The Lake Irwin Campground and day use area, located about 9 miles west of Crested Butte, will close for the summer season on Sept. 8 and will not reopen in 2027 when the U.S. Forest Service plans a “full demolition and reconstruction of facilities,” the agency said in a recent news release. It is expected to reopen in June 2028.

“Facilities at Lake Irwin were built in the 1960s and have exceeded their useful life. The reconstruction project will update the site to meet current recreation needs and improve safety,” the release said.

Nestled at 10,200 feet in elevation with views of the Elk Mountains, Lake Irwin is a popular place for water sports, such as paddleboarding and kayaking, as well as hiking. The Forest Service plans to triple the parking capacity there and add eight new campsites, bringing the total to 40. The agency will also rebuild the roads and trails, and replace the kiosks, picnic areas and restrooms.

The Lake Irwin Campground is one of just a few near Crested Butte where spots are available to , making it prime tent and RV real estate. That’s become an important distinction in recent years, as the town has worked to cut down the number of campers in the area to what it considers a more sustainable level.

During the pandemic, Crested Butte experienced a boom in visitation, and unregulated dispersed camping , including a proliferation of dead and bare ground where there was once wild grasses and flowers, escaped campfires, and sanitation problems. That inspired the town to institute starting in 2021, meaning visitors can only set up camp where sites have been allocated for that purpose.

There are available throughout the Gunnison Valley, according to the Crested Butte Conservation Corps, a branch of the Crested Butte Mountain Biking Association that is dedicated to outdoor stewardship. The sites, which are first-come, first-served, have designated numbers, are marked by wooden posts and offer metal fire rings. Some require an overnight fee. ()

There are other established campgrounds in the area, such as the , but they are usually first-come, first-served.

The Lake Irwin day-use area, which provides access to the shores of Lake Irwin, will remain open beyond Sept. 8 of this year, though the Forest Service said there may be times when access is temporarily cordoned off, or traffic may be slowed. For the latest information, visit .

CORRECTION 1:33 p.m. on Aug. 26: An earlier version of this story erroneously said the Lake Irwin day use area would reopen in 2027. However, it will only remain open in 2026 and not be accessible to the public until 2028.

The team, dubbed Hericane Rowing, missed the record of 34 days by nearly a week.

But that contest set the stage for a remarkable achievement this month by Pfendler. The Buena Vista resident recorded the fastest time ever for a solo rower — male or female — traversing the mid-Pacific from Monterey, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Her journey across the ocean, unassisted by engine or sail, started on May 21 and concluded late on July 3. It was just day after day of backbreaking shifts on the oars, rowing in daylight and dark, negotiating big waves or praying for wind while bobbing on defiantly still waters.

According to Pfendler completed the 2,300-plus mile journey in 43 days, 18 hours and 12 minutes — half the time it took the next-fastest solo woman to complete the route six years ago. Her time was nine days faster than the men’s world record.

Pfendler is also the youngest person to make the crossing. She turned 32 toward the end of the trip, receiving a serenade from a U.S. Coast Guard ship just days shy of docking in Hawaii.

Pfendler, on her Instagram page, posted the total time of the voyage at 43 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes and 59 seconds. It’s not clear why there is a discrepancy in the listed times.

Regardless: “It’s impressive,” said Fiann Paul, the president of Ocean Rowing Society International. “Ocean rowing exposes the very end of your limits. That is how character is built.”

Pfendler didn’t respond to requests for an interview but had plenty to say about her oceanic efforts in . She prefaced each installment with the hope that she’d become “the first American woman to row solo from California to Hawaii.”

With about a week to go to reach Ala Wai Harbor in Honolulu, Pfendler seemed to recognize the momentousness of her quest — while at the same time wishing it wouldn’t end. On Day 37, she told her online audience that she was already “kind of grieving the loss of this row.”

“This is all going to be over soon, and there’s a part of me that feels so sad that that’s going to happen,” she said. “This is a part of me I don’t really get to hang out with unless I’m really doing stuff like this and pushing myself far outside my comfort zone.”

A boat called Lily

By most standards, Pfendler already operates outside the comfort zones of most people.

When a Denver Post reporter spent a couple days with her in Buena Vista in 2023, she was guiding raft trips on the Arkansas River. She also has supplemented her income with excursions on the Colorado River, taking clients through the majestic rock formations of the Grand Canyon.

Pfendler has worked ski patrol, emergency response and avalanche control at Copper Mountain. She joined the ambulance crew in Chaffee County, and she continues to work toward earning a nursing degree. Her mode of transport doubles as a home — a 1984 VW Vanagon outfitted with a diesel heater, a propane stove and a solar-powered fridge.

But water, especially the ocean, has a special calling for the upstate New York native.

“Most of my life has been spent finding new ways to be on a boat in the middle of nowhere,” Pfendler writes .

For her solo row this year, she relied on a 2019 Rannoch R25 named Lily. At 21 feet long and 5 ½ feet wide, the boat weighs about 730 pounds before anything goes on board.

Duncan Roy, a professional ocean rowing coach from England who circumnavigated Lily around Great Britain in 2020, said he was amazed by what Pfendler was able to do with his former boat.

“Kelsey’s crossing of 43 days — and the world records she broke in the process — is a clear display of her successful preparation, skill, determination, grit, seamanship and execution,” said Roy, who has rowed across the mid-Pacific and twice across the Atlantic Ocean.

