Saint Vrain, North Fork (North Saint Vrain)
Apple Valley
Colorado – US
- Class
- II to II+
- Typical season
- May to July
- Author
- Peter Holcombe
Current Flow
36 CFS
Gauge height: 0.46 FT
Reading from Jul 10, 2026 9:45 PM
● 0.00/hr (12h) ● 0.00/hr (24h)
Don't bother
- Primary gauge
- NORTH SAINT VRAIN CREEK BELOW BUTTONROCK Gauge detail & alternatives Live gauge ↗
Recommended levels
| Minimum | 200 |
| Average | 325 |
| Maximum | 1,000 |
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
The Apple Valley run is a nice class II-II+ float from the Apple Valley Bridge just West of Lyons on CO-36 to Meadows Park in Lyons.
There are several fun surf waves. The flow is continous and there are quite a few fun rapids and drops, including the man-made drops through town.
Post fall 2013 flood, this run offers up an eye-opening float through the middle of one of the hardest hit areas in the state, including several previously-beautiful houses that were totally washed off of their foundations and/or mangled. There are also more sharp/blasted rocks and (non-river-wide) strainers than before, so it is not a suitable run for complete beginners.
One 4 foot drop in the middle section (right before the mini-canyon section and town) has hard-to-avoid piton rock(s) right at the base of the drop--you'll see rooster tails at the base of the drop indicating the rocks--it seemed like staying as far left as possible may be the best option to not take a bit of a hit.
All in all, a very pleasant, fast-flowing after-work float through beautiful country with enough whitewater to keep things interesting and maybe flip an experienced paddler without a solid brace, and several opportunities to surf. This ranks one step easier than Boulder Creek town run, to compare to similarly classed runs in the area.
Rapids
No rapids added yet.
Access
| Type | Name | Elevation | Camping | Water | Boat ramp | Vehicle access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Put-In | Apple Valley Bridge | — | No | No | No | All Vehicles | Look for the fancy bridge with the semi circular arch supports, a few miles up Highway 36, before the canyon narrows. Put in on the upstream side of the bridge. |
| Take-Out | BB Hole | — | No | No | No | All Vehicles | Nice parking lot and river access at the park'n'play holes across from the Big Bear Inn. Various other take-outs are possible upstream and downstream. |
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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