02. Ouray to KOA campground

This section of the Uncompahgre River is a short, sweet, and stacked spring run that is among the best whitewater in the state. While the Uncompahgre river and surrounding scenery are beautiful, keep in mind the river bed is far uglier, taking on a shallow and sharp nature so be sure to be on your A-game. Also be sure to scout for wood beforehand and watch out for sharp, jagged metal as it is also known to be part of the run. Keep in mind that above 1000 CFS, the run kicks up and turns to solid class V+, becoming very continuous and eddies become far and few between. Below 1000 CFS, the run is far more manageable and enjoyable. The crux rapid of the run, s-turn, is about 1/4 mile downstream from the put-in and can be scouted from the highway. To make the run longer and give yourself a warm-up for the Uncompahgre proper, you can put in at the end of the road to the Box Canyon Motel in Ouray which will add a couple of miles of class III/IV boating. The put-in is located at the big beige bridge just below Ouray and the takeout is just over 2 miles downstream where county road 23 crosses the river near the KOA campground.