Royal Gorge River Conditions
The Arkansas River at the top of the Gorge, read live from the USGS gauge at Parkdale.
The river right now
Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO
242 cfs
Gauge height 2.23 ft
Low water
Under 500 cfs. Rocks show, lines get technical and guides pick their way through. Trips still run; the ride is precise rather than big.
Reading taken Fri, Sep 25, 1:45 AM MT. Source: USGS gauge 07094500.
What the number means
Cubic feet per second, as the river guides read it
Low water
Under 500 cfs. Rocks show, lines get technical and guides pick their way through. Trips still run; the ride is precise rather than big.
Medium water
Between 500 and 2,000 cfs. The range most groups find ideal.
High water
Over 2,000 cfs. Bigger waves and faster water; age minimums can rise at high water.
Low water on the Arkansas in 2026
2026 followed a winter that left Colorado snowpacks at record lows, and the statewide news said so. The same reporting also said the season would go ahead. On May 22 The Colorado Sun wrote that the Arkansas River rafting season will happen, with fewer paddlers on smaller boats, and that lower sections of the river with more water, like the Royal Gorge, would see more traffic.
The Royal Gorge sits at the lower end of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, the stretch from Leadville to Canon City where about 45 outfitters run trips. The best way to know what the river is doing on the day you plan to go is the gauge above, and the outfitter you book with.