A few years ago I found this book or rather a 60 page pamphlet written almost 40 years ago by Earl Perry, a past Park Ranger for Dinosaur National Park: . $3.95. Well, it was 1978.

Of course, during 40 years, a lot has changed including river access and water conditions, but this book still gives you some great ideas where to paddle in Colorado. River descriptions are combined with geological, historical, environmental, and practical information such as a river navigation and Colorado water law.

It is a great read even if do not run rivers. I like to browse through old river guidebooks to see what has changed and what hasn’t. Old junk cars along shores of the South Platte River haven’t.

The book covers the 10 definitive canoe and sea kayak trips in Colorado:

• 1. South Platte near Greeley
• 2. Yampa near Craig
• 3. Colorado, Horsethief and Ruby Canyon
• 4, Gunnison below Delta
• 5. Colorado near Rifle
• 6. Arkansas near Florence
• 7. Animas above and below Durango
• 8. South Platte through Denver
• 9. Rio Grande near Creede
• 10. Dolores above Gateway

The book is difficult to find, but used copies appear time to time on Amazon: Rivers of Colorado: Ten Easy River Trips in the Mountains, Canyons, and Plains of Colorado

Related posts:

• Gunnison River from Delta to Redlands, April 2002
• Colorado River: Loma to Westwater – Horsethief and Ruby Canyons, March 2001
• Colorado River – Palisade-Fruita-Westwater, April 2003