North Platte Through Northgate Canyon
Location: From north-central Colorado to south-central Wyoming (about 165 miles northwest of Denver).
Length of trip: 11 miles in three to four hours.
Season: Mid-May to mid-July, depending on the snowpack and weather. The water flow usually peaks in May and again in June.
Weather: Warm, dry summers average 72¡F during the day. Mornings and evenings can be chilly, with the temperature dipping down to 45¡ at night. There may be mosquitoes, so bring insect repellent.
Lodging: Campsites on sandy beaches, in steep-walled canyons, on gravel bars, and in groves of trees.
Boats: Kayaks, oar boats, paddle rafts.
Rapids: Class III, with one Class IV rapid. Clear, chilly water.
Special features:
- A premier white-water adventure through a steep, forested alpine canyon.
- Some of the finest wilderness rafting in the Colorado-Wyoming Rockies.
- A quarter-mile hike up from the river at the take-out point.
- Superior trout fishing (brown, cutthroat, rainbow).
- Wildflowers from April through August.
- Swimming in summer.
- Lovely autumn colors.
- Mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, beavers, ducks, geese, great blue herons, golden eagles, bald eagles.
- Wilderness solitude.
- Suitable for experienced river runners, including teenagers and seniors in good physical condition.
Nearby excursions:
- Saratoga Hot Springs, a natural hot-springs pool near the take-out point.
- Indian Wickiup, a sacred hut where medicine men prayed, in Walden.
- North Park Sand Dunes.
- Medicine Bow National Forest.
- Poudre Canyon Scenic Byway (Highway 14).
For a list of outfitters:
- The Parks Ranger District, Medicine Bow Route National Forest, P.O. Box 158, Walden, Colorado 80480; +1 970 723 8204, fax +1 970 723 4610. Try to book at least four to five weeks in advance.
For a list of outfitters and more information:
- Wyoming Division of Tourism, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002; +1 307 777 7777 or 800 225 5996 (recorded information), fax +1 307 777 6904. Try to book at least four to five weeks in advance.
For more information:
- Colorado Travel and Tourism Authority, P.O. Box 22005, Denver, Colorado 80222; +1 303 296 3384 or 800 265 6723.
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