Cache La Poudre,

Roller Coster

Roller Coster
Photo of Will Reeves by William Reeves @ 4

Gauge Information

River Description

Check out their description of this reach.

This section is usually paddled to provide a little more mileage to the Poudre Park reach. The gradient slows through this section, and if it weren't for man-made hazards this is an excellent intermediate/beginner run. The man-made hazard is a bridge located at the bottom of one of the rapids. The bridge abutments are in very swift water, and can be difficult to maneuver around for a beginning boater. In 1994 there was a kayaking fatality here. 100 yards upstream of the take-out is an ender hole/eddy line combination river right.

To get there: The put-in is a long narrow pullout below Pineview Falls at mile marker 112.7. Make sure you don't park in the commercial bus territory or your car may be towed. The takeout is a pull-out at mile marker 114.7. If you haven't used this takeout before make sure to scout it so you know where to get out, just downstream is a low-head dam.

See Colorado Rivers and Creeks II, by Banks and Eckardt (The Bible), for info on this and most of the other kewl runs of Colorado.

Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.

See also,

Big South (Class V/VI),
Joe Wright Creek (Class V),
Spencer Heights (Class V/VI),
South Fork (Class IV/V),
White Mile Run/Upper Rustic (Class III),
Grandpa's Gorge/Lower Rustic (Class III/IV),
The Narrows (Class IV/V/V+),
Upper Mishawaka (Class III/IV),
Lower Mishiwaka (Class III),
Poudre Park (Class IV),
Bridges (Class III/IV),
Upper North Fork (Class IV/V),
Lower North Fork (Class II/III), and
Filter Plant (Class III).