Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is a roughly 150-mile corridor along the Arkansas River in central Colorado, jointly managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the federal Bureau of Land Management. It stretches from the river's headwaters near Leadville through the towns of Salida and Cañon City to the dramatic, roughly 1,000-foot granite walls of the Royal Gorge. The corridor is one of the most heavily rafted stretches of whitewater in the United States, with rapids ranging from calm floats to technical Class V sections. Fishing, camping, and rock climbing are also popular along its length.