Park and Play Boating
Salida Playpark
Arkansas River, Salida, Colorado
Location: The whitewater park is located
in the town of Salida. Please see our map for directions. Our map is downloadable
in pdf format and we have a map that can be loaded onto a Garmin GPS.
At low to medium flows the upper hole is more of a poor-over and the lower holes is awesome. The lower hole is great for beginners to expert boaters. The hole is great for loops and is backed up by a bunch of flat water for recovery. At the lower flows, there is even a sand beach for those paddlers that may have kids or just like the feel of sand on bare feet. With views of Mt. Princeton in the background, a town park, this playpark is fun!
At high water, around 1,500 cfs and up, the lower hole washes out and the upper hole can be hard to stay in. If you can, it might be the best ride you every had. At high water you may also get washed down below the return eddy and have to walk back up. This can be frustrating after a while. The wave is best for flat spins and surfing. Swapping ends and sticking the wave is tuff.