Big Thompson

The river from Forks Park to Narrows Park can be a delightful short paddle but it has a number of natural and manmade hazards.  As with the majority of the Big Thompson the river has blast rock from road construction and other unnatural debris.  The rapids are continuous after the first .5 mile and pick up in difficulty probably being hardest where the old dam was before the floods.  From this point the river has both large hole and several sharp rocks that can make swims unpleasant and long.  Boats have been lost here due to the continuous nature of the river.  The river basically continues to Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park as a continuous very active riverbed.  There are a few sizable drops just after the park and then the overall gradient calms for a mile or so above Narrows Park and the Cherry Store.