Packing Guide
Yampa River Rafting
Weather & Rapids Info
Yampa River Rafting
Weather in the Yampa River Canyon
This Week’s Forecast
Elk Springs (Closest town to Put-In)Average Rainfall
(Referenced from Dinosaur National Monument)
March: 0.7 inches
April: 0.9 inches
May: 1.0 inches
June: 0.8 inches
July: 0.8 inches
August: 0.8 inches
September: 1.1 inches
Canyons tend to make their own weather patterns, so always, always, always bring rain gear! Even if these numbers seem underwhelming.
Rapids & Water Levels on the Yampa River
Average Water Levels
During the rafting season from May to July, the Yampa’s water levels typically range between 1,000 – 12,000 CFS. Higher flows usually start in May and trickle down into July. The Yampa’s flows can widely fluctuate however, given it is completely dependent on snowmelt and weather patterns.
CFS stands for “cubic feet per second.” One cubic foot is about the size of a basketball. So if the Yampa is flowing at 1,000 CFS, imagine standing on the side of the river, watching 1,000 basketballs bounce past you every second.
If you’d like to explore the Yampa River’s water levels from a variety of timespans, visit this page of USGS.
Rapids
If your trip occurs during a period of high flows, you can expect multiple class IV and V rapids with class III mixed in. High flows can be considered 7,000+ CFS.
If your trip is during a period of low flow, you can still expect big drop class III and IV rapids. Low flows can be considered below 3,000 CFS.
For trips taking place with medium flow rate, expect a mix of both, naturally! Between 3,000 and 7,000 CFS.