Colorado
02. Gore Canyon
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 9.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 35 fpm |
| Gauge | Colorado River Near Kremmling, Co |
| Flow Rate as of 57 minutes | 274 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 28, 2025 |
Projects
American Whitewater has led the recreational boating voice in the management of the Upper Colorado River since 2007. At that time, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its report on the eligibility of rivers in the Upper Colorado River basin for Wild and Scenic River designation. In [...]Read More
As part of comprehensive management planning for the Upper Colorado River, Grand County obtained a Recreational In-Channel Diversion water right to help protect recreational use, and healthy river flows below a series of large dams and reservoirs. To perfect this water right, the completed construction on a whitewater park [...]Read More
River Description
Gore Canyon is one of the most beloved and classic runs in the state. The whitewater is continuous and the run is in a quality setting in a beautiful and scenic canyon that parallels the railroad. Gore is a great run to test your paddling and a fantastic training ground for aspiring Class V paddlers. The run starts out with a 45-minute flatwater paddle towards the mouth of the canyon. It is advised to stash your dry gear in the back of your boat for this paddle in as it gets rather hot under the Kremmling sun and you'll be moving on lake water. Once you reach the mouth of the canyon you will see a large boulder on river left dubbed 'Change Rock' where you can put your gear on and get ready for the run ahead. Please stay in your boat for the entirety of the float to the 'Change Rock'. The land on both sides of the river is private and you cannot get out on the river bank.
From Change Rock you will peel out into some Class III which will lead you to the first major rapid, Applesauce. The river will come to a choke point with a horizon line and there is a large rock wall on the right to mark the entrance. The horizon line drops into a steep ramp that ends with a large boof at the bottom that you will want to boof right. This will land in a large pool and lead into some more boogie class III until the canyon opens up and you will see a large boulder on river right which marks the beginning of Gore rapid, the crux of the run. Eddy out behind the rock and scout from the railroad tracks (watch out for trains and railroad workers because they have a history of yelling at scouting boaters). There are four different lines to take through Gore rapid and they will be obvious from the scout but the two most commonly run are left left and the right hand sneak. For left left enter on river left and there will be a large right-hand boof with a large hole named ginger that sits close to the landing you'll want to miss. For the sneak enter on river right and follow the slot
...River Features
Put-In
Fun slide into the river, 4+ miles of hideous lake-like class I until the rapids
1st Rapid
Suit up river left just above this rapid.
Applesauce
The horizon line here is obvious as the river drains out the bottom of a largish pool with huge edddy and scouting available river left.
A lateral-ridden chute that piles up and over a rock pile, creating a 'ski-ramp' effect. DO NOT GO LEFT HERE.
There are 2 basic varieties of Applesauce line. The 'sneak'-ier is to enter the flume center-right then drive hard right, swerving back to center below the ski-ramp to avoid clipping an elbow or helmet on an overhanging boulder. The main, and steezier line, is drive down the center-right of the ramp and launch a big boof about one boat-width to the right of the ski-ramps apex. Again -- the left side of the ski-ramp is DANGEROUSLY sieved out and full of pin potential, but very easy to avoid. Above ~1150 cfs, the boof is good to go over the top for rafts and kayaks alike, though a slight right angle should be used to avoid the left side at all costs. Kayaks can run the boof head on until ~1100 below which the rock starts getting exposed creating a hazard, at which point the only run is towards the right wherever it looks like it goes.
Gore Rapid
This is the signature drop of the run. Sorta long with technical moves and one mean hole -- Ginger. Scout on river-right
The Sneak (sneaky, approachable)-- Enter far river right and wind your way through a friendly alley to a narrow 4-5' spout that plops you into a turbulent eddy just down stream and river-right of Ginger. Be sharp getting your left edge up, peel out through the notch and either run far river-right against the shore or work your way back to center.
The Professor (technical, a little intimidating) -- After dropping over the entry ledges (far left for a fun boof or moving to center from the small regular ledge that stretches from center to the right bank), enter the 'runway' that ends at Gore's signature pyramid- rock. Pull a near 180 and enter the small, boily channel on your right about 8' upstream of the Pyramid. Stay calm and take left strokes. Follow the flow, take a left boof off the 4-5' spout and land on your right edge. Nod to your pal who ran the sneak and is hanging in the eddy as you zoom through the notch towards river right.
