S2E7: 2.7 – Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

Summer is here, and the high-water season for recreational paddlers has reached Colorado’s iconic rivers. While Colorado manages 43 state parks, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area is among the most unique in that it spans across a 152-mile corridor that follows the Arkansas River from the high mountains near Leadville to Lake Pueblo.

AHRA isn’t only a whitewater destination, though. It also boasts eight developed campgrounds and 19 dispersed camping areas while also offering gold-medal fishing, incredible wildlife viewing and hiking and climbing opportunities.

Still, it’s the whitewater that many think of first when it comes to AHRA. It’s one of the nation’s most popular rafting and kayaking destinations and is the most commercially rafted river in the United States.

Along with that many boaters and stretches of Class III to Class V rapids comes challenges for CPW staff. AHRA rangers have already responded to multiple rescue calls this year, and there has already been one kayaking fatality in early June.

In this episode, hear from AHRA Manager Tom Waters and River Ranger Supervisor Jeffrey Hammond on what it takes to manage AHRA, the diversity of the rescue and recovery situations they find themselves in and the ever-present danger that comes with whitewater recreation