Ocean rowing, he said, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most arduous challenges.

“It is a holistic monster of an expedition, demanding mastery over an overwhelming array of variables, from sleep deprivation and physical fatigue to ever-changing ocean conditions and a relentless daily routine,” Roy said.

In other words, “you cannot simply stop.”

“The moment you push off from the shore, you are entirely committed,” Roy said.

First trouble for Pfendler arrived on Day 5, when she had to hit the oars at 3 a.m. because the wind blew up and started tossing Lily around.

With a helmet affixed to her head in the event of a capsizing, Pfendler downed an energy drink, cranked up some electronic dance music and “rowed through it.”

She had gotten seven hours of sleep in the five days since leaving the California coast.

“It’s been a hard day,” she said in her video blog. “I haven’t figured out how you sleep and do this.”

But Pfendler buckled down and pushed forward. She ate the food she had stashed in Lily’s hatches, using her Jetboil stove to heat up water for instant mashed potatoes, ramen and even chana masala.

“Last but not least, I have this lemon pie treat,” she said on Day 13, when she had 500 miles already under her belt.

Pfendler’s solar-powered desalination machine, which transforms salty ocean water into potable water via reverse osmosis, is “100% a lifeline for me out here,” she said. (Her from May 27, when she lost a week’s worth of fresh water because of a loose cap on a bladder, made that clear.)

On Day 25, at the halfway mark of the journey in terms of distance, Pfendler treated herself to canned coffee.

“To celebrate, I have brought myself a latte,” she said wryly.

The next day was laundry day, with a plastic orange Home Depot bucket serving as washing machine. Five days later, Pfendler demonstrated how she scraped barnacles off the bottom of her boat without ever getting off the vessel. (She used a long string connected to two handles that she maneuvered along the hull from the boat’s deck.)

One of her teammates from the 2024 Hericane Rowing trip, Sierra Myers, said she wasn’t surprised by Pfendler’s desire to hit the waves again after their grueling journey.

“During our first crossing, she expressed her want and need to be back out in the ocean,” Myers said. “She didn’t know what that looked like, but she had a vision she worked extremely hard to make reality. If there was anyone I had to say ‘They can do it,’ it’s her.”

‘Your own hard thing’

Paul, with Ocean Rowing Society International, said comparing modern records with past generations of rowers — when boat, weather and communications technology was nothing like what is available today — can cast an undeserved shadow on the sailors of a previous era.

But that takes nothing away from what Pfendler was able to do, Paul said.

She is part of an elite class of just over 2,000 ocean rowers worldwide, he said. Men outnumber women in the sport 4-to-1, giving Pfendler a unique megaphone for the thousands of women and girls who followed her journey online.

“Every ocean row begins with a destination, human power and an identity built around intention,” Paul said. “The ocean gradually deconstructs all three until the journey becomes one of humanity’s oldest archetypal stories: the dialogue between character and faith, between what we can control and what we can’t.”

Pfendler becoming the first solo American woman to have completed the mid-Pacific passage — as well as the fastest and youngest solo rower to do so — makes her “a great ambassador for the sport,” said Roy, the rowing coach.

“Perhaps what is just as impressive as the records she’s broken is the way she’s performed at sea while sharing her story — and bringing awareness to her campaign, challenge and charities,” he said. “It����ap clear to see she thrived out there and not simply just survived it.”

Pfendler’s mid-Pacific journey raised money for the , which provides mental health services, health insurance and counseling to the Grand Canyon river guiding community.

Pfendler has been off the boat for nearly two weeks now, and her first few days back on shore were tough. Acclimating to people who wanted to congratulate her on her feat led her to briefly take refuge in a supply room — a sort of necessary harkening back to being alone on the high seas.

“I needed a moment,” she said in a video from Hawaii last week. “I’m still working through all the thoughts and feelings.”

As for what would come next, Pfendler was noncommittal, beyond saying that she would “always chase hard, scary things.” And then, looking into the camera, she gave one parting piece of advice and inspiration to her nearly 800,000 followers on Instagram.

“Go look for your own hard thing.”

Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced emergency water conservation measures and boating restrictions at both Sylvan Lake State Park in Eagle County and Rifle Gap State Park in Garfield County, according to a Monday, June 22 news release.

Both parks are located within some of the more extreme drought conditions in Colorado. According to the June 18 U.S. Drought Monitor, Eagle County and western Garfield County are experiencing exceptional drought conditions — the worst measured by the monitor.

At Sylvan Lake State Park outside of Eagle, the park’s main source and well, Zurcher Spring, has run completely dry and shows no signs of recovery due to the extreme drought conditions in the region.

A little further west in Garfield County, Rifle Gap State Park is experiencing impacts brought on by the winter’s historically low snowpack and early snowmelt. To combat this, Parks and Wildlife is reducing motorized boat launching to a single lane and has pulled all courtesy docks from the water. Access for hand-launched vessels like kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards will remain unaffected by the closure.

Read more from our partner at .

The rusted structure was barely hanging on, and its operation was time-consuming for the busy ranchers, who had to lug special tools on all-terrain vehicles and on foot to open or close the mechanism. But it seemed impossible for the tiny district to find the $6.8 million needed to replace the headgate and the rocky diversion dam that pushed water into the canal.