The Meat (meaty, fast, a little blind) -- Enter the runway. As you drift towards the Pyramid's curler, get a little bit of right angle. When the curler is on your left shoulder, lock your eyes on the Notch (Not Ginger! Don't look at Ginger!) and stroke hard towards it! It will more likely than not end well as long as you DON'T LOOK AT GINGER!
Left-Left (boof-y, aesthetic)-- From the runway, aim just to the right of the Pyramid's shoulder. Paddle up and through the curler, take a sweet late right stroke and grease through the left side of Ginger and through a river-left notch before rejoining the main flow. Again -- DON'T LOOK INTO GINGER.
Scissors
Offset holes and pushy current make for a tight move. Swimmers in Gore Rapid might be swept into this rapid, yardsale gear almost certainly will. Either fold into the curler between the holes and get spit river right or go for the hero boof off the left 'hump.' Hump-boofs may result in minor to more-than-minor time spent surfing.
Pyrite Falls
6' to 8' river wide ledge. 1st timers must run it without scouting;-) The sneak is on the left, meat line is right down the middle, and a technical line rarely run on the right. There is a pool at the base for collecting gear which often washes down all the way from Gore Rapid.
Lots o' Class IV
Pool drop Class IV from Pyrite to Tunnel. Watch out for a few random big holes and try not to think about Tunnel too much;-)
Tunnel Falls
While Gore Rapid has glamor, Tunnel is the psychological heart of this run. A river wide 10' to 12' ledge with a very pushy Class IV lead-in. The hole gets meaner at low water (less than 900cfs). This is usually the crux of the run for most people. The line is pretty much a straight shot, but the hydraulic is legendary, and there is always a crowd of onlookers. There is a very fine sneak line to the left, the meat is right down the main current, and a bony sneak down the right side. The meat line is suprisingly forgiving to playboats, more often than not they just melt right through. Creek boats are another matter, I have seen some horrific rides here. After watching one friend take a severe beating I congratulated her on staying in her boat for so long, she said that the ride was so violent that she never had the opportunity to pop her skirt and swim!
Pumphouse Campground
this is the takeout
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportGood flows for rafts and kayaks at 1250 cfs for Gorefest 2025. Minimal carnage in Tunnel all day with the hole flushing hard and fast. Lots of Toilet Bowl carnage with the middle seam catching rafts and kayaks alike providing some swims that required throwbags to get folks out of the hole. Above 1200, the boof at Applesauce is good to go straight over the middle in almost any craft, but a slight right angle should be preferred as the left side remains bumpy even at higher flows.
Creating trip report for photo updating for Pyrite and Tunnel as there isn't currently a photo of Pyrite and updating the Tunnel photo to better show the rapid in its entirety.
Creature Crafts exiting Gore Canyon
I am comparing mileage markers for Gore Canyon rapids to measurements I am making on Google Earth and finding significant discrepancies. The AW info lists Applesauce Rapid at 5.0 miles while my measurements say it is at 4.0 miles, and the markers for other rapids below Applesauce are also off, but not by the same amount.
Does anybody have any actual GPS waypoints for where each of these rapids begins so that correct measurements can be made?
Paddle out of Gore Canyon
Near side is sneak, middle is professor, far side is the meat or far left move.
Sneak Line at Gore Rapid
57 year old, Bob Booth, River Sharks, drops in at the put in.
Rio Expeditions pulls big water to make the first move at Gore Rapid
Rio Extreme gets swamped in the first hole.
The intro rapids to Tunnel Falls can get pushy and make last second adjustments neccessary
Over the edge on Tunnel. Get ready to paddle hard, as this rapid can be very sticky at the bottom.
Rio Extreme gets wet on the bottom of Tunnel
At this level, it's awfully tough to stay upright in the hole at the end of this one. Something like 9 out of 10 paddlers got their heads wet in this sneakless wonder that day; fortunately, there's a pool below to collect one's equilibrium (and possibly one's gear).