Colorado is all about the Rocky Mountains, and everyone knows it. While the range stretches south into Mexico, and north through Canada, Colorado is graced with Rocky Mountain National Park - and a host of well known ski resorts taking advantage of the Rocky Mountain high. All that snow has to go somewhere in summer! It flows down either side of the Continental Divide running along the spine of the young mountain peaks, in nearly every direction. To the north: North Platte. To the South: Dolores River. To the west: Gunnison River and Colorado River. To the east: Arkansas River.
On the western slopes of the Rockies you'll find the nursing headwaters for three white water rafting rivers in Colorado: the Gunnison River though Black Canyon, the Dolores River near Durango, and the Colorado River which is only a gentle float before picking up momentum from the other two. The Gunnison is a fun and scenic whitewater churn through Black Canyon National Park joining the Colorado in Grand Junction. The Dolores River is a multi-day jaunt through high elevation red rock country, toward Moab, Utah where it joins the Colorado River.
On the eastern slope of the Colorado Rockies, flow the North Platte River and the Arkansas River through Browns Canyon. More accessible to nearby population centers and well known winter and summer resorts like Aspen and Vail, the Arkansas River is Colorado's most popular day trip and multi-day white water river. The North Platte is on the opposite end of the spectrum as far as crowds and untouched wilderness river rafting in Colorado.