Then legalized sports betting came along, and, with it, millions of dollars for Colorado water projects. The tiny irrigation district, in Moffat County in the far northwest corner of the state, soon became the poster child for how gambling money is benefiting Colorado’s waterways.

The district received a $750,000 grant from the , which doles out money from sports betting tax revenue, said, sustainable food and water program director for , which helped the district land the grant. That led to a matching grant from the program. With those two grants in hand, other organizations jumped on board, and money poured in, she said.

In 2024, the Maybell Irrigation District installed a new headgate that can be opened or closed via cellphone. If a rancher is cutting hay and doesn’t need to irrigate, he can close the gates to match the amount of water he actually needs at that moment, Lane said. And the diversion structure no longer uses boulders to control the water flow. Instead, it’s a modern structure that is the right height for water control.

The project also benefited four fish species, including the threatened humpback chub, and it made river navigation easier for boaters, helping the region’s outdoor recreation economy.

“That $750,000 was really the ball that got it all rolling, that showed people, ‘Oh, this is going somewhere,'” Lane said of that initial state grant.

Since sports betting became legal in May 2020, the state has collected more than $154 million in taxes, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board has funneled $140 million to various projects that preserve and conserve Colorado’s precious water. Supporters say the gambling money is a godsend for ranchers, fishermen, paddlers and others who want to protect the state’s water and those who depend on it for their livelihoods. Critics, however, say legalized sports betting has come at a cost — fueling an addiction crisis that the state was unprepared for and is underfunding.

This is the second story in The Denver Post’s three-part series exploring the impact of legalized sports betting in Colorado, including the billions spent on wagers, rising addiction rates, and the impact on athletes and the games they play.

Erin Karney Spaur, executive vice president of the , said she reminds her family members and friends who bet on sports that every time they place a wager, they are helping ranchers like those in Maybell access precious water.

“It����ap exponentially more than we could ever imagine,” she said of sports betting’s impact on ranches and water. “Coloradans like to gamble on sports, and water is the beneficiary.”

‘That’s our ticket’

In 2015, the Colorado Water Conservation Board — at the behest of then-Gov. John Hickenlooper — released a report on how to best conserve and protect the state’s water.

“It made a lot of plans. It set a bit of policy, and it identified two big funding needs,” said , director of western water for the .

The board determined at the time that Colorado needed $100 million per year for projects to improve river and stream health and restoration, to replace the agricultural industry’s aging irrigation systems and to conserve as much water as possible.

“The 2015 water plan put up that price tag and then continued on its merry way,” he said.

But the money wasn’t there.

A consortium of groups with interests in the state’s waterways — including environmental, agricultural and recreational organizations — began meeting to figure out how to fund the water plan. They considered various tax schemes, such as asking the state to put a levy on bottled water or rental cars. But none of their ideas came with an easy path to voter approval — something necessary to raise statewide taxes in Colorado.

“We sat around a table for over a year and a half trying to figure out how to do this, and there were no good options,” Jackson said.

Then, in 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a ruling that offered the answer to funding water projects in Colorado: . That decision overturned the , paving the way for states to legalize sports betting.

“I said, ‘That’s it. That’s our ticket,’ ” Jackson said.

Jackson thought Colorado voters would be sympathetic to the state’s water crisis, caused by decades of drought and climate change. They also wagered that a tax on sports betting would be easier for voters to digest because it would only be paid by those who chose to gamble; if someone didn’t want to pay the tax, then they didn’t have to participate, he said.

The legislature agreed to put it on the 2019 ballot, and voters approved with 51% in favor. The bill established a 10% tax on sports betting companies’ revenue.

“Water certainly pushed it over,” Jackson said.

Sports betting was slated to open in Colorado on May 1, 2020. But the big date was a false start. The COVID-19 pandemic hobbled betting like a quarterback with a bum knee.

“Sports betting was legal, and there were no sports,” Jackson said. “And I thought to myself, ‘What the hell did we just do?’ ”

Gross sports betting revenue in Colorado was $2.6 million, with 25% of wagers placed on table tennis. Tax revenue was just $96,544.

But that freeze on sports did not last, and the gambling money began flowing as rapidly as Clear Creek during the early summer snowmelt.

The revenue stream

Colorado leaders soon realized sports betting was far more lucrative for tax revenues than had been predicted. In the first six years of legalized sports betting, the has reported record-setting figures each year.

“It����ap been hugely successful,” said Drew Peternell, Colorado state director at . “Revenues from sports betting have greatly exceeded any expectations when these mechanisms were put in place.”

By May 2021, when sports betting in Colorado hit its first anniversary, monthly tax revenue hit $635,640 — more than five times what sports wagering had brought in during the same month just a year prior, according to data from the Department of Revenue.

In its most recent report on sports-betting taxes, the department reported it collected $4.4 million in April. The news releases often tout the success of sports betting and the benefits it brings to state waterways. They also include links to , the state’s website for problem gambling resources.

The April tax revenue was 28% more than the amount collected in April 2025, and taxes collected for the current fiscal year through April were at $40.7 million, up 35% over the same period last year.

Thus far, the largest single-month record for tax revenue came in January when the state collected $5 million from $57.8 million in revenue. Coloradans bet $630.2 million, with $119 million wagered on professional football in a month when the Broncos made a run to the conference championship game.

Proposition DD’s 10% tax on net proceeds from sports betting means casinos and companies doing business in Colorado pay the tax after they pay out winning bets and federal taxes.

