Colorado River
The Colorado drops from the Rockies past Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction and Moab, carves the Grand Canyon, then runs along the Arizona-Nevada-California line past Laughlin, Lake Havasu City, Needles and Yuma toward Mexico.
Course of the river, simplified. Map data from Natural Earth (public domain).
Weather at the Colorado River (National Weather Service) ↗
River facts
| Length | 1,450 miles |
|---|---|
| Source | La Poudre Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado |
| Mouth | Gulf of California, Mexico |
| States | Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah |
Glen Canyon and Hoover dams form Lakes Powell and Mead; Davis, Parker and Imperial dams lie downstream.
Boat ramps, launches and bait shops
Detailed ramp, bait shop and lock-and-dam listings for the Colorado River are coming soon. Until then, these searches open Google Maps along the river:
- Boat ramps on the Colorado River in Arizona ↗ · Bait shops near the Colorado River in Arizona ↗
- Boat ramps on the Colorado River in California ↗ · Bait shops near the Colorado River in California ↗
- Boat ramps on the Colorado River in Colorado ↗ · Bait shops near the Colorado River in Colorado ↗
- Boat ramps on the Colorado River in Nevada ↗ · Bait shops near the Colorado River in Nevada ↗
- Boat ramps on the Colorado River in Utah ↗ · Bait shops near the Colorado River in Utah ↗
Fishing regulations
Check the state agency for river-specific rules, seasons and limits before you fish:
- Arizona: Arizona Game and Fish Department ↗
- California: California Department of Fish and Wildlife ↗
- Colorado: Colorado Parks and Wildlife ↗
- Nevada: Nevada Department of Wildlife ↗
- Utah: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources ↗
Lakes on or near the Colorado River
Lakes in our guide on or near this river:
Facts from Colorado River (Wikipedia) ↗