Paddling Colorado: A Guide To The State's Best Paddling Routes (Paddling Series) Paperback – May 19, 2009

Many guides to small rivers tend to focus on the gnarly kayaking stretches. This book, however, hardly mentions anything above non-continuous Class III, which is excellent for those looking for a mellow day out, using a packraft, SUP, fishing dory, or other less whitewater-capable boat, taking the kids and dog, or even just wondering about the un-discussed long stretches that form the majority of the river miles out there.There are no published river guides to most of the river stretches in this book, so it's hard to find this information anywhere else. The scope is pleasantly wide. The maps are also excellent, showing each stretch in context with adjacent runs, roads, and the region rather than isolating them so that they are unrecognizable, as is the norm. I do think the author should have made an effort to describe camping options, boat launches, and shore closures, which he hardly mentions at all. Where can you back a trailer in to float a dory? How far do you have to carry your boat to take out? There's no way you'll be any wiser after reading this book.You will want to be very careful using this guide, however. For one, it's now over 10 years old...or at least, there are still brand new books circulating from the 2009 printing. That's what I have. Rivers change, management policies and permit requirements change (Ruby-Horsethief and Swallow Canyon down, as examples), popular stretches close for years (all of Glenwood Canyon).But more than that, the author's congenial style would suggest that he is personally familiar with each stretch discussed. I really doubt this after finding a few really crazy omissions, like the Redlands Dam on the Lower Gunnison that's been there since 1917. This is a pretty major obstruction, a mandatory portage, and it's not even mentioned. As with all boating, scouting is highly recommended, of course, but many/most folks--including me--have a tendency to skip this approach for easier sections. The author also clearly comes from a whitewater kayaking background, often applying somewhat soft ratings compared to other sources. Both of these points make this book a little dicey. You'll need to gather other information and mind your P's and Q's out there!This brings me to a serious peeve I have about the book: the difficulty rating system. Though the author uses the International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty as expected, he also buys into the obnoxious convention of referring to easy stretches as "beginner" runs. This needs to stop. Everyone who is looking for an easy day out is not a beginner--it's a stupid, macho value judgment that ignores boat choice. Some variation of "Easy-Moderate-Difficult (and beyond)" is a far better way to describe the skills and equipment required for a given run.

This book looks to be a good choice for those of us looking for rivers in Colorado with Class 1 - 3 ratings. Most of the other current guidebooks are focused on Class 3 - 5, which rules out most of us casual boaters. The information on rivers I am familiar with seems accurate and I have found a bunch of runs I want to try out next spring and summer.On thing that appears to have been omitted in some of the description is contact info for land management agencies when a permit is required. This can probably be found pretty easily online, but it is still an oversight.The section on lakes looks good for canoeing/kayaking but it's small size really emphasizes that paddling an CO is all about the rivers.

As an experienced whitewater canoeist I find this book to be a welcome and useful tool providing the information I need to find rivers I do not often get to paddle. This is a purchase I highly recommend if you need detailed information (and maps!) to rivers in Colorado, especially whitewater rivers in Colorado!

This book is a tad outdate, but still pretty relevant. I look forward to the next edition!

I bought this book to provide me with ideas for local float trips. I've been a river guide in Colorado for more than 20 years, and found the information on runs that I knew quite slim, and commonly misleading (eg: to say the Granite Gorge of the Arkansas is a class II-III run is going to get someone hurt! III-IV is more appropriate, and no mention of the mandatory portage at the diversion dam!).In addition, there is no information what-so-ever about runs harder than class III (e.g.: on the Arkansas: Numbers, Royal Gorge, Pine Creek are not in the book).Several of our local runs on the Uncompaghre are not even in the book, but floating Chatfield reservoir is.Overall, this book is probably ok for inexperienced canoeists, mostly because they'll probably never find the put in with the directions provided. but don't trust the grades that are given.

Not as many river sections as I was hoping. But look forward to running some of the rivers listed on my next vacation to the state.

I lead a trip to Colorado for white water and none of us knew any of the rivers. It was a lifesaver and we were able to pick out rivers that were in our skill level. ( Class II-III).Good directions to put ins. I trust this book.

Just what i was looking for for my big move out west!