# Dolores River Access



## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

I don’t know if anyone has answered the question already. So I apologize in advance if it’s a dead horse. But I’m curious how unrealistic it is to float the Dolores anymore? It’s a river I have never been on but have always wanted too. Most post or stories I hear are for fully rigged rafts or trips saying access is 2-3 weeks on a good year if that. I know the water issues in the west have played a big role to it’s access. Just curious if it’s possible to do with smaller craft for a longer season? Or even at all? Any info, stories, advice is appreciated.


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## Bootboy (Aug 25, 2020)

It’s runnable at decent flows (>1,000 cfs) about once every 5 years in a larger boat. If you can get 300cfs, it can be done in an alpacka. I floated Slick Rock to Bedrock in 2017 and 2019 in my alpacka and we saw plenty of 12-14’ rigs. When it does flow it gets crowded and camping is very limited with the lack of maintenance in the consecutive “off” years. 

YMMV


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

All you have to do is watch the water in McPhee Reservoir and there has to be a big enough snow pack for them to be able to fill the reservoir to the top and then still feel like there is enough snow pack left to allow them to open the dam and let enough water (800+ cfs) down for rafting and be able to fill it back up with water again before a runoff is complete. Basically with the last few years we’ve had it ain’t gonna happen for a while. Since 2001 I’ve done it four times but three of them have been since 2016.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

I ran it for the first time in 2019 in early May from Gypsum Valley to Bedrock. It was under 200 cfs from just local low level snowmelt, I believe. Maybe a foot deep at the put in. Just solo duckied it cuz I had no idea if it would be a low water shitshow or not. No problems though. It’s very channelized through there. I’d hit it at 100 cfs without a second thought (YMMV, as well.) Didn’t see another soul on the river the entire trip. So that might give you some low water hope anyway.

Bring some pruning shears and a small saw and spend some time bringing death to campsite tamarisk each night. It’s kinda fun and does some good.

I remember the guidebook river map being pretty overly optimistic on the campsites it listed, too. Not allot of spots that aren’t overgrown.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

griz said:


> I ran it for the first time in 2019 in early May from Gypsum Valley to Bedrock. It was under 200 cfs from just local low level snowmelt, I believe. Maybe a foot deep at the put in. Just solo duckied it cuz I had no idea if it would be a low water shitshow or not. No problems though. It’s very channelized through there. I’d hit it at 100 cfs without a second thought (YMMV, as well.) Didn’t see another soul on the river the entire trip. So that might give you some low water hope anyway.
> 
> Bring some pruning shears and a small saw and spend some time bringing death to campsite tamarisk each night. It’s kinda fun and does some good.
> 
> View attachment 71692


To be honest, that sounds like a blast, but wasn’t sure if it was a pipe dream or not. To be able to go that low on a minimalistic trip like that sounds like a blast. You just got me exited.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

westwatercuban said:


> To be honest, that sounds like a blast, but wasn’t sure if it was a pipe dream or not. To be able to go that low on a minimalistic trip like that sounds like a blast. You just got me exited.


Yeah, good times. Only other tip is if you do the slickrock put in then make sure you know where it is. The one above the bridge was all gated off with no trespassing signs. I believe the actual private land with a fee put in now is were I added the red boat launch pin, river left and downstream of the bridge. Zero folks around, no vehicles, no signage I saw from the road,no cell or data coverage when I went and didn’t want to trespass down a private road. Hopefully, someone more dialed in will confirm and add to this but just be sure you know before you go. Like I said, no cell or data once there to figure it out.


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## theusualsuspect (Apr 11, 2014)

That looks right. Last time I went from Bradfield to Slickrock so we took out there. The shuttle company left our vehicles there by that outbuilding, maybe it was the same people who owned the property, I don't know. The dirt road from the river back up to that building was pretty rutted out but the eddy there to pull out was actually pretty nice. The coordinates for my takeout in 2019 at Slickrock were Lat: 38.033852 Lon: -108.887574 just for any future reference!

Edit: I will say that trip is amazing. That is a "drop everything & go" situation for me. Unless there is a lot of snow and late season rain I'd say next year is a no go with as low as the reservoir is.


