Cache la Poudre River
10065 CO-14, Bellvue, CO
Bellvue, CO
Colorado's only wild and scenic river, tumbling down a granite canyon from the high peaks toward the plains.
The Cache la Poudre is Colorado's only nationally designated wild and scenic river, a stretch of water so cherished that Congress set it aside for permanent protection. It gathers snowmelt from the high peaks near Rocky Mountain National Park and races down a rugged granite canyon toward the plains, one of the Front Range's great outdoor corridors for rafting, fishing, and simply following the water up into the mountains.
Its unusual French name, which locals shorten to the Poudre, means hide the powder, and it comes from an old story of French trappers who cached gunpowder along its banks during a hard winter. The river has carried that name for close to two centuries, and the canyon it carved remains a place where the high country pours down toward the towns of the Front Range.
What Guests Love
- Whitewater rafting and kayaking through the canyon in spring and early summer
- The scenic drive up the Poudre Canyon along the river
- Fly fishing for trout in clear mountain water
- Picnicking, camping, and hiking in the Roosevelt National Forest
Worth Knowing
- The river runs fastest and highest with snowmelt in late spring and early summer, and cold water is dangerous
- The canyon road is winding and narrow in places, so drive it slowly and watch for cyclists and wildlife
- Book rafting through licensed outfitters and match the water level to your experience
- Mountain weather and afternoon storms can raise water and change conditions quickly
Details
Bellvue, CO
Learn about Cache la Poudre River
The river and its name
The Poudre valley lies within the traditional homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute peoples, who traveled, hunted, and camped along these waters long before trappers and settlers arrived. That long human presence is part of the river's deeper story.
The name Cache la Poudre dates to the era of French-speaking fur trappers in the early nineteenth century. As the story goes, a party caught in a snowstorm lightened their loads by burying, or caching, their gunpowder near the river to be recovered later, and the spot became known as the place where the powder was hidden. The shortened name, the Poudre, has stuck ever since.
Whitewater and fishing
The Poudre is the Front Range's premier whitewater run, drawing rafters and kayakers to its rapids when snowmelt swells the river through late spring and early summer. Licensed outfitters run trips ranging from gentler family floats to steep, technical stretches, and the timing follows the runoff, roaring in the peak weeks and easing as the season dries.
For anglers, the Poudre is prized trout water. Its clear, cold flows hold healthy fish along much of its length, and fly fishers work the pools and riffles both in the canyon and higher toward the headwaters. As with rafting, the fishing shifts with the season and the water level.
The canyon and the forest
Highway 14 follows the river up the Poudre Canyon into the Roosevelt National Forest, one of northern Colorado's finest scenic drives. The road winds beside the water past granite walls, pine and aspen forest, and pull-offs where the river churns through boulders, climbing steadily toward the high country and the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.
The canyon is lined with campgrounds, picnic areas, and trailheads, and the surrounding forest is home to deer, elk, bighorn sheep on the rocky slopes, and the occasional black bear or moose in the higher meadows. Ospreys and eagles hunt the river corridor, and dippers work the shallows.
Season by season
Spring is when the river comes alive, swelling with snowmelt into powerful, cold whitewater, the prime and most exciting season for rafting once flows come up.
Summer brings warm days, easing water, and the best conditions for family floats, fishing, camping, and the canyon drive, with afternoon thunderstorms to watch for.
Fall is quiet and gold, with turning aspen along the canyon and cool, clear days ideal for hiking and scenic driving.
Winter closes much of the high country to snow and ice, though the lower canyon can be a beautiful, frozen, and peaceful place to visit with care.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Bellvue
Fort Collins
About 12 miles east
A lively university town at the canyon's mouth, known for its historic Old Town, breweries, and river trails.
Roosevelt National Forest
Up the canyon
A vast national forest of peaks, pine, and aspen threaded by the Poudre, with campgrounds and hiking throughout.
Rocky Mountain National Park
About 40 miles southwest
One of the country's great alpine parks, with high peaks, tundra, and abundant elk near the Poudre's headwaters.