Yampa
03. Little Yampa Canyon(Little Yampa, Juniper canyons)
| Difficulty | I-II(III) |
| Length | 51.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Yampa River Below Craig, Co. |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 2800 cfshigh runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 23, 2025 |
Projects
The Yampa River is one of the last major free-flowing rivers in the Colorado River Basin, and it has long been a focus of American Whitewater’s river stewardship work in the region. American Whitewater is committed to preserving the Yampa’s wild and unregulated character in the face of ongoing [...]Read More
River Description
The Little Yampa Canyon (LYC), also known as Duffy Canyon, is a beautiful and friendly float with great opportunities for wildlife viewing. The stretch is 32 miles long and contains beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife and Native American petroglyphs. This is one of the best floats in the state and is great for river enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.
Unlike the Yampa Canyon which requires a permit from Dinosaur National Monument to float the river, the little Yampa Canyon is managed by the BLM as a Special Recreation Management Area and does not require a permit.
LYC has historically been underutilized as a float destination due to a lack of formal campsites necessary for a 32-mile overnight float and its remote nature. However, as of May 2018 a campsite revitalization effort helped re-introduce 5 public riverside campgrounds along the LYC that are ready for use. Each campsite is equipped with a fire ring, grill gate, picnic table, and tent area. This revitalization was spearheaded by Friends of the Yampa, BLM Little Snake Field Office, The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Yampa River State Park, Mission Continues and the Northwest Chapter of the Parrotheads. The campgrounds are along the following mile markers on LYC:
Antlers: Mile 7.6
This campsite is on river right and can be identified by several large Cottonwoods and a post that says 'Antlers' with a pair of antlers attached. This campsite takes about 2-4 hours from the put-in dependent on flows.
Friends: Mile 14.5
The Friends campsite also sits on river right and is identified by a large clearing container, several large cottonwoods, and a large post that says 'Friends'. This float takes 2-3 hours from Antlers and 4-7 hours from the put-in.
Railroad: Mile 14.8
Railroad is the only campsite on the river located on river left and can be identified by a large post that says 'Railroad'. Railroad campsite is also only .3 miles down the river from the Friends campsit
...River Features
Put In - South Beach Boat Drop Off
Take Out for Juniper Canyon - Maybell Bridge River Access
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportWe paddled this section in a canoe. Day 1 was short as we didn't get on the river until 3. Stopped at Antlers for the night. Very nice campsite. We did find enough driftwood to burn, but brining wood is a good idea.
Day 2 we paddled from Antler's to approximately 123. It was crazy windy! All day against the wind with little reprieve. The Friends and Railroad site were so windy we kept going. Due to the wind we could not get off at our next intended site. We finally found a protected area (not a campsite) that was out of the wind and pitched our tent for the night. Once the wind died down we had a lovely evening camping on the river.
Day 3. We had made much more progress on Day 2 than anticipated and were out by noon the following day. Day 3 was gorgeous and what we all envision from a nice flatwater float. Sun, little wind, perfect temps. We saw an otter, many deer, and various birds etc.
Overall I would recommend this float especially if you live in the valley.
5/12/18 ~5,700 cfs (Craig gauge) 7,000 cfs (Maybell bridge)
Hazard sign just before the diversion dam
signage at the Juniper Canyon campground and put in
5/12/18 ~5,700 cfs (Craig gauge) 7,000 cfs (Maybell bridge)
Scouting the diversion dam rapid