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

On a typical year the flow from the dam is between 50 and 100 CFS.

as mentioned before it is awesome to be able to go trample down our public lands and chop your way into a campsite with clippers! On my first trip in 2001 there was quite a few campsites back then but things get overgrown quickly. In 2016 it had not been run for a while and we did quite a bit of clipping.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

The best part of the Dolores IMHO, that I have run, is Bradfield to Splitrock. Lots of great rapids and allright camps and the Ponderosa gorge is beautiful. You can bypass the paid takeout/put in at Slickrock by going the Gypsum Valley....but it'll add some decent mileage (or reduce it if you are doing the Slickrock to Bedrock section. The most popular section is Slickrock to Bedrock and especially Slickrock Canyon. I'd recommend finding a camp by 2pm at the latest otherwise you have a big risk of basically having to find a barely passable camping spot. One time we camped in a field of brambles because it was the only flat spot we had seen that wasn't taken and we were like 2 miles form the takeout. Another time we passed like 10-12 camps that were taken and it was getting dark....so we just tied up the boats next to some rocks that looked like they were flat enough for a sleeping pad and a basic kitchen and most of use slept on our rafts. Some nice camps in there...but they get taken fast. Also...expect the ramps at Bedrock to be pretty congested. Slickrock to Bedrock is mostly flatwater but goes through a very pretty and tight canyon so its very popular and can get crowded...especially around Coyote Creek (there are at least 10 camps in the vicinity it feels like). If this river is running...there will be plenty of people down there. Congestion gets better after Bedrock. I haven't run past there...but it sounds like its worth it.

All this assumes that it runs. The Dolores Water Conservancy is very covetous of their water and barely takes recreational users or river ecology into account. They will only release water if the dam is forecasted to literally overflow if they don't let water through the dam. They will only release enough to mitigate overtopping. It may or may not be at flows that are beneficial to boaters. They have been better about it during recent the most recent releases...but the releases may not happen when they promise or to the level or as long as they say they will.


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## dpwater (Aug 2, 2011)

It can be years or longer between boatable releases from the dam. The property North of the Slick Rock bridge has a for sale sign as well as no trespassing. They charge to park and put in at the private river access South of the bridge. There's not a good eddy there either, but that could depend on water levels. 

There was no snow on the ground at 9K feet until last night. Looks like about an inch. It's so dry you can dig down six feet and there's no moisture. Any snow / rain will likely just go into the ground and not run off next year.

It's a huge economic boom for the small communities there when it does run. Finding a balance between river health, recreational use, and irrigation priorities needs more consideration.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

All of this is great information. Thank you guys! As some have stated I know the flows are directly related to the dam release. It's crazy to think about all the factors related to the flows. but with the dam, I imagine this river would be dry 90% of the time due to the water moving freely. What's the longest Dolores trip people have taken? Has anyone gone below the damn (highest put in, I believe is Bradfield launch) all the way to Moab??


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Very doable to go all the way to the Confluence with the Colorado and many do when a release happens. The San Miguel comes in a ways below Bedrock and adds some flow too. 

There are runs upstream of McPhee as well. Mostly a locals run but I'm sure it's worth doing and it's a free flowing river up there so should be runnable most years. 

Unless weather changes significantly... I think the runs below the dam are unlikely to run in 2022.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> All of this is great information. Thank you guys! As some have stated I know the flows are directly related to the dam release. It's crazy to think about all the factors related to the flows. but with the dam, I imagine this river would be dry 90% of the time due to the water moving freely. What's the longest Dolores trip people have taken? Has anyone gone below the damn (highest put in, I believe is Bradfield launch) all the way to Moab??


Back in 1995, we made from bradfield bridge to bedrock a 6-day trip, if I recall correctly the water level was around 3,000 CFS. The biggest features on the river were snaggletooth, and the rapid directly below it that runs you into the wall.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> Very doable to go all the way to the Confluence with the Colorado and many do when a release happens. The San Miguel comes in a ways below Bedrock and adds some flow too.
> 
> There are runs upstream of McPhee as well. Mostly a locals run but I'm sure it's worth doing and it's a free flowing river up there so should be runnable most years.
> 
> Unless weather changes significantly... I think the runs below the dam are unlikely to run in 2022.


I agree with you. I don't see it being runnable for some years. Especially with how little snowpack all of colorado has. we need a few good years in a row before I see it ever happening.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

We are not off to a good start this year...We need a miracle..


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## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Me and Billycrack went from Bradfield to Gateway one time. Took a leisurely 10 days and were planning on going to Moab but the weather turned to shit. Huddling under the bridge at gateway like trolls waiting for my bud to pick us up in a snowstorm…. Priceless. If it flows I must go. We will need a hell of a winter to make it flow. Supposedly 2 to 3 feet of snow up high between now and Saturday and another next week. Think snow everyone


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## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Yeah, that one that tries to run you into the wall scares me more than snag. There’s a shelf there that you can get wedged under. Major no bueno. Stay left.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

jamesthomas said:


> Yeah, that one that tries to run you into the wall scares me more than snag. There’s a shelf there that you can get wedged under. Major no bueno. Stay left.


