3,400 cfs Join the waitlist

Cataract Canyon

Big drops, bigger walls.

The river

Cataract is the Colorado's big-drop stretch — you run the flat through Canyonlands, then the walls close and the river drops.

The beta

length   100 mi
class    III–IV
season   May–Jul
gauge    check before you go

How to run it

The Big Drops come after days of flat water, so stay sharp. High snowmelt makes them huge; low water makes them technical. Either way, scout.