-7289

[email protected]

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

Contact:

719-539-7289

[email protected]

Navigate to:

    Go

    Construction Closures: Parkdale Boat Ramp, Ruby Mountain -

    Parkdale Boat Ramp is under construction through 4/15/25. Ruby Mountain Recreation Site & Fisherman's Bridge are closed through 5/18/2025. There is a full road closure of County Rd. 300 near MM 2.2 at the entrance into Browns Canyon 8am-12pm & 1pm- 6pm daily. The affected section of Arkansas River from Fisherman's Bridge, continuing Southeast to Ruby Mountain Campground, will be open to passing boat traffic. During blasting or heavy scaling, a flagger will be in the river & there may be up to a 2-hour wait to pass. Fisherman's Bridge Recreation Site is under complete closure & Ruby Mountain Recreation Site is closed to camping during this time.

    Waterflow Readings

    High Water Advisories

    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. 


    1. Helmets must be worn at all water levels. 

    2. Wetsuits/dry suits are optional at all water levels depending upon weather and water conditions and advised when water levels are above 900 cfs as measured at the Numbers/Below Granite gage. 

    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. 


    1. Helmets must be worn at all water levels. 

    2. Wetsuits/dry suits are optional at all water levels depending upon weather and water conditions and advised when water levels are above 900 cfs as measured at the Numbers/Below Granite gauge. 

    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. 


    1. Helmets must be worn at all water levels. 

    2. Wetsuits/drysuits are optional at all water levels depending upon weather and water conditions and advised when water levels are above 2800 cfs as measured at the Parkdale gauge. 
    Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

    Colors of Water

    View the Colors of Water report on the Arkansas Basin Water Operations Dashboard.
     

    Announcements

    March 27, 2025

    Water Order FAP 25-09

    Mount Elbert Powerplant


    General
    Mt. Elbert conduit is up and running and we are moving project water to Twin Lakes and
    Pueblo to make room for spring imports through the Boustead Tunnel.


    Twin Lakes Dam
    Thursday, March 27, 2025 @ 0900 Hrs.
    Increase the release from Twin Lakes to 110 cfs. After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing
    50 cfs project, about 1 cfs accounts and the rest native.


    Maintain until further notice.

    March 27, 2025

    Hydro Change - Increase at Twin Lakes

    From USBR: 


    We are going to increase the native release from Twin Lakes by 25 cfs today at 1000 hrs.  


    Thursday, March 27, 2025 @ 1000 Hrs.
    Increase the release from Twin Lakes from 110 to 135 cfs.  After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 50 cfs project, about 1 cfs accounts and the rest native.  Total release target is 135 cfs.


    Maintain until further notice

    March 26, 2025

    Hydro Change - Increase at Twin

    From USBR: 


    We are going to increase the release from Twin Lakes by 25 cfs today at 0900 hrs.  After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 15 cfs project, about 1 cfs accounts and the rest native.  Total release target is 75 cfs.

    March 25, 2025

    Hydro Change - Increase at Twin

    From USBR: 


    We are going to increase the release from Twin Lakes by 15 cfs today at 0900 hrs.  After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 15 cfs project, about 1 cfs accounts and the rest is native.  Total release target is 50 cfs.

    March 24, 2025

    Hydro Change - Increase at Twin

    From USBR: We are going to increase the release from Twin Lakes by 20 cfs today at 0930 hrs.  After the gate operation, we’ll be releasing 14 cfs project, about 1 cfs accounts and the rest native.  Total release target is 35 cfs.
     

    Waterflow 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 Gauge 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 reference, a flow of 1 cfs for 24 hours is 1.98 af.

    Waterflow Summary

    Program Water

    1000

    Flow Program Releases

    793

    Estimated Program Water Remaining

    207

    Waterflow Gauge Locations

    Wellsville

    385 cfs

    View Dashboard