But the Colorado General Assembly placed a $29 million-a-year cap on sports betting tax revenue when it approved Proposition DD for the statewide ballot. If the state collected more than $29 million each year, the overage was to be refunded to the casinos and licensed gaming companies.

Proposition DD also determined how sports betting proceeds were to be divvied up between programs, with water projects receiving 93% of the tax revenue.

The first projection estimated that sports betting would generate about $16 million annually and that water projects would receive $14.9 million.

Six percent of the tax revenue, or an estimated $960,000, would be set aside in a special fund that would be distributed to Colorado’s three casino cities and other entities that received gaming revenue if they could prove that the new sports betting market caused them to lose money due to decreased bets on traditional gambling and horse racing.

So far, no one has tapped that fund.

Problem gambling would receive just $130,000 annually for establishing a crisis hotline and training for gambling addiction counselors. That amount was increased to $2.5 million annually in 2023.

The Post interviewed seven people whose agencies receive sports betting tax revenue, but only one — Jackson — said they bet on sports themselves. And only one person, who did not want their family’s story to be told publicly, said they sometimes were bothered by the addiction problem because a loved one had died by suicide after gambling away his money.

The tax revenue proved so lucrative that water proponents returned to the legislature to ask for another statewide ballot. This time, which voters approved in 2024, eliminated the $29 million cap, meaning casinos and licensed sports betting companies can no longer receive refunds. And more money will pour into the water conservation fund.

In 2025, water proponents returned to the revenue well again.

This time, they asked the General Assembly to eliminate a clause that had allowed sports betting companies to use their free bet promotions as tax write-offs.

In those promotions, DraftKings, FanDuel and others lure prospective gamblers by offering “free bonus bets” when users apply a promo code advertised on television.

During the NFL’s wild card playoff weekend between Jan. 10 and 12, for example, FanDuel offered a promotion in which bettors would receive $300 when they placed a $5 bet on a game. In the past, FanDuel would have been allowed to write that $300 off as a tax deduction.

But starting in January, that tax deduction was no longer allowed, which means FanDuel and other companies doing business in Colorado pay even more in taxes.

For years, the sports betting companies had argued that losing the tax deduction would force them to pull back on those offers and lead to fewer players, Jackson said. But Colorado watched other states that did not offer similar tax deductions and realized those promotions were still available to gamblers.

“It’s still the primary marketing scheme,” Jackson said. “Colorado was very much an outlier in allowing the deduction.”

Colorado’s water woes

As the planet’s temperature rises, Colorado’s rivers and streams become more threatened by drought.

Last year was for Colorado after the state marked its 10th-warmest year out of 130 years of data, according to the at .  It was the 51st driest year on record, and a swath of northwestern Colorado fell into exceptional drought — the most dire category recorded by the .

And 2026 has brought even hotter and drier weather, with the winter being the warmest on record and snowpack at its lowest levels since records started being kept in 1941.

While drought dries up lakes, rivers and streams, it also impacts almost every person living in Colorado. People live with a shortage of drinking water supplies, irrigation becomes trickier for ranchers, rivers dry up for rafters and fishermen, fish and wildlife struggle, and manufacturers must cope with less water.

Less water also boosts the state’s risk for devastating wildfires and can cause insect infestations or forest diseases to spread.

“Climate change is water change in Colorado, and we need every resource we can to put towards building a more resilient future,” said Lauren Ris, the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s director.

The conservation board intends to help Coloradans address all of those issues with the  through the state’s water plan.

“It primarily focuses on water supply, not water quality,” Ris said.

Projects awarded money during the most recent grant cycle in September included:

• to build a new water storage facility at the Jurgens Reservoir in Weld County that will increase the Lower Latham Reservoir Company’s irrigation supply
• to Adams 12 Five Star Schools to evaluate 54 irrigation systems across 475 acres of irrigated landscape and develop a water conservation plan for the district
• for a Colorado River conservation exhibit at the Confluence Center of Colorado in Mesa County

The water board employs a team of regional grant managers who live and work in the areas they serve. They become familiar with their region’s needs and help decide which projects are worth funding, said Jeannine Shaw, the grants section chief at the water board.

The more organizations applying for a grant together, the more competitive the application becomes, she said. And all of the grants awarded require the applicants to find matching funds, doubling the amount of money available.

And, as more money is spent on sports betting, Colorado can expand its outreach to all four corners of this parched state.

“The difference that makes on the ground is pretty incredible,” Ris said.

In the San Luis Valley, ranchers have long spread water over their grasslands when temperatures start to freeze to create a sheet of ice over the vegetation. As the ice slowly melts during the spring thaw, it seeps into the ground, recharging the water table. It also helps revegetate retired farmland and creates a habitat for wintering birds and wildlife, said Fay Hartman, conservation director for the southwest region of .

In September 2025, American Rivers received a $199,761 grant funded by sports betting to study how the winter ice sheet practice actually benefits the environment. The grant will provide the money for a groundwater study so scientists can collect data by placing groundwater wells at the near Saguache. American Rivers secured $145,956 in matching funds.

There just wasn’t good data on the benefits of creating the winter sheet ice, Shaw said. Different groups wanted to quantify what happens so they would be better informed about the practice and find ways to improve it.

