Roaring Fork River

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title: "Roaring Fork River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-pitkin-county,-colorado", "rivers-of-eagle-county,-colorado", "rivers-of-garfield-county,-colorado", "glenwood-springs,-colorado", "rivers-of-colorado", "roaring-fork-valley", "tributaries-of-the-colorado-river-in-colorado"] description: "Tributary" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-pitkin-county-colorado" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Fork_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Tributary ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Roaring Fork River
image	Roaring Fork River from the Dolores Stutsman Bridge 2.JPG
image_caption	Looking upstream from a bridge in Pitkin County (2025)
map	Roaring Fork Colorado basin map.png
map_caption	Map of the Roaring Fork River
subdivision_type1	Country
subdivision_name1	United States
subdivision_type2	State
subdivision_name2	Colorado
length	70 mi
discharge1_location	mouth
discharge1_min	180 cuft/s
discharge1_avg	1206 cuft/s
discharge1_max	13000 cuft/s
source1	Independence Lake
source1_location	White River National Forest, Pitkin County
source1_coordinates
source1_elevation	12490 ft
mouth	Colorado River
mouth_location	Glenwood Springs, Garfield County
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation	5718 ft
basin_size	1453 sqmi
tributaries_left	Independence Creek
Lincoln Creek
Difficult Creek
McFarlane Creek
Castle Creek
Maroon Creek
Owl Creek
Brush Creek
Snowmass Creek
Sopris Creek
Crystal River
Fourmile Creek
Threemile Creek
tributaries_right	Lost Man Creek
Coleman Creek
Ptarmigan Creek
Hunter Creek
Woody Creek
Fryingpan River
Crystal Spring Creek
Cattle Creek
::

::callout[type=note] For the stream in Tennessee see Roaring Fork (Great Smoky Mountains) ::

| name = Roaring Fork River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = Roaring Fork River from the Dolores Stutsman Bridge 2.JPG | image_caption = Looking upstream from a bridge in Pitkin County (2025) | map = Roaring Fork Colorado basin map.png | map_size = | map_caption = Map of the Roaring Fork River | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Colorado | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 70 mi | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= mouth | discharge1_min = 180 cuft/s | discharge1_avg = 1206 cuft/s | discharge1_max = 13000 cuft/s | source1 = Independence Lake | source1_location = White River National Forest, Pitkin County | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 12490 ft | mouth = Colorado River | mouth_location = Glenwood Springs, Garfield County | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 5718 ft | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 1453 sqmi | tributaries_left = Independence Creek Lincoln Creek Difficult Creek McFarlane Creek Castle Creek Maroon Creek Owl Creek Brush Creek Snowmass Creek Sopris Creek Crystal River Fourmile Creek Threemile Creek | tributaries_right = Lost Man Creek Coleman Creek Ptarmigan Creek Hunter Creek Woody Creek Fryingpan River Crystal Spring Creek Cattle Creek

| custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = The Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 mi long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or Roaring Fork Watershed, which includes the resort city of Aspen and the resorts of Aspen/Snowmass.

Course

The river rises in the Sawatch Range in eastern Pitkin County, on the west side of Independence Pass on the continental divide. It flows northwest past Aspen, Woody Creek, and Snowmass. It receives the Fryingpan River at Basalt, and, 1.5 mi below Carbondale, it receives the Crystal River from the south. It joins the Colorado in Glenwood Springs. The entire area that drains into the Roaring Fork River is known as the Roaring Fork Watershed. This area is 1451 sqmi and about the same size as the state of Rhode Island. The river flows through canyons along most of its route.

Recreation

The river is popular among fishermen, rafters, and kayakers. There are several boat launches and other river access sites along its lower stretches, including one operated jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and Pitkin County Open Space called the Wingo Junction River Access, located between Basalt and Snowmass. It offers a concrete boat ramp and parking. The river is divided into its upper and lower sections at Carbondale, where the Crystal River has its confluence. The upper river is unnavigable until late May each year.

Rafting and kayaking

The Roaring Fork is a swift, deep, powerful river with very clear water. It is navigable by small craft throughout most of its length to its confluence with the Colorado. The mean annual flow is 1206 cuft/s.

The river is a popular destination for whitewater rafting. Many visitors choose to use the services of an outfitter for rafting and kayaking. Outfitters offer guided rafting trips down the river, which includes some Class I-III rapids. They also rent rafts and kayaks. Standup paddleboarding and tubing are also popular, especially later in the summer when the weather is warmer and the river clearer.

Fishing

The river offers public fishing sites along much of its course. Anglers fish for brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and whitefish. Two sections of the river have earned the "gold medal" fishing designation.

Transbasin diversion

Some of the water from the river and its tributaries is diverted and transported east across the continental divide. The Independence Pass Transmountain Diversion System conveys water from the river and several tributaries to Grizzly Reservoir and from there transfers it through a tunnel to North Fork Lake Creek, above Twin Lakes, Colorado. From there it is distributed to the cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs for municipal use and to farmers and ranchers along the Arkansas River east of Pueblo for irrigation.

Conservation

The Roaring Fork Conservancy is the watershed conservation organization for the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries. Among its activities, the organization acquires and holds conservation easements along the river, which prevent development and help preserve the river's natural state.

References

References

1. {{cite gnis
2. . (n.d.). ["Wingo Junction River Access"](https://www.blm.gov/visit/wingo-junction-river-access).
3. Harrell, Eben. (May 12, 2004). "Reading the Roaring Fork". The Aspen Times.
4. (1905–2011). "USGS Gage #09085000 on the Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs, CO". U.S. Geological Survey.
5. . (n.d.). ["Roaring Fork River: What To Expect"](https://www.raftdefiance.com/blog/roaring-fork-river-what-to-expect).
6. . (2025). ["Colorado & Roaring Fork River rafting & kayaking"](https://visitglenwood.com/things-to-do/colorado-river/). *Glenwood Springs, Colorado*.
7. . (n.d.). ["Twin Lakes Diversion (Roaring Fork River)"](https://www.roaringfork.org/your-watershed/watershed-facts/transmountain-diversions/twin-lakes-diversion/). *Roaring Fork Conservancy*.
8. Condon, Scott. (August 26, 2012). "The unknown story of the Roaring Fork headwaters". The Aspen Times.
9. Abbott, P. O.. (1985). "Description of water-systems operations in the Arkansas River Basin, Colorado". U.S. Geological Survey.
10. . ["Conservation Easements"](https://www.roaringfork.org/your-watershed/riparian-land-conservation/conservation-easements/).

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::