Arkansas - III
03. Railroad Bridge Launch to Buena Vista(Fractions/ Frogrock/ Milkrun)
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 6.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 44 fpm |
| Gauge | Arkansas River Below Granite, Co |
| Flow Rate as of 15 minutes | 306 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 25, 2025 |
Projects
Browns Canyon National Monument was designated in 2015 to protect one of Colorado’s most cherished stretches of river and surrounding public lands. Flowing between Buena Vista and Salida, the Arkansas River through Browns Canyon offers some of the most popular whitewater in the nation—combining exhilarating rapids with sweeping granite [...]Read More
River Description
Needs a new description. Spammed.
River Features
Frog Rock Sieve
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportFractions feels significantly harder than Brown's. I've run Brown's and Fractions in a raft 2x each now. Most recently close together, both at ~1200 cfs on the Nathrop gauge. In a raft at 1200 cfs at least, Fractions feels at least a half grade harder and more serious than Brown's. Constant maneuvering is required, flips will follow if you don't maneuver correctly, and swims through rocky rapids will be longer than you want them to be. There are not many 'pool' sections to collect yourself and your gear in. Don't let the lack of big waves fool you (though there are a few of those, too), this is committing.
Play park at Buena Vista is runnable at flows as low as 350 cfs.
Photo courtesy of and copyright by www.allaboutrivers.com.
Dave launching a loop.
At each put-in and take-out there is an 'Attention Boaters' sign that will give you a variety of information and the current level of the Arkansas River.
This is the take-out for the Numbers and the put-in for the Fractions/Frog Rock section.
There is a great play hole right at the Fractions/Frog Rock Buena Vista take-out.
There's plenty of parking, restrooms, changing rooms, vollyball, soccer fields, etc... at the take-out. Lets not forget the Park-N-Play hole!! What more can a paddler want?
Dave Cannon somewhere on the Fractions/Frog Rock.
There are a lot of play spots on the Fractions/Frog Rock. This was possibly the best wave on the river that day.
There are a lot of play spots on the Fractions/Frog Rock. This was possibly the best wave on the river that day.
There are a lot of play spots on the Fractions/Frog Rock. This was possibly the best wave on the river that day.
There are a lot of play spots on the Fractions/Frog Rock. This was possibly the best wave on the river that day.
This is the play hole at the Fractions/Frog Rock Take-Out in Buena Vista
Dave Cannon getting the feel of the park-n-play hole at the Fractions/Frog Rock take-out in Buena Vista.