The project, named Frozen Assets, demonstrates the water conservation board’s desire to support innovative ideas for Colorado’s water management, Ris said.

“We’re really able to test some of these theories and use this funding where there is not a whole lot of other opportunity out there to really test some concepts and pilot some things that could have pretty big benefits,” Ris said.

So far, Ris and others who are working to solve Colorado’s water woes believe sports betting revenue is the lifebuoy the state needs to start solving the crisis. It’s not enough, they said, but it’s charting the right course as the state responds to increasing drought, floods and wildfires worsened by climate change.

“We’re thrilled,” she said. “What we really needed was a steady funding stream for water projects, and that����ap what this proved to be.”

READ PART 3 NEXT: Sports betting is changing the game for Colorado’s fans and athletes as big money adds new pressures

They had not found the man by 8 p.m., and their efforts had switched from rescue to recovery.

“We’ll keep searching as long as we can, but we do switch from rescue operation to recovery operation,”  said Berthoud Fire Division Chief Andrew Kuiken, adding that the first hour of a rescue is the most critical.

A person recreating at the lake called for help after seeing “a man in the water who appeared to be in distress,” according to a release from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The man was near a kayak and not wearing a personal flotation device.

An off-duty Loveland Fire Rescue Authority firefighter, who was in the area, began searching for the man and was soon joined by Larimer County rangers, the Berthoud Fire Protection District, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The team located the kayak but not the man, according to the release.

Storms from earlier in the day had mostly cleared when crews were on scene. Kuiken was not able to say what caused the incident or if it was weather-related.

Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies spoke to witnesses around the area who saw the man in the water, he added.

The 911 call came in at 5:09 p.m., and the first crew, Larimer County rangers, arrived at the south end of the lake within 12 minutes, according to Larimer County Public Information Officer Kate Kimble.

Berthoud fire took the lead in the initial rescue response. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office took over the recovery around 7 p.m., Kuiken said, but added that crews from each department would continue to assist.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Marine recovery team was joining the effort Thursday night with the search continuing as resources and conditions allowed.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said the identity of the paddleboarder and cause of death would be released at a later time.

The paddleboarder went missing in the water near Satanka Cove and Poudre Fire Authority responded to the scene just before 4:15 p.m. Sunday, according to a .

The rescue turned into a recovery Sunday evening, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office press release on stated. Drones, boats and sonar were used to search the area around Satanka Cove, the press release stated, adding that the paddleboarder was not wearing a personal floatation device.

Larimer County Parks, Poudre Fire Authority, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Larimer County Dive Rescue Team responded to the scene Sunday, the press release also stated.

River surfing is just that: riding a surfboard on a wave in a river. One big difference between ocean surfing and river surfing is that on the river, the surfer rides up and down the same (usually manmade) wave, unlike in the ocean where new sets are constantly rolling in and taking the surfer closer to the beach.

“Many people who have participated in board sports take to it naturally, but those who have no experience at all have a lot of fun learning,” said Brian DeFouw, general manager of Confluence Kayak & Ski in Denver. “Once you have the correct gear and safety equipment, you can pretty much just jump into learning. There are almost always other river surfers in the designated parks who you can watch, and the community is very friendly and willing to give advice and instruction.”

While river surfers don’t have to paddle out to catch a wave like ocean surfers do, they do have to learn how to stand on the board as it moves unpredictably on top of the water, and then get safely back out of the river on the banks.

“Unlike ocean surfing, you don’t need to fight the current to get to the break. Once you are there, you take turns so there is no competition for the wave,” said DeFouw. “River waves change with the amount of water in the river, but are very consistent and never-ending, so there is enough wave for everyone.”

For river surfing, you’ll want a helmet and a wetsuit (even if you see some very experienced and hardy river surfers who might forgo this equipment). A PFD (personal flotation device) is also necessary when practicing. A release leash should also come with a surfboard.

“The cost to enter the sport is relatively low compared to the cost of entering other sports like biking or kayaking,” DeFouw said. “The gear requirements are low and the learning curve is fairly rapid.”

Since there is a difference between ocean and river surfboards, it����ap not recommended that you try a paddleboard or ocean surfboard on the river. Instead, you’ll need a thicker board designed to handle banging into river rocks.

Beginner river surfers should aim for a spot with rentals and possibly a lesson before jumping into the first whitewater park they can find. Here are several places in Colorado to try this summer (free other than the rental and lesson costs), and you may not need to leave the city to go river surfing:

• Buena Vista River Park is on the Arkansas River and below the aptly-named Surf Hotel. The Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center has half-day and deluxe surf lessons that include all of the equipment needed. CKS River Supply in Buena Vista rents the whole package of board, wetsuit, PFD and helmet, but they don’t have lessons. Plan to come over Memorial Day weekend in May one year during CKS Paddlefest, when you can see experts compete in kayaking and river surfing.
• Salida Whitewater Park on the Arkansas River, several miles downstream from Buena Vista, is home to what many consider the state’s best river waves. There are four engineered whitewater features for kayakers, paddle boarders, surfers and even body boards. River surfers compete here during the annual FIBArk Festival each June. The Badfish Surf Shop in Salida, about a block from the Scout Wave, is known for its river surf boards and you can demo one here (bring your own wetsuit and helmet) and talk to experts. Totally Tubular also has river surfboards (and the helmets and wetsuits) to rent.
• Montrose Water Sports Park makes use of the Uncompahgre River that flows alongside River Bottom Park and is considered one of the largest of its type in the state. There are six drop points that give river surfers a variety of waves to try out. Montrose Surf + Cycle offers a river surf rental package or a river surf one-on-one lesson that includes all the gear.

