Cross Mountain Gorge
Colorado – US
- Class
- III to V
- Put-in elevation
- 5,824 Feet
- Take-out elevation
- 5,672 Feet
- Typical season
- January to January
- Author
- KSC
Current Flow
124 CFS
Gauge height: 1.54 FT
Reading from Jul 10, 2026 9:15 PM
▲ 1.58/hr (12h) ▲ 0.79/hr (24h)
Don't bother
- Primary gauge
- YAMPA RIVER NEAR MAYBELL, CO Gauge detail & alternatives Live gauge ↗ NOAA river forecast ↗
Recommended levels
| Minimum | 300 |
| Average | 2,500 |
| Maximum | 13,000 |
Recommended use
- Kayaking
- Rafting
- Canoeing
- SUP
- Packrafting
- Fishing
Struck-through craft are not recommended for this run.
Flow history — last 6 days
No gauge history recorded in the last 6 days.
Photos
No photos added for this run yet.
Description
Cross Mountain Gorge is a fun run through a beautiful desert canyon in northeastern Colorado not far from Craig. This run often attracts the attention of antsy Colorado and Utah boaters since it is one of the first decent sections in Colorado to start running in the early season, often as early as March. At low water expect mostly easy class II and III with a couple rapids in the IV- range and a stretch of flatwater on ingress and egress to the gorge. At high water, the run is big water class V with a downright impressive hole at the Osterizer rapid. Under 3000 cfs, the run is still manageable, but expect some big water class IV with a few juicier rapids at the upper end of that range.
Camping is available at the East Cross Mountain campground, which also serves as the put-in.
Rapids
No rapids added yet.
Access
| Type | Name | Elevation | Camping | Water | Boat ramp | Vehicle access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Put-In | East Cross Mountain Campground | 5,824 Feet | Yes | No | Yes | All Vehicles | Approximately 15 miles of west of Maybell, CO on US 40, turn right onto CR 85. Head north 2.5 mi and turn left at the fork, following signs to the East Cross Mountain river access (~2.5 more miles). |
| Take-Out | West Cross Mountain Public River Access | 5,672 Feet | No | No | No | All Vehicles | From the turnoff on Hwy 40 for the put-in, drive an additional 1.7 mi west on Hwy 40 and turn right onto Deerlodge Park Rd. Take this road to a picnic area by the river near the the bottom of the gorge. |
Camps
No river camps added yet.
Permit
No permit is required, or permit info hasn't been added yet.
Fishing
No fish species have been associated with this run yet.
External Links & Resources
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Community Run Notes
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