Canon City's River Kept Running: What Low Water Meant Here in 2026

The headlines were statewide

In late May and early June 2026, The Colorado Sun ran two widely shared stories on the rafting season: "Low Arkansas River flows have Colorado rafting outfitters, communities bracing for a rocky summer" on May 22, and "After a grim Colorado ski season, drought is crippling rafting" on June 3. They came after a winter that left snowpacks in Colorado's river basins at record lows, and a lot of families read them as a reason to skip the river this year.

What the reporting said about our stretch

Read past the headline and the May 22 story says the Arkansas River rafting season will happen, with fewer paddlers on smaller boats. It also says the lower sections of the river with more water, like the Royal Gorge, would see more traffic. The Royal Gorge is the canyon just west of Canon City, at the lower end of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area that runs up to Leadville.

What it means if you base your trip in town

Canon City sits on the same river, a short drive from the Royal Gorge put-ins, and the Riverwalk runs along it through town. A low-water year changes the feel of a raft trip rather than cancelling it: guides pick more technical lines, and the ride is precise rather than big. The June 3 story carried outfitters urging visitors to come, saying there was still room for fun on the milder flows.

Check the river yourself

The gauge shows how low this season ran. From April 15 to September 23, 2026, the Arkansas at Parkdale averaged under 500 cfs on 161 of 162 days. On July 15 it ran 223 cfs, against a median for that day of 1,280 cfs over 71 years of records. USGS marks the figures from June 1 on as provisional.

The gauge that describes the Royal Gorge is USGS 07094500, the Arkansas River at Parkdale. Read it on the USGS page before you go, then ask your outfitter what that level means for the trip you have booked. For the full picture of rafting here, see our Arkansas River rafting guide.