• 

  In Denver, you can rent the gear from Confluence Kayaks (this includes the board, helmet, PFD, and leash) and it will provide in-store instruction, but not on the water. The staff doesn’t recommend the waves in nearby Confluence Park, but instead suggests River Run Park, which is upstream on the South Platte River near the Broken Tee Golf Course. There are four wave options, and beginners can start at “Chiclets.”

• Glenwood Springs Whitewater Activity Area on the Colorado River offers a manmade “G-wave” or standing wave that will change with the latest flow, giving recreationists a variety of wave experiences. This area is also popular with kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and other boaters, and there are often spectators gathered on the rocks to watch the action on the water. Glenwoodrec.com has a live webcam on the wave, too. Adventure Outdoors has river surfboards for rent here. After a day on the wave, surfers can soak at either Iron Mountain Hot Springs where pools overlook the Colorado River or the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort pool.
• Poudre River Whitewater Park is in Fort Collins and provides a place to play for tubers, kayakers, stand-up paddle boarding and river surfing, depending on the current flow. On the Edge Tuning has river surfboards, helmets, and PFDs for rent, but you’ll need to bring your wetsuit.
• Downtown Pueblo is home to the Pueblo Whitewater Park on the Arkansas River, which has more than one feature to surf, depending on the current river flow. The Edge Ski Paddle and Pack has surfboards and other gear for rental here, but not lessons.

For more information on all of these locations, go to endlesswaves.net, where you can find detailed descriptions of the waves and links to live camera feeds on the wave parks.

Other resources:

• The Facebook group Colorado River Surfers is open to the public to join, and is updated regularly with river surfing tips.
• Colorado Surf Supply offers a Colorado Surf Map with more than two dozen surf spots on its website, as well as locally made surfboards for sale.

“Although it is challenging and thrilling to surf a standing wave, there is a low risk factor compared to other sports,” DeFouw said. “The addition of manmade standing waves has increased the opportunity for people to get in the water without traveling long distances, and since you start and stop in the same place, you don’t need a shuttle like other river activities. Plus, it’s a great way to beat the summer heat!”

Nonstop flights to surprising surf locales

Maybe you’ve perfected your surf stance on the river and are ready for the ocean? Although Hawaii and California are the predictable places to go to from Denver for a surf trip, there are a few other surprising locales that also have nonstop flights and options for surfing.

Costa Rica: Denver businessman Rich Naha is the co-founder of Surf Synergy, an all-inclusive surf camp in Jaco (fly direct to San Jose on United or Southwest Airlines, then it����ap about a 90-minute drive from the airport). Guests receive one-on-one surf instruction in the water throughout the week, along with yoga and breathwork classes at the resort. They’ve partnered with Vail Health to host “longevity and wellness” retreats. This will be warm-water surfing in a bathing suit and light rash guard.

Ireland: Yes, it����ap an island! There are direct flights on Aer Lingus from Denver to Dublin, and from there you’ll need transportation to one of many surf spots, which can be selected based on your experience. Beginners might like Long Line Surf School in the gentle waves at Benone Beach in Northern Ireland, whereas surfers ready for the big waves can go to County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland, where bigger waves are found, along with inclusive retreats. Either way, you’ll be wearing a wetsuit!

Wisconsin: Direct flights on Southwest or United will get travelers to Milwaukee, then it����ap about a one-hour drive to Sheboygan to try freshwater surfing on Lake Michigan. Sheboygan calls itself the “freshwater surfing capital of the world.” EOS Surf & Outdoor has rentals and equipment for surfers, which includes wetsuits for the chilly water. Winter is considered a better time for this sport here as the waves are bigger during this season.

The man was with two others on the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir when a storm rolled in at 1 p.m. Friday and blew the group into the water, in a news release.

The park is near the community of Lake George off of U.S. 24, about 40 miles west of Colorado Springs.

One person was wearing a life jacket and was able to swim to shore, and rangers rescued a second paddleboarder who was wearing a life jacket and tethered to a board.

The man’s body was recovered by late Friday after an 11-hour search, state officials said. He was not wearing a life jacket.

“CPW strongly encourages recreationists to wear a life jacket while boating, kayaking, paddleboarding and swimming in Colorado,” state officials said in a news release.

“Weather conditions can change quickly at the park with sudden, strong wind gusts, and visitors are encouraged to check weather forecasts before heading outdoors.”

The Park County coroner’s office will release the man’s name.

With the heat comes a burst of desire to head to a river, creek or lake to seek relief. But waterways across the state — flush with recently melted snowpack — are often still a bone-chilling 45 degrees or so.

Fall in, jump in or get tossed in, and things can turn deadly serious in a flash, said Todd Miner, a retired senior instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“You get in that cold water, and it’s really tough to stay in control,” he said. “People don’t recognize how debilitating that can be.”

Add to the cold a formidable current, and chances for serious accidents — even fatal ones — only multiply. Stand up in the creek, and expect to get your foot wedged and pinned in between rocks on the creek bed, said Capt. Harold Osborn with .

“A lot of times, (people) don’t understand the flow dynamics of the river,” he said.

