Paddling through 1000-foot deep canyons, alpine forests, heart pounding whitewater and then stopping at soothing hot springs while you experience a true Rocky Mountain jewel in the Piedra River. We run three trips on the Piedra River: the Upper Box (an intermediate adventure), the Lower Box (an advanced adventure) and the Two Day which runs the Upper Box on the first day and the Lower Box on the second day after a night of catered camping in a beautiful alpine wilderness.
The intermediate Upper Box of the Piedra River starts off at the headwaters as a small creek with many technical class II splashes (lots of maneuvering around rocks) that serve as a warm up at the start of your day. Along your journey the river is joined by tributaries (creeks), which add significant water volume to the river. As the volume increases you will move into class III "wet and fun"rapids and your trip concludes with the big drops of two stair step Class IV rapids taking you over drops of 4ft by 3ft then 2 ft into a pool of calm water.
The Piedra's Lower Box holds some of the biggest drops we run on any river. The gradient of the river increases from an average of 53 feet per mile to 100 feet per mile in the heart of the Lower Box. This incredible pristine wilderness is unsurpassed for undisturbed wilderness boating and river rafting.
The 2-Day trip on the Piedra River is particularly magical as we put in on the Upper Box and then bump and grind our way through technical rapids as we watch creek after creek cascading into the river. The river proceeds to grow and grow into a raging torrent by the second day. Bear and elk are often spotted along the banks and if we are really lucky, they are forging the river in front of us. Fresh water otter can also be found playing in the fresh mountain waters of the Piedra River. "Piedra" is the Spanish word for rock, named by the conquistadors Dominguez and Escalante. "The River of the Stone Wall" lives up to its name with towering granite walls and a boulder-strewn riverbed.
Both sections of the Piedra River (the upper & lower boxes) are part of the most highly restricted and regulated river in Colorado. So Reserve your seats early...or hope for a cancellation.
Upper Piedra River
Lower Piedra River
Piedra River Trip Options
2 Day Trip: Combine the Upper and Lower Box's of the Piedra River for a trip that cannot be beat in beauty, excitement and adventure! Click here for more info.
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