an Adventure of a Lifetime

By Staff
waterhead.com
October 12, 2011

The mighty Colorado River, with a length of 1,450 miles, is situated in the south western region of the United States of America, and flows through sections of north western Mexico and the Gulf of California. Exploring the Colorado River is a must for waterheads, who will get to experience the thrill of riding the 13 miles of wild water rapids. This exciting form of entertainment is available for visitors from Class I to Class III skill levels, and a professional guide is there to accompany you, to make sure that the event is one that is unforgettable.

Exploring the Colorado River is a favorite for many thousands of visitors who find it extremely exhilarating to explore what is known as one of the icons of westward adventures in the United States. Although North American cities are well organized in today’s modern times to attract visitors, there are many tourists who still find rivers, a memorable experience.

Another, less rocky, bumpy way travel the river, and one which is a lot faster as well, involves a very speedy jet boat, that takes you along the river at speeds of up to about 20 miles per hour. Using this mode of travel takes about half a day, is very comfortable, and allows you to see many sights along the way, such as centuries-old dinosaur tracks, and ancient Native American drawings, to name but a few. This is a fun, educational way for waterheads to experience exploring the Colorado River.

History lovers too will enjoy the Colorado River, and can visit the site where Doc Holliday sat thinking about the O.K. Corral while staring out at the river, and see the place where he was buried as well, which is quite near to the banks of the river, in Glenwood Springs. Even before Doc Holliday though, the Ute Indians for generations, used to fertilize their crops with the rich silt that the river produced.

When you begin your trip, you will find yourself at a spectacular 9,010 feet, west of the Continental Divide, where the 1,450 mile long expedition begins. Your journey, will take you through the red stone arches in Utah, along the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Nevada’s Hoover Dam, as well as the fertile farmlands of California, before it finally reaches the Pacific Ocean on the coast of Mexico.

In Colorado, at the river’s headwaters, it rolls along, twisting and turning for many miles, until it arrives at the first of many dams along the way, the Grand Lake, an unspoiled reservoir in the mountains. Wild birds such as hawks, elk bugle, and many others are found here, and the forests are popular with hikers, who enjoy wandering through the many picturesque woodland trails.

The Colorado River flows into Granby Lake further downhill, a favourite during the warmer months of the year for waterheads who enjoy sailing and other types of water activities, as well as those out for a picnic, or simply to wander around and take in the scenic beauty of the area. Winter time on the other hand, finds the area filled with snowboarders and skiers, who come to take full advantage of the abundance of snow in the area.

Both Grand Lake and Granby Lake are situated along Trail Ridge Road Scenic and Historic Byway, the highest continuously paved roadway in North America, which follows the river in a westerly direction, through the Rocky Mountain National Park. You will find while exploring the Colorado River, that after snaking its way through mind-boggling canyon lands, it will arrive in Glenwood Springs, a historic town where the Roaring Fork River flows into it. This town has been a commercial center ever since Doc Holliday was buried here, and was a favorite place for Teddy Roosevelt to enjoy his summer vacations too. These days though, Glenwood Springs has a steady flow of visitors who come from far and wide with the idea of exploring the Colorado River, enjoy the hot springs, the largest in the State of Colorado.

As you travel down the river, you will pass through Grand Junction, where high peaks seem to be reaching for the sky, and apricot trees and vineyards thrive in the dark, rich earth, with the mountain as their backdrop. Just outside of Grand Junction, the red cliff canyons that make up the Grand Valley seem to part, as if to make space for the broad waters of the mighty Colorado River.

Just as a matter of interest, Colorado in Spanish, means “colored red” due to the red silt that is disturbed in places along the way, and gives its waters a red tinge. Through the centuries, erosion from the waters activity has resulted in spectacular stone formations along its route, many of which can be seen in some of the regions national parks. Those exploring the Colorado River, waterheads, as well as the many visitors that come to the parks, will find many accommodation options available at all times of the year.

Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States most breath-taking parks, and is where some of these magnificent geologic formations, which have been structured over millions of years by water erosion, can be found all along the river. Apart from seeing these formations while exploring the Colorado River, the National Park can be accessed by road via two other points, namely the South Rim, and the North Rim.

There are several other National Parks that you will pass through while exploring the Colorado, such as Canyonlands National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and many smaller parks as well, each of them with their own specific scenery and attractions. Visitors to these parks, especially waterheads, will love floating down the canyons in a canoe or kayak, and see first-hand while exploring the Colorado River, the result of the magnificent stone formations along the way.

Exploring the Colorado River is an unforgettable experience for millions of visitors – from its modest beginnings as a small clear-water creek in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, to the magnificent, roaring river it eventually ends up to be in the Grand Canyon.