Osborn was one of 15 members of the practicing water rescues on a roaring Clear Creek last week west of Golden. The 150-member organization, now in its 30th year and made up of emergency officials from nine local fire departments, performs specialized rescues in Denver’s northern suburbs, including rope rescues, confined space rescues, trench rescues and collapse rescues.

On Wednesday, the focus was water rescue training in Clear Creek Canyon. A rescuer was tethered to the shore or was free swimming across a raging current, then grabbing hold of a free-floating “victim” and pulling them back to land. Lt. Jacob Charney, with North Metro Fire Rescue, was in charge.

“Because the water’s so high, we do the training in the spring,” he said, wearing a dry suit and helmet as a bloated Clear Creek rushed past. “It’s the most difficult conditions because of the velocity of the water.”

Less than two weeks ago, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office closed the creek through downtown Golden to belly boats, inner tubes and single-chambered rafts — as well as body surfing and swimming — until water levels subside. People on kayaks, river boards, whitewater canoes and multi-chambered, professionally guided rafts can still ride the creek.

The closure comes after three years of particularly deadly water activity in Colorado. More than 30 people died on the state’s waterways and water bodies last year. There were 32 deaths in 2023 and a record 42 fatalities in 2022, according to an unofficial tally kept by .

This year, so far, has been a departure from that deadly record. As of Friday, the state had seen eight deaths recorded in 2025, according to news releases from CPW.

In comparison, by the first few days of June last year, there had already been a dozen deaths on Colorado waters.

“We are not on the same pace as last year, and that is fantastic news,” CPW spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose said.

She credits the drop in water deaths to a cooler and wetter May, with Memorial Day weekend almost a total washout.

“When it rains, people are less likely to be out on the water,” Van Hoose said.

This year’s deaths in Colorado waters have largely been on lakes, rather than rivers. The incidents began in late February with the discovery of the body of a 65-year-old fisherman who had fallen through the ice at Cherry Creek Reservoir. In mid-April, the body of a man who fell from a canoe was .

Last month, a fisherman using a bellyboat — a small, inflatable tube — got caught in strong wind gusts at Steamboat Lake State Park and drowned, authorities said. He was not wearing a life jacket. In the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, a popular rafting and kayaking spot near Buena Vista, a .

Another four deaths have occurred at Lake Pueblo State Park, including . In most of the Lake Pueblo deaths, the victim did not wear a life jacket.

“Any water can be deadly if you’re not wearing a life jacket,” Van Hoose said.

Employees at Golden River Sports hand out life jackets and helmets to all customers who rent their tubes. But Jon Baskin, who has worked seasonally at the tube and kayak rental store in downtown Golden for five years and was a raft guide for a decade, sees many on Clear Creek not wearing protective gear.

“I see people without PFDs,” he said, referring to personal flotation devices. “Clear Creek on a weekend day is like a carnival — there are hundreds and hundreds of tubes. But it’s still a wild river, it’s not like the lazy river at Elitch’s.”

Golden has taken measures in recent years to control, and even restrict, the crowds that mob the waterway near downtown Vanover Park on warm, sunny days. The city places daily limits on the number of tubes the two concessionaires in town can rent to the public. It also embeds radio frequency identification tags in tubes to track their usage.

Last year, Golden discussed the introduction of a reservation system, like the timed-entry system used at Rocky Mountain National Park. It has not yet put in place such a system to control access to the creek.

Whether 2025’s less-deadly trend on Colorado’s waters continues into July and beyond, CPW’s Van Hoose said, will ultimately come down to individual behavior and precautions taken.

“We hope we continue to see good numbers — but it’s up to the people,” she said.

Here are eight of the most famous and not-to-be-missed stretches of whitewater that Colorado has to offer.

Yampa and Green River

Inside Dinosaur National Monument are two riverways — the Yampa and the Green — that wind through an area of archeological phenomena, fossils, and indigenous rock petroglyphs.

“For multi-day river trips, the Gates of Ladore [section] on the Green River and the Yampa River are both outstanding, in Dinosaur National Monument, and have cultural history. The two different trips finish at the same place,” says Sean Sorrin, a Colorado-based professional river guide who’s been guiding for 29 seasons. He’s worked on 100 rivers worldwide from Colorado to Ethiopia, guided for OARS for 13 years, and guides part-time on the Arkansas River for River Runners.

“The scenery for both trips is outstanding, and the geology is opposite despite both being in Dinosaur National Monument and so close together,” said Sorrin. “The Yampa trip is through younger canyon walls, of weaver sandstone, that����ap lighter in color. The Gates of Ladore canyon walls are older, dark red rocks that contrast with the ponderosa pines,” he explained. For both sections, river runners see the Mitten Park Fault, a fault line where the rocks shoot vertically versus horizontally.

Rafting along the Green River through the Gates of Lodore Canyon takes explorers along a segment of the original exploration route followed in 1869 by pioneer and geologist John Wesley Powell.

“When I guided the Gates of Ladore, I read from Powell’s journal nightly for guests. His descriptions and writings were detailed and poetic from his first voyage through The Great Unknown,’ a blank area in the United States map, that Powell was mapping,” said Sorrin.

Paddlers can soak up the stars among unique geological formations and sandy stretches. Since 2019, the monument has been among the Centennial State’s International Dark Sky-designated destinations.

