Visiting The Colorado River

The Colorado River is a nearly 1,500 mile long river that begins in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains and passes through 7 states (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California) and 11 National Parks and Monuments. The river remains, for the most part, undammed until Lake Powell making it a wild and unpredictable force to be reckoned with. This river provides drinking water, epic whitewater rafting, irrigation, produces power, supports plant and animal life and so much more.

The Colorado River is a very important part of life and recreation in Utah. The Colorado River provides nearly 30% of the water usage in Utah. This river plays an intricate role in “slickrock country” and the formation of many intricate canyons and formations in Moab, Canyonlands, and Lake Powell.

This river hosts some of the best white water rapids and rafting in the country, a lot of which is here in Utah. The Green River and the Colorado River meet in Canyonlands at Cataract Canyon. This canyon gets its name from the dangerous rapids in the area. The two rivers make up one of the most remote regions of the United States, the fourth district (the rivers) of the Canyonlands.