BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

Flatwater Guide for Kayaking, IKing, Canoeing, Innertubing & Rafting - California, Nevada & Arizona

Coconino County AZ, Clark County NV, Mohave County AZ. San Bernardino County CA, Riverside County CA, Imperial County CA, La Paz County AZ, Yuma County AZ, USA.

A. Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry (Class I, 15 miles.) (Coconino County, Arizona)
• Flow data: USGS Colorado River at Lees Ferry AZ.
• Outstanding big canyon scenery with no permit requirements.
• Paddling along a peaceful stretch of Colorado River in Glen Canyon - Seattle Times 22may2010.
• Kayak Powell - outfitter and kayak rentals. Glen Canyon river map.
N 36.93490 W 111.48437 - Glen Canyon Dam
N 36.86575 W 111.58573 - Lee's Ferry

B. Grand Canyon NP - Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead (Class III-IV, ~300 miles)
• Permit required - long waiting list for private boater permit or take commercial trip.
N 36.86575 W 111.58573 - Lee's Ferry
N 36.86575 W 111.58573 - Diamond Creek

C. Black Canyon Run, Lower Colorado River, Nevada & Arizona (Class I/II, 11 miles.)
• Deep canyon, hot springs, hiking in side canyons.
• Permit required - waiting list is usually not too long.
• Online boating guides & guidebooks - see below.
• Flow data: USGS Colorado River below Hoover Dam.
• Coordinates of landmarks (see map below):
N 36.01528 W 114.73779, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead Reservoir (A)
N 36.00825 W 114.74323, Black Canyon, Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
N 35.86944 W 114.66225, Willow Beach Marina.

D. Davis Dam to Parker Dam Run, Lower Colorado River, California & Arizona (Class I, 88 miles.)
"Attractions include a variety of birds and animals, Indian petroglyphs, historical sites, parks and marinas, marshes, mountain peaks and canyons."
• Online boating guides & guidebooks - see below.
• Flow data: USGS Colorado River below Davis Dam.
• Coordinates of landmarks (see map below):
N 35.19587 W 114.57060, Davis Dam, Lake Mohave Reservoir (B)
N 35.11092 W 114.63959, Big Bend Of The Colorado State Recreation Area.
N 34.84762 W 114.61487, Needles, CA.
N 34.65778 W 114.45823, Topock Gorge, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.
N 34.29555 W 114.13945 Parker Dam, Lake Havasu State Park.
N 34.23565 W 114.17816, Parker Strip.

E. Blythe to Yuma Run, Lower Colorado River, California & Arizona (Class I, 100 miles.)
"Lands along the shoreline are owned and managed by various entities, public and private."
• Online boating guides & guidebooks - see below.
• Flow data: USGS Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam.
• Flow data: USGS Colorado River below Imperial Dam.
• Flow data: USGS Colorado River below Laguna Dam.
• Coordinates of landmarks (see map below):
N 33.73351 W 114.51037, Palo Verde Dam.
N 33.60533 W 114.53187, Blythe, CA (C)
N 33.31762 W 114.71375, Cibola National Wildlife Refuge.
N 33.11110 W 114.70104, Imperial National Wildlife Refuge.
N 33.03817 W 114.67220, Picacho State Recreation Area.
N 32.88305 W 114.46583, Imperial Dam.
N 32.82767 W 114.49977, Laguna Dam.

F. Yuma to the Gulf of California, Sea of Cortez (Class 0, bring hiking boots.)
• The Colorado River last reached the Sea of Cortez in 1998. (AspenTimes 24oct2010.)

Lower Colorado River road map & topographic map for paddleboaters.

• Instructions for online interactive topographic river maps & road maps.
• Click on Map button for road map, Topo button for topographic map.
• Full-Screen River Map - landmarks in the Colorado River valley.
• Names of landmarks below (A, B, etc.) - DoubleClick or point on the red markers.

Online Boating Guides & Guidebooks - Lower Colorado River.

• Online river guides: Paddle Boating on the Lower Colorado River. Display options: alphabetical 100. See boating guides & river flows in Section 1.
• Guidebook: Paddler's Atlas of U.S. Rivers West, 1993. (pg. 32)

Directions, Distance, Driving Time & Road Conditions.

• Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
    * From Davis, CA to Las Vegas, NV - driving time 8 hours 58 minutes - 585.81 miles.
• California Road Conditions (Delays or closures due to weather, construction, etc.)
    * California Travel Information - highwayconditions.com.
    * Road Conditions - California Dept Transportation.

Local weather in Needles, California.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Colorado River paddleboating trip reports NEEDED!!

All boaters please send your trip reports from whitewater paddleboating trips on Colorado River. Stories, pictures & videos from boating trips will be linked here. Guest author articles may be posted here.

A. Glen Canyon trip reports.
• Paddling along a peaceful stretch of Colorado River in Glen Canyon - Seattle Times 22may2010.

C. Black Canyon trip reports.
• Kayaking the Colorado River Black Canyon - Niebrugge Images 08nov2010.
• Kayaking the Colorado River Black Canyon - Fat Adventures 30oct2010.
• Black Canyon by Kayak video - JeffreyFortuna 26oct2010.
• Black Canyon Colorado River kayaking - NikkiV Beauty and the Blog 27sept2010.
• Ring of Repugnance - Black Canyon 2010 sandmarks. Photos - sandmarks.
• Canoeing the Colorado River below Hoover Dam - InnovaKayak 28june2010.
• Kayaking in Black Canyon - Norcal Yak 08june2010.
• Colorado River Kayak - Steve Sieren 30may2010.
• Video: 3 day kayak trip down the Colorado River - thiago1029 - 12may2010.
• Black Canyon Colorado River Paddle - Out There 01may2010.
• Black Canyon River Trip video - thiago1029 01may2010.
• Black Canyon Colorado River kayaking - Where the Streets Have No Name: 29april2010.
• Black Canyon - California Kayak Friends 27april2010
• Black Canyon Hobie Adventure Island Torqeedo video - TheLbaker007 13april2010.
• Black Canyon Colorado River pictures - Riverstrider 08april2010
• Black Canyon Colorado River - Kayaking / Canoeing - prathmann 09mar2010.
• Black Canyon Colorado River Canoe Trip: Hoover Dam To Willow Beach - squidoo feb2010.
• Trip Reports Archive 2009 and older - Lower Colorado River paddle boating.

D. Topock Gorge - Davis Dam to Parker Dam Run trip reports.
• Colorado River kayaking Topock Gorge to Castle Rock - America by RV 14nov2010.
• Colorado River Topock Gorge - cPaula 27nov2009.
• Lower Colorado River Kayak & Camp - Picacho SRA - soazpaddlers 18oct2009.
• Kayak Topock Gorge on the Colorado River - azcentral.com 03sept2009.
• Lower Colorado River - Davis Dam to Parker Dam - soazpaddlers feb2006.
• Lazing along the lower Colorado River near Needles CA - Sunset march2001.

E. Blythe to Yuma Run trip reports.
• Lower Colorado River tubing, canoeing and kayaking - YumaSun 16june2009.
• Lower Colorado - Picacho SRA - soazpaddlers 27nov2008.
• Lower Colorado River- Clip to Fisher's Landing - bernie-n6fn April 2004.
• Lower Colorado River - Picacho State Recreation Area, CA - soazpaddlers.

Miscellaneous trip reports.
• Lower Colorado River Tour video - Arizona Game and Fish Department.
• Lower Colorado River Kayak pictures from kayaking photos - hkellogg4 14nov2006.
• Colorado River Experience 2005 pictures from deserts photos - hkellogg4 22feb2005.

Outdoor Activities & Environmental Protection in Lower Colorado River Canyon.

• Lower Colorado River Watershed Directory - Conservation & Recreation. Websites for Lower Colorado River valley. (Display options: alphabetical 100. Section 1=kayaking, 2=outfitters, 3=environment-conservation, 4=fishing, 5=hiking-camping, 6=local-websites)

More About California Nevada River Paddleboating:
• Nearby streams: Owens River, Reversed Creek, Rush Creek, Mammoth Creek, Hot Creek.
• Back to: Great Basin Rivers in California & Nevada - Regional Paddleboating Guide.
• California Nevada Statewide Guides for Whitewater River Paddleboating.
• How to use whitewater river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.

IceRocket Tags: socal, Southern California, river map, kayaking, river tubing, float tube.
Tags: Colorado River, California, Nevada, Arizona, kayaking, paddlesports, river, rafting, canoeing, paddle boating.

Labels: guide