The Yampa is also the last free-flowing major tributary of the Colorado River. “It����ap not dam-controlled, so the flows are what Mother Nature gives, which is typically a shorter season: May, June, and sometimes July,” said Sorrin.

Royal Gorge

The Royal Gorge is one of the Centennial State’s most popular attractions and is home to one of the world’s highest suspension bridges, which stretches across the gorge. The bridge — 1,270 feet across and 956 feet above the water — was constructed in 1929.

The plummeting canyon walls wind for 10 miles, creating a channel in the earth that was formed over millions of years. Outside of Canyon City and near Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the Gorge feels like the middle of nowhere, yet is easily accessible.

One of the most famous ways to experience the canyon and bridge is to ride the rapids below: an adventurous rodeo across class III-IV rapids.

Bighorn Sheep Canyon

To extend your whitewater season, head to the Arkansas River Valley, where flows can continue into mid-August.

Running the Bighorn offers a family-friendly and mellow day on the whitewater through a gorgeous high-desert landscape.

The Rocky Mountain landscape, a section of the Arkansas River, is home to Bighorn Sheep. These sheep have curled horns that can weigh up to 30 pounds alone.

Eastbound between Salida and Canyon City, the river’s rapids range from Bear Creek to Spider, Badger Creek (all class II-III), and The Flume (class III-IV).

Browns Canyon

Dynamic granite walls stretch above the Arkansas River like a castle’s watchtowers: Both paddlers and anglers alike gawk skyward in appreciation of the geological glory of Browns Canyon.

President Obama designated Browns Canyon National Monument in February 2015. The Arkansas River valley has 21,586 acres of pristine canyons, rivers, and forest.

The stars and dark sky are pristine. “Browns Canyon is one of the newest International Dark Sky Park designated places, and you can do an overnight trip on that section through the canyon,” said Sorrin. In December 2024, Browns Canyon National Monument became the Centennial State’s 18th certified International Dark Sky Place and 12th International Dark Sky Park.

The iconic rapids along this lifeline include Zoom Flume, Big Drop and Toilet Bowl, and range from class II-III.

The Monument encompasses nearly 12,000 acres of the San Isabel National Forest and 10,000 acres of BLM land. From Buena Vista to Salida, the canyon elevation ranges from 7,300 to 10,000 feet and features views of the snow-capped Sawatch Range.

The Numbers

Yee-haw! It����ap time for an adventure: Class IV-V rapids await these paddlers. The Numbers is named for its consecutive game of rapids in rapid-fire, one right after the other.

Also along the Arkansas River, rafters can’t go wrong with the stunning views — when they earn a break to look up at the paradise.

Animas River

In Colorado’s Southwest, the Animas is famous for its technical Class IV and V rapids, some of the country’s most challenging commercially rafted segments.

If you’ve never been to Durango, the mining town’s history and charm are stunning, as is the river that snakes through it.

Cache la Poudre River

Beyond its challenging rapids, the Cache la Poudre River is Colorado’s first and sole federally designated National Wild and Scenic River. It is an incredible piece of history meant to stand the test of time.

“If you’re visiting northern Colorado, the Poudre is phenomenal, and it����ap so close to Rocky Mountain National Park,” said Sorrin.

When is Colorado’s whitewater rafting season?

Colorado’s rivers are fed by snowmelt, which moves down slope from the snow that accumulates throughout winter at the top of our high-altitude Rocky Mountains. As the spring season delivers gradually warmer temperatures and sunshine, the snow runoff increasingly funnels down and feeds into the whitewater flow.

Generally, the window to run whitewater rafting trips in Colorado is from May to September, from spring to summer and fall. Occasionally, trips can run as early as April. Once September hits, the first sprinkle (or storm) of snow usually arrives.

However, several factors play into the conditions on a river trip. The snow season, weather, water flow and visitation are all pieces of the pie.

The consistency of warm days affects how quickly the river flow increases. If the air temperatures oscillate, then the flow will rollercoaster to reflect it. Alternatively, if there is a huge sunny spell (coupled with no additional rain), then the water levels will initially be consistently high with the snowmelt and then begin to drop.

Water measurement

Water level measurement is based on CFS units, or cubic feet per second. The Arkansas River, for example, runs at an average of 2000 CFS, but can be run at a minimum of 200 CFS and a maximum of 7000 CFS.

Due to the shape of a canyon, the water can be channeled, and a river can still be runnable at a lower CFS.

Water temperatures

Water temperatures can range from 30 degrees and above during the early rafting season to about 55 degrees in late rafting season.

Fortunately, the wetsuits, personal flotation devices, and booties help hold body heat and keep paddlers warm.

Rafting class system, explained

Most kid-friendly white water rafting trips fall within Class I-II. Here’s a general guideline of the classification of rapids, according to author :

• Class I: Easy, slower water with light riffles.
• Class II: Moderate, medium-quick water with regular waves and space to move through obstacles like rocks.
• Class III: Moderately difficult, quicker sections of water with higher waves. The space between obstacles is narrower and difficult to maneuver.
• Class IV: Difficult, quick flow with powerful rapids and standing waves with advanced paddling required. Sections of rapids need scouting before you run them.
• Class V: Extremely difficult with long, severe rapids with steep drops.
• Class VI: Extraordinarily difficult with constant danger—thus, requires the highest level of expert paddling experience and every safety precaution must be implemented.