Saint Vrain Creek, North
04. Apple Valley Bridge to Lyons
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 3.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | North Saint Vrain Creek Below Buttonrock (ralph Price) Reservoir |
| Flow Rate as of 6 hours | 41 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 11, 2018 |
River Description
'Apple Valley,' is Class II, which is about 3 miles long and starts at the wooden arched Apple Valley bridge (3 miles away from Lyons). About 1/4 mile downstream is a rock structure with the line on the river right side. Aftwards is Class II water that flows through a cool valley with great scenery and even passes by Planet Bluegrass. Watch for some wood on this run, since many old trees fall into the water, but most can easily be navigated. The river flows without any flatwater and is a great beginner run. The run ends at the Lyons Whitewater Park which has 9 drops to play in. The run can be extended to the Black Bear Hole 1 mile further. An old small ledge drop in this section has been fixed and is now a fun drop to run. Minimum flows are about 160 cfs for the Apple Valley run and about 80 cfs for just the Lyons Whitewater Park.
River Features
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Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportA pretty float, but this flow level had us wondering where all the rapids went. Didn't notice much besides the constructed drops.
Good stuff. Continuous class two w occasional 2+/3- drops and holes. Packrafts we're fine. Most stayed in boats w a few user error flips. Ww park was fun at this level w a good surf hole at the end.