Colorado whitewater - Dolores River, Montezuma/Dolores County

Montezuma/Dolores county, Slickrock to Bedrock section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II+(III)     50 miles
  The natural beauty of Colorado and the playfulness of the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. This section of Dolores River in Colorado is 50 miles long and it is classified as a class II+(III) section by American Whitewater. There are plenty of other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so don't forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. Getting your paddling muscles activated and spending some
    quality time in nature are great reasons to come. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this area has a pretty small number of paddling spots. There's camping available near Dolores River. The nearby hotels are a bit away from
the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. A section like this is is of course not run in a single day, so make sure you pack enough food along with your camping gear.

Briefly about the general area:
During the months of summer at Dolores River temperatures are regularly in the 90's. Once the sun is down it plunges down to the 60's. The winter comes with highs in the 40's with temperatures at Dolores River dipping down into the 10's through winter nights.
Nearby Little Gypsum Valley is a great location to go if you're
 
at Dolores River, and you can go for a hike on the Radium Trail. Dolores River gets very little rainfall; the wettest month of the year is mostly August, that's the one that rains the most, and June is when it's the driest.

Dolores River, Slickrock to Bedrock road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II+(III)
Length: 50 miles
Average Gradient: 10 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.02888
Longitude: -108.88488

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.30431
Longitude: -108.89434

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Current weather conditions at Dolores River, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: GATEWAY 24 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Sun Canyon Ranch, Dove Creek
24 miles away
Sun Canyon Lodge , privatly situated on 100 acres ,is a new southwestern style ranch house with fully modern kitchen , beautifully furnished vaulted great room with kiva style fire place ,and genuin...

Best Western Wayside Motor Inn, Monticello
35 miles away
Breathtaking national parks and natural attractions are close to this comfortable southern Utah hotel! Travelers looking for a remote getaway know exactly where to stay. With spacious and clean roo...

Monticello-Days Inn, Monticello
35 miles away
Free Deluxe Continental Breakfast Free local and long distance access calls Free DSL High Speed Internet Indoor Swimming pool/Hot tub (Only property in the area) Bus/RV/Truck parking Interio...



OTHER_INFO
  All Colorado Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Colorado.
Books about whitewater paddling on Dolores River, Colorado
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Dolores River, Colorado.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Colorado

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Montrose, Colorado
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Montrose, Colorado, the metro area neareast to Dolores River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Dolores River.
 Whitewater Near Dolores River:
Dolores River, Dolores/Montrose/San Miguel County , 14 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 28 miles long (Dove Creek Pump Station to Slickrock)
Dolores River, Montezuma/Dolores County , 18 miles away, Class II+ - 44 miles long (Bedrock to Gateway)
Dolores River, Montezuma.Dolores County , 25 miles away, Class II-III - 19 miles long (McPhee Reservoir to Dove Creek Pump Station)
 Ski Areas Near Dolores River:
Powderhorn, Colorado , 71 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 73 miles away, 3530 vertical feet
Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 74 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Durango, Colorado , 80 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 87 miles away, 3000 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 90 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Sunlight Mountain, Colorado , 126 miles away, 2010 vertical feet
Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 139 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Crested Butte, Colorado , 139 miles away, 3062 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 150 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Dolores River:
Sun Canyon Ranch, Dove Creek , 24 miles away
Best Western Wayside Motor Inn, Monticello , 35 miles away
Monticello-Days Inn, Monticello , 35 miles away
Rodeway Inn & Suites, Monticello , 35 miles away
Red Stone Inn, Moab , 43 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Dolores River:
Buckeye Campground, Montrose County, 18 miles away
 Trails Near Dolores River:
Radium Trail, Montrose County , 13 miles away
 National Parks Near Dolores River:
Hovenweep National Monument, Cortez - CO , 46 miles away
Arches National Park, Moab - UT , 49 miles away
 Lakes Near Dolores River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater