Top 5 Sections of the Arkansas River for Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
By Hal Tuttle
Another spring is making its way to the Arkansas Valley, and it’s the time of year we start to think about how each flake of snow will translate into days paddling on the river. Here in Salida, Colorado, not only do we have an abundance of river sections to paddle, we have an abundance of craft choice. Today, we are going to discuss paddleboarding (SUP) and the best places to do it on this river!
During the summer months, I teach paddleboarding at Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center and my students are always asking me about the best places to paddle nearby. The Arkansas River is somewhat of a mecca of river paddling, and there is a reason that whitewater paddleboarding has seen such tremendous growth here. Without further ado, here are my top five spots to river SUP on the Arkansas River near Salida.
NOTE: The AHRA (Arkansas Headwater Recreation Area) is a great resource with information about the entire Arkansas River, including access points and river flows.
SECOND NOTE: This is not a comprehensive guide, and I have organized these in a progression with what I view to be the more accessible sections listed first and the more difficult last.
THIRD NOTE: You should always wear a PFD and Helmet when paddling on the river, and it is critical that if you use a leash to tether yourself to your board, you use a leash with a tested, quick-release method, like the Badfish Re-Leash.
- Salida Town Run
Put In: Big Bend
Takeout: Salida WW Park
The Salida Town Run is the first place I take students who are learning to SUP on the river. This section, beginning about six river miles upstream of Salida features mellow Class I and fun rock-dodgy Class II water with small waves. Now that the low-head dam has been successfully removed, this section is 100% navigable! You will find tremendous views of the Southern Sawatch Range and some of the best birdwatching on the Ark. I can’t recall the last time I paddled this section and didn’t see an osprey! This section gets calmer, the closer you get to town. When you start to see the big S up on Tenderfoot Mountain, you know you are getting closer to town and to the Salida Whitewater Park.
The Whitewater Park contains the biggest waves you will see all day, but those waves are followed by deep pools where you don’t have to worry about hitting any rocks! Caution: You may have an audience when you get to town. There are two boat ramps in the park where you can take out. One on river right, just downstream of the second wave in the park and another on river left, downstream of the F Street Bridge.
Modifications
If you’re intimidated by the waves in the park and don’t want to get your hair wet, you can take out above the first wave on river left, where there is a nice beach, and walk down to the parking lot.
Add-ons
Keep paddling from downtown to Salida East for another couple miles of fun class I & II. A small step-up in difficulty!
- Milk Run
Put In: Johnson Village
Takeout: Fisherman’s Bridge
The so-called Milk Run might be the most commonly SUP’ed section of the Arkansas and is certainly a favorite of our BV homies! I view this section as a step-up in difficulty from the Salida Town Run because it starts with a bang. Be ready when you pull out of the eddy, because the first stretch provides a fun challenge with continuous class II action. Don’t be ashamed if you must start on your knees here; lots of folks do it. The river does mellow out, and when it does, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of Mount Princeton. Takeouts abound when you get to Fisherman’s Bridge. The AHRA access point is on river left, just past the bridge.
Modifications
Take out at RMOC on river right, grab a beer at Browns Canyon Brewing Company, and tell me about your run!
Add-ons
Keep paddling down to Ruby Mountain to extend your paddle. You’ll be treated to beautiful rock formations and two more class II rapids that are a little bit more technical than the wave trains you see at the put-in.
- Salida Whitewater Park
Put In/Takeout: Park and play in downtown Salida.
So, you have been paddling on the river a little bit and want to improve your skills in a low-consequence environment, or maybe you just can’t find a shuttle today and need to get out for some paddle strokes… Head on down to the Salida Whitewater Park. The whitewater park in Salida is one of the best places to practice your skills. Take laps on the “Office Wave” until you make it through standing. Practice your eddy turns and dial in your ferry maneuvers on the many different current lines throughout the park. Some of the best eddies to practice on are in between the top two waves in the park.
A couple things to note: Whitewater Parks have specific etiquette rules that you should familiarize yourself with. There are signs posted at the main boat ramp on river right! Also, if you come out on a summer weekend day with nice weather, expect to be sharing the river with lots of other users. Tubes, mattresses, dogs, kids, and swimmers abound.
Modifications
Pop into the Badfish Surf Shop on 1st street if you forgot anything or realized you needed some new gear while you were out on the water.
Add-ons
Try out some SUP-surfing on the Office Wave: your bracing and self-rescue will get plenty of practice!
- Upper Big Horn Sheep Canyon
Put In: Salida East
Takeout: Rincon
Just downstream of Salida, the Arkansas River enters into the Big Horn Sheep Canyon which extends all the way down to the Royal Gorge. There’s lots of great stand-up-paddling throughout the Big Horn Sheep Canyon, but I’m going to highlight the run that is my go-to after work lap. Starting from Salida East and paddling down to Rincon gives you about 7 miles of class II paddling through beautiful rock formations. Look out for a couple small arches that are visible from the river. It is not uncommon to be paddling here and to learn why it is called the Big Horn Sheep Canyon.
The most notable rapid in this section is called Bear Creek. The entrance (sometimes known as Silver Heels) to Bear Creek is a long, continuous stretch of waves and rocks that culminate in the Bear Creek rapid, which at most flows is a fun class II rapid that involves some tricky rocky-dodging. At high flows, those rocks become big wave features, and Bear Creek becomes an exciting class III rapid that I’ve seen flip a number of rafts.
Modifications
Start your run in downtown Salida to make this a full day float.
Add-ons
Make it an extremely full day by paddling all the way to Vallie Bridge and braving Tin-Cup rapid.
- Browns Canyon
Put In: Ruby Mountain
Takeout: Hecla Junction
The river section you have all been waiting for: Browns Canyon National Monument! There are a plethora of resources (and raft guides!) that can tell you all about every rapid and rock in Browns Canyon, so I’ll limit this section to the particular challenges–and joys– of paddling Browns on a Standup Paddleboard. I’ll begin by saying that Browns Canyon is a notable step-up on a SUP from all the other sections that I have written about thus far and that whitewater paddling isn’t necessarily a linear progression. Meaning, simply because you’ve paddled Salida East to Rincon doesn’t necessarily mean that the next section for you is Browns Canyon, nor does it mean that you should feel any pressure to continue to paddle more difficult water. If you’re enjoying the sections you are currently paddling, there’s nothing wrong with continuing to do so. Discovering and calibrating your comfort zone is a lifelong, personal journey.
Once you reach Browns Canyon, you are in a wilderness zone that, unlike the other sections we’ve mentioned about here, has no road running alongside it. That makes for a special, although more committing, paddling experience. Being on a SUP makes the class II boogie water before the canyon more engaging than if you were cruising down on a raft. Once you reach the Canyon Doors and Pinball, the gradient of the river (and with it the speed of the flow) increases noticeably. The rock dodging skills you’ve worked on in the Milk Run and other sections will serve you well here, but the biggest difference might be the strength of the eddies and boils here. Strong eddy turn and peel-out skills are a must for Pinball and many of the other rapids you will encounter further along.
Perhaps the most challenging individual rapid of Browns Canyon on a SUP is Zoom Flume. The steepness and strength of the waves here makes this one of the more difficult rapids on the entire river to stay on your feet for, top to bottom. Make sure you get yourself to one side or the other of Pinnacle Rock in the middle of the rapid, and scouting on river left might not be a bad idea.
My absolute favorite rapid in the Canyon to paddleboard is the Staircase. The waves here never fail to thrill me. I remember a day paddling at higher flows where, on my feet, I crested over a wave in step 5 of the Staircase and felt I might have been 15 feet tall. There is no other feeling like it, and that feeling motivates me to jump on my board again and again.
Ultimately, paddling Browns Canyon on a SUP is a long day, full of moves that require your total focus. The maneuverability and dynamism of your paddle board provides certain advantages over a raft, but you should be prepared for the physical challenges that accompany a section like this. There’s a reason Browns Canyon is one of the most commercially rafted river sections in the country, and it’s not because it’s a walk in the park. If you’re prepared for the challenges offered by the Arkansas here, you will find one of the most fun, exhilarating, and beautiful stretches of river that it is possible to SUP.
Modifications: I often start this run at RMOC or Fisherman’s Bridge for another mile-plus of fun, class II paddling.
Add-ons: Lower Browns Canyon! Below Hecla Junction, the infamous Seidel’s Suckhole and Twin Falls rapids await you… Running Lower Browns from Hecla Junction to Stone Bridge can be a great shorter (about 3.5 mile) paddle if you don’t have the time for a run on the upper part of the canyon. Seidel’s and Twin Falls, though, are just as challenging (some would say more so) as any of the rapids in the upper section.
There you have it, folks. My top 5 spots to paddleboard on the Arkansas River. If you find yourself out on any of these sections during the summer, there’s a good chance you’ll see me out there on my Rivershred. Wave me down! Say, “Hi!”, and let me know your favorite section to paddle, even if I left it off this list.