I did, and was thankful. The river runs right into it...


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

jamesthomas said:


> Me and Billycrack went from Bradfield to Gateway one time. Took a leisurely 10 days and were planning on going to Moab but the weather turned to shit. Huddling under the bridge at gateway like trolls waiting for my bud to pick us up in a snowstorm…. Priceless. If it flows I must go. We will need a hell of a winter to make it flow. Supposedly 2 to 3 feet of snow up high between now and Saturday and another next week. Think snow everyone


Gotta love Colorado weather am I right? Lol winter boating sounds like a blast too. Been thinking of doing some winter overnight trips.




jamesthomas said:


> Yeah, that one that tries to run you into the wall scares me more than snag. There’s a shelf there that you can get wedged under. Major no bueno. Stay left.


The river is an unforgivable force, that makes beautiful scenery..one must respect to enjoy..

thanks for the info, greatly appropriated 🤙🏻


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## agrankin (Aug 31, 2017)

Rig to Flip, I think, did a great documentary on the Dolores (available on YouTube), the flows and issues around the agriculture and Indian water rights. Also some great videos of trips all the way down the confluence to the Colorado. Definitely went down that rabbit hole. If you buy the River Maps map of the Dolores, I think a portion goes to supporting recreational flows -- a pipe dream, I am sure. It is definitely on my wish list.


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## Bleugrass (Feb 5, 2018)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> There are runs upstream of McPhee as well. Mostly a locals run but I'm sure it's worth doing and it's a free flowing river up there so should be runnable most years.


Last spring I floated the last four or five miles of the Dolores above the reservoir. Put in just past the national forest boundary, take out in the first big park in town. Pretty big water, lots of splashy fun. Wouldn't plan a trip around it but if you're in the area with an afternoon to kill it's well worth your time.


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

Bleugrass said:


> Last spring I floated the last four or five miles of the Dolores above the reservoir. Put in just past the national forest boundary, take out in the first big park in town. Pretty big water, lots of splashy fun. Wouldn't plan a trip around it but if you're in the area with an afternoon to kill it's well worth your time.


I have run that section also and agree there is some fun to be had. We went all the way through town to the reservoir and took out on a little access road on river/lake left but it was almost full and they opened the dam the next day. This was in 2016 and I was the 2nd boat to launch from Bradfield that year.


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## Bleugrass (Feb 5, 2018)

mkashzg said:


> I have run that section also and agree there is some fun to be had. We went all the way through town to the reservoir and took out on a little access road on river/lake left but it was almost full and they opened the dam the next day. This was in 2016 and I was the 2nd boat to launch from Bradfield that year.


That sounds like fun. Maybe one of these days it'll be full again but... it sure wasn't in 2021.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Bleugrass said:


> That sounds like fun. Maybe one of these days it'll be full again but... it sure wasn't in 2021.
> 
> View attachment 71761


The same issue with blue mesa...the river pretty much went to the middle bridge..


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

agrankin said:


> Rig to Flip, I think, did a great documentary on the Dolores (available on YouTube), the flows and issues around the agriculture and Indian water rights. Also some great videos of trips all the way down the confluence to the Colorado. Definitely went down that rabbit hole. If you buy the River Maps map of the Dolores, I think a portion goes to supporting recreational flows -- a pipe dream, I am sure. It is definitely on my wish list.


Just finished watching that documentary. Thank you for pointing me in that direction, it was very educational and learned quite a bit from it.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

westwatercuban said:


> The same issue with blue mesa...the river pretty much went to the middle bridge..


 Yes, but glen canyon damn pumped out the volts.. Small price to pay so the AZ folk can have A/C, right?


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

MNichols said:


> Yes, but glen canyon damn pumped out the volts.. Small price to pay so the AZ folk can have A/C, right?


Oh don't get me started......lolololololol I can go off about some bullshit ideas we have had as a civilization for the "Grater good" when it all truly was just an agenda for fat wads of money..


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## BOBBY'S SHORTS (May 6, 2021)

westwatercuban said:


> We are not off to a good start this year...We need a miracle..
> View attachment 71703


We are in a better spot than we were this time last year, but as we know, that isn't saying very much.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

BOBBY'S SHORTS said:


> We are in a better spot than we were this time last year, but as we know, that isn't saying very much.


Are you sure? After that decent snow storm we had back in December doesn’t seem like we are doing better..or getting anymore..unless I’m missing something? I am praying (not religious but I’m desperate..) we get a 2019 WY dump.


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## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Snotel reports show most of Colorado rivers are at about 100 percent of normal for this time with the notable exception of the ark. Those percentages will start falling real soon if we don’t get more storms. Think snow everyone.


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