Skip to content
RiverBrain

Dolores River

Gateway to Dewey Bridge (Colorado River)

Colorado – US Utah – US

Class
III- to IV
Length
32 Mile(s)
Gradient
14 FPM
Put-in elevation
4,552 Feet
Take-out elevation
4,116 Feet
Typical season
April to July

Current Flow

12 CFS

Gauge height: 6.36 FT

Reading from Jul 10, 2026 11:00 PM

0.05/hr (12h) 0.03/hr (24h)

Too Low

Don't bother

Primary gauge
DOLORES RIVER NEAR CISCO, UT Gauge detail & alternatives Live gauge ↗ NOAA river forecast ↗

Recommended levels

Minimum900
Average2,000
Maximum5,000

Recommended use

  • Kayaking
  • Rafting
  • Canoeing
  • SUP
  • Packrafting
  • Fishing

Struck-through craft are not recommended for this run.

Flow history — last 6 days

Photos

No photos added for this run yet.

Open in full map →

Description

This last stretch of the Dolores before joining the Colorado River lives in a remote section of Colorado and Utah.  This is mainly a class II to III run with one IV rapid at the stateline.  Again the hardest part of running the Dolores is catching it when there is water.  This makes for a short season.  

The shuttle is extremely long so you may want to check into a shuttle company.

Rapids

No rapids added yet.

Access

Type Name Elevation Camping Water Boat ramp Vehicle access Description
Put-In Gateway 4,552 Feet No No Yes All Vehicles

See here for access description.

Take-Out Dewey Bridge 4,116 Feet No No Yes All Vehicles

This is a good ramp with pit toilets just down stream of the Dewey Bridge on the Colorado River.  It can get crowded here so take only 1 ramp lane and get on or off the river.

Many commercial companies use this area as well so be respectful.

Camps

No river camps added yet.

Permit

AgencyBLM Moab Office
Phone(435) 259-7012 8AM-12PM Mon-Fri
Address

Bureau of Land Management
Moab Field Office
82 East Dogwood
Moab, Utah 84532

Application deadlineJanuary 1
Permit info

A permit is required for all users boating the Dolores River in Utah (Gateway to Dewey Bridge).  For information on this 32-mile stretch, contact:

Regulations & required gear

All overnight boating parties on the Dolores River are required to use:

  • Firepans for all open fires
  • Porta-potty for human waste
  • Strainer for dishwater
  • "Scrim" material is recommended for use as "kitchen" flooring

Full permit page →

Fishing

No fish species have been associated with this run yet.

Community Run Notes

No community notes added yet.

Sign in to add a community note.