Gunnison
06. Delta to Whitewater(Lower Gunnison)
| Difficulty | I(II) |
| Length | 41.5 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Permit | All overnight boaters are required to self-issue a free camping permit. These are located at the Escalante Boat Launch and at Bridgeport. Further instructions are located on-site. The permit is a helpful required tool to inform users of the river regulations and to provide the BLM with important data regarding river recreation use patterns. If you plan to begin your trip in Delta, fill out a permit at the Escalante Boat Launch during your shuttle. |
| Gauge | Gunnison River Near Grand Junction, Co. |
| Flow Rate as of 40 minutes | 709 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 27, 2024 |
River Description
This section of the Gunnison River is a beautiful and scenic float through the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation area. Downstream of the put-in you will be greeted with breathtaking views of red-rock canyons and sandstone bluffs. Additionally, this section of the Gunnison hosts an array of essential ecological benefits for fish, wildlife, and recreational resources and allows the opportunity for wildlife encounters as the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area is home to a variety of species including desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, golden eagles, turkeys, elk, mountain lions, black bears, and the collared lizard. For more information on this float and the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation area, follow this link to the BLM's website: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/dominguez-escalante-nca. On the right side of the page you will see a link which says 'Float the Gunnison River' for more information about the area.
There are two different put-ins for the river: The first is the put-in at the confluence park in Delta which makes the total trip distance 44 miles down to Whitewater. For a shorter trip, you can put in at the Escalante Canyon Bridge (Escalante Canyon road off Hwy 50) which makes the total river mileage 29 miles to Whitewater.
This section of the Gunnison has recently started using self-issued permits for overnight trips, although the process of obtaining one is very simple and straightforward. All overnight boaters are required to self-issue a free camping permit. These are located at the Escalante Boat Launch and at Bridgeport. Further instructions are located on-site. The permit is a helpful required tool to inform users of the river regulations and to provide the BLM with important data regarding river recreation use patterns. If you plan to begin your trip in Delta, fill out a p
...River Features
Put In - confluence park in Delta
Escalante Canyon Bridge (Escalante Canyon road off Hwy 50)
Escalante Canyon Bridge (Escalante Canyon road off Hwy 50)
Take Out - Whitewater
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportA great float but a lot of wind dependent flatwater paddling. - Austin Sylvester
Jun 9, 2026
Flow Rate: 700-800 cfpm Review: A great float but a lot of wind dependent flatwater paddling. We started at the Escalante Bridge Put in and took out at whitewater boat ramp. We did end up doing 18-19 miles day one because someone was at tunnel springs camp around mile 15-16 and the next camp was 3 miles further at poverty flats. I wouldn’t recommend this if you have an unmotivated crew or if you are fighting the wind like we were as last 3-4 miles of our first day were mainly flatwater and it was more end of day paddling than our friends expected. The only notably difficult rapids are the Hail Mary Rapid train which had a few of our paddle boarders swimming. Day two was just short of 9 miles and with the wind at our backs was a cake walk; this section would be much more difficult if you were paddling into the wind though so I would recommend you start early just in case the wind doesn’t work in your favor. Overall, we had a great time, the views along these sections were beautiful, miles of rocky canyons and red rock walls surrounded by wildlife, mainly birds, otters, beavers, and goats. Very Close to Grand Junction we stopped at a small fair on our way in and camped near the takeout. If I was to do it again I would be conscious of the wind forecast to plan around and we would have started earlier on day one to try and beat anyone going to the tunnel springs site.
Gelatt canoes - Lee Gelatt
Jun 22, 2025
Put in at Escalante bridge and take out at Bridgeport, six hours at 1,000 cfs. I am including photos here of the put ins and the old diversion structure (easy bypass in far left channel).
Samuel Dorsi
Aug 1, 2012
The river mileage quoted in the Falcon Guide is incorrect. From the put-in at Confluence Park in Delta, CO to the Hwy. 141 bridge at Whitewater, CO the distance is 44 river miles. If you use a lower common put-in for this trip at the Escalante Canyon bridge (Escalante Canyon Road off of Hwy 50), the distance down to Whitewater, CO is 29 river miles.