Cruise with Colorado Whitewater (CW)
Please register for the cruise if you would like to attend. For all cruises, please have some experience running the class of whitewater that is listed with each cruise. If you have any questions about the skill level required for the cruise you wish to attend, please contact the cruise leader (Lorraine Bruteig), or send an email to cruises@coloradowhitewater.org.
See full list of cruises and wavier information here.
As events get closer Lorraine will reach out to those who have shown interest and confirm details of the activity.
A CW cruise is a fun river meet up for members to meet other paddlers and have a good time on the river.
There is no instruction available during the cruise. Be confident your skills are appropriate for this section of river.
You must have appropriate gear for cold water.
Please plan to help with boat shuttle. This is almost always a challenge.
As the event gets closer and the leader has confirmed your skill level and confirmed appropriate water flows, the cruise leader will share specific details of meeting location.
All participants must be CW members and sign a waiver.
The First BIG Whitewater Event of 2026
To emphasize camping situation. Event registration includes a shared tent site. Planning for at least two tents per site. If you want to upgrade be sure to do a second registration for lodging upgrade.
You must be a current CW member to participate or volunteer on the water. You will need to login to open up registration for those types (they are grayed out if you are not logged in). If you not already a member you will need to join CW to become a member before you can register.
You must also sign the new waiver. We have updated our insurance provider to Paddlesport risk management.
Click here to sign the wavier.
Join us for our first River Weekend of the 2026 season Friday, May 29 - Sunday, May 31 in the beautiful Roaring Fork Valley!
Note: Dates/ details below will be confirmed by Jan/ Feb for 2026
Volunteer lead cruises will be offered on Saturday and Sunday, but come Friday evening for the river camaraderie!
Camping is tbd in Glenwood Springs. There will be limited parking/van-camping space, but tent spots are plentiful! (Carpooling is encouraged!!) Please indicate what you'll be camping in when you register. No vehicles over 22'. If you want to bring your camper or raft trailer, please make a reservation directly by calling Ami's Acres at 970-945-5340. There are absolutely no trailers in CW group space per management.
There are also tons of other great activities in the Glenwood Springs area, including the famous hot springs. Please note that some access points on the Roaring Fork are Colorado State Wildlife Areas (SWA) and anyone 16 or older now need either a fishing license or the new "SWA Pass" (available for purchase at www.cpwshop.com) to access the river from those points.
As a reminder, river weekends are not instructional events. Although we're all there to support one another, plan on boating within your skill set.
Important: Please register each individual separately, including all family (+ minors) or group members. This helps us accurately track attendance and coordinate our volunteers effectively.
UPON ARRIVAL: We are going to be cozy at camp so plan on making new friends when you're there. This is especially true with regards to parking. If you can carpool, please do so. There are three camping areas and upon arrival you will be directed to one of the three depending on your camping style. There is a chance that you may move vehicles to come and go, communication is key!
SOME GUIDELINES:
DIRECTIONS: From Denver take I-70 to Glenwood springs, take exit 114 Hwy 6, take the 3rd exit for the traffic circle to follow Hwy 6, campground is down 1.1 miles on the right.
Map Link
VOLUNTEERS: Seeking volunteers to lead/sweep a day (or two). Also seeking a coordinator at the campground to assist in directing participants on Friday afternoon/evening. Please email to offer your services and ask any questions.
CRUISES: We're meeting at 9:30am on Saturday and Sunday at Two Rivers Park (740 Devereux Rd, Glenwood Springs, CO). Have your gear, food/drinks, dog, etc. with you so we can organize the cruise groups and depart for the river. There will be signup sheets for cruises at camp on Friday evening so you can see who is running what and if you can workout a carpool, go for it! The following are proposed cruise options but actual cruises may vary depending on interest:
NO GROUP POTLUCK DINNER: Sorry, there will be no group potluck this year.
The weather is unpredictable and the water is always a bit chilly in Colorado so dress appropriately.
Questions? Email Laurie at president@coloradowhitewater.org with "Roaring Fork Weekend" in the subject line.
We're Going Back to the Poudre River June 12 - 14, 2026!
Note: Dates/ details below for 2026 will be confirmed by Jan/ Feb.
It's been several years but for 2024 CW is returning to the Poudre River for a great weekend of boating and comraderie. We will plan cruises for a variety of skill levels. As always, river weekends are not instructional events and are not suitable for those who have not had instruction or experience in whitewater kayaking or rafting. That said, our friends at Rocky Mountain Adventures can offer instruction that weekend and rafting trips for friends or family that don't already boat. http://www.shoprma.com
CAMPING / REGISTRATION TYPES: Paul Radman is graciously letting us camp at his home right on the river. This is a private residence so be considerate. The address is 49 Hewlett Road, Bellevue CO 80512. This is just past Poudre Park. There is no cell service in the canyon so if your car doesn't have GPS be sure to look at a map before you come. There is room for some pickup/van campers and we're giving priority for these spots to approved cruise leaders and sweeps. We may open this up to others later. Most people will be walk-in tent camping with their cars parked on immediately adjacent forest service land. We are limiting the number of vehicles that will be allowed on site but have plenty of additional registration slots for those who either carpool or are day participants. To reiterate, If you want a pickup/van camping space you need to register for one and be approved to lead or sweep a cruise. Email Ryan Ness at ness.ryan@gmail.com to volunteer. Once those spaces are gone only walk-in tent camping is available. No sleeping is allowed on the forest service land, just parking vehicles. We encourage car pooling. If you are doing so, one person should register for the vehicle spot and others should register as carpoolers. No camper trailers are allowed. Raft trailers are okay but will need to be parked on the forest service land.
CRUISES: TBD but will include a spectrum of difficulty. I will have signup sheets for cruises at camp on Friday evening so you can see who is running what and if you can workout a carpool, go for it! We'll meet at 9:00am on Saturday and Sunday mornings to finalize cruises.
Questions? Email Ryan Ness at ness.ryan@gmail.com. Include "Poudre River Weekend" in the subject line.
Colorado Whitewater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 1312 17th St #76767, Denver, CO 80202
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