Colorado River
From its headwaters at Poudre Pass, the Colorado River runs 1,440 miles southwest.
Guide Sections
Use Colorado River's guide sections to understand how this stop fits into the larger park plan.
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Colorado River Details
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
Region
West Side
From its headwaters at Poudre Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Colorado River runs 1,440 miles southwest to the Gulf of California. You can literally stand astride the river at its source, but downstream the Colorado grows up to 300 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Fed by snowmelt from the mountains, the river carves deep into the earth at the Grand Canyon and provides water to seven states.