Clear Creek

About the River

Clear Creek rises near the Continental Divide above 13,000 feet, draining the high peaks west of Loveland Pass and the Argentine and Guanella Pass areas before descending through some of Colorado's most storied mountain terrain. The creek passes through Georgetown, cuts a narrow canyon alongside US 6 through Clear Creek County, and emerges from the foothills at Golden, where it joins the South Platte River. The total drop from source to confluence spans more than 7,000 vertical feet in roughly 60 miles.

Paddlers know Clear Creek primarily for its canyon section along US 6 between Idaho Springs and Golden. The corridor offers a full spectrum of whitewater in a compact, road-accessible setting: expert-level Class IV drops in the upper canyon near Georgetown give way to the main commercial Class III-IV stretch through the heart of the canyon, then mellow into Class I-II fishing and float water as the creek approaches the plains. The canyon's proximity to Denver, less than 40 minutes by highway, makes it one of the most heavily used whitewater venues in the Mountain West.

Idaho Springs, at the midpoint of the canyon, marks the site of George Jackson's 1859 gold discovery that triggered Colorado's first major gold rush. The same canyon geology that laid down mineral veins in the rock also carved the dramatic granite walls that frame the whitewater. Clear Creek drains more than 500 square miles of watershed including the Black Hawk and Central City mining districts via North Clear Creek. The primary flow reference is the USGS gauge near Empire (06715000), which captures the upper watershed and establishes the baseline for downstream conditions.