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Below are various ideas from local paddlers for popular Colorado runs, listed under their general river class ratings. Ratings can be very subjective, so know your skill level, current flow, and the hazards on the river. As always, consider your level of skill, paddling partners, safety gear, weather conditions, and knowledge of the run prior to getting on the river. Be safe, have fun, SYOTR.

Click here for discussion and background of this list from the CK Forum.
Click on the pictures below to see a video of that style of class run.

Intro Class II-III Beginner Runs:
- Greenway Nature Run in Pueblo (Ark)
- Deckers/Chutes (S. Platte)
- Milk Run (Ark)
- Filter Plant (Poudre)
- Pumphouse (Colorado)
- Grizzly (Colorado)
- State Bridge (Colorado)
- Lower Eagle
- Lower NSV (Saint Vrain, "Apple Valley")
- Cemetery (Roaring Fork)

Basic Class III:
- Parkdale (low water, gets big at higher flows)
- Lower Blue (to ~1000, portage dams)
- Boulder Creek (town run)
- Golden Play Park (S. Platte)
- Salida & Buena Vista Play Parks
- Canon City Play Park
- Pueblo Play Park
- Lyons Play Park
- Rincon - Valley Bridge (except 7/15-5/15)
- Lower Foxton (below the normal take out to
      the confluence)

Solid Class III:
- Shoshone (Colorado)
- Lower Blue (Over 1200)
- Bridges (Poudre, below ~ 3’)
- Frog Rock/House Rock (Ark),
   aka Narrows (below Fractions)
- Brown’s (Ark)   video
- Middle Eagle (below the Chute to Avon)
- Foxton w/o Boulder Garden (NF of S. Platte)
- Lower Mishawaka (Poudre)
- Lower Clear Creek from the first tunnel down
- Upper Foxton w/Boulder Garden (NF of S. Platte)


Tougher Class III+ (-IV high flows):
- Westwater (Colorado)
- Fractions (Ark)
- Upper Blue
- Waterton (S. Platte)  video
- Lower Elk
- Upper Rustic (Poudre)
- Gore Creek
- 11 Mile Canyon (walking all the V's)
- Edwards Mile (Eagle)


Intro Class IV:
- Pineview (Poudre)
- Royal Gorge (Ark)
- Lower Clear Creek (S. Platte)
- Slaughterhouse
- Upper Mishawaka (Poudre)
- Lower Rustic (Poudre)
- Numbers (from #6 Down)

Solid Class IV:
- Royal Gorge (Ark ~1,000-2,000)
- Alto Alto (S. Platte)
- Bailey (S. Platte) - (if you walk Four Falls,
       Super Max, and Deer Creek)
- Boulder Canyon (above the park)
- Dowd Chute (Eagle)
- Numbers (Ark)
- Granite (Ark)
- Upper Clear Creek (S. Platte)
- Dumont (Clear Creek, high water IV+)

Tougher IV+ / -V:
- Gore (Colorado)
   if you walk Gore rapid and maybe Tunnel)
- Bailey (S. Platte)
   if you walk the top 1/2 of Supermax)
- Pine Creek (Ark <1000)
- Royal Gorge (Ark >2000)
- Middle Narrows (Poudre)

Intro Class V:
- Gore (Colorado)
   (running the sneak at Tunnel and walk Gore)
- Bailey (S. Platte)
- Gillman Gorge (Eagle)
- Blackrock (Clear Creek)
- Lower Narrows (Poudre)
- Clear Creek of the Ark (Arkansas)
- Grape Creek (Arkansas)
- Upper Tenmile (Colorado)
- Upper Animas (San Juan)

Solid Class V:
- Lake Creek (Ark)
- Escalante (Gunnison)
- Embudo
- North Fork Crystal
- West Fork Clear Creek
- The Source
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Oh Be Joyful
- Daisy
- South Saint Vrain

Tougher Class V:
- Vallecito
- Meat Grinder
- Cyrstal Gorge
- Yule Creek
- Cheeseman
- Big South
- Stupid Falls (aka Locals Only)