Arkansas Headwaters

C O L O R A D O P A R K S & W I L D L I F E Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area FACT SHEET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 Who we are From the alpine highlands near Leadville to the open prairies of Pueblo, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) offers one of the nation’s premier locations for whitewater boating, as well as a world class trout fishery. The diverse geology and topography of the AHRA provide vast opportunities for enjoying a variety of other outdoor recreation opportunities in the Upper Arkansas River Valley, such as camping, picnicking, biking, hiking, OHV use, gold panning and wildlife viewing. Experience all the AHRA has to offer while creating lifelong memories! Visitors to Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area spend over $66 million in local communities each year.1 • • • • • • • Browns Canyon National Monument – one of the most commercially rafted stretches of river in the nation, offering unique geological formations McIntyre Hills Wilderness Study Area – rugged, rolling canyonlands Gold Medal Trout Fishery – 102 miles of some of the best trout fishing in Colorado Bighorn Sheep Canyon – abundant wildlife, including mountain lions and bighorn sheep Royal Gorge – a spectacular sheer-walled rock canyon filled with incredible whitewater rapids Pine Creek and the Numbers – some of the most challenging Class IV and V whitewater in the West Featuring the Salida, Buena Vista and Canon City Whitewater Parks Our partners • • • • • • • • • • • • American Rivers American Whitewater U.S. Bureau of Land Management U.S. Forest Service U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Greater Arkansas River Nature Association Central Colorado Conservancy AHRA Citizen Task Force Lake County Open Space Initiative Salida, Buena Vista and Leadville School Districts Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District • • • • • • • • • • • • Colorado Springs Utilities Aurora Water Leadville, Salida, Buena Vista and Canon City Chambers of Commerce Fremont, Chaffee and Lake and Pueblo County Commissioners and Law Enforcement Agencies Trout Unlimited Upper Arkansas Area Weed Management Association Arkansas River Outfitters Association Colorado River Outfitters Association American Whitewater Colorado Whitewater Pikes Peak Whitewater Club Pueblo Water • • • • • • • • • • • • Colorado Youth Corps Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments FIBArk (First In Boating the Arkansas) Colorado Mountain College Canon City & Royal Gorge Railroad/ Rock and Rail Railroad Chaffee County Visitors Bureau Backcountry Horseman’s Association Colorado Water Conservation Board U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Colorado State Trails Committee Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition Colorado Foundation for Water Education Challenges we face • • Strengthening the partnership with federal, state and local agencies, water conservation districts, Trout Unlimited and the Arkansas River Outfitters Association to maintain the year-round Voluntary Flow Management Program, which enhances both angling and whitewater boating opportunities while providing an important economic benefit for local communities. Protecting the natural landscape while providing quality recreational experiences to an increasing number of visitors and minimizing conflicts between different constituents that use the recreation area. 1Source: Corona Research, Colorado State Parks Marketing Assessment, “Visitor Spending Analysis 2008-2009” (adjusted for inflation). COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-1192 cpw.state.co.us DOSKOCIL/CPW Top attractions 307 W. Sackett Avenue, Salida, CO 81201 (719) 539-7289 • Email: ahra@state.co.us Park Manager: Rob White As of June 30, 2017 Volunteer activities • • • • • • • Assist with AHRA environmental education and youth recreation programs. Work with AHRA staff on National Public Lands Day to clean up dispersed camping areas along the river. Assist with Cleanup/Greenup in conjunction with Colorado Public Lands Day as a community-based, river-wide volunteer effort. Serve as campground hosts for all AHRA designated campgrounds. Serve as members of AHRA’s Citizen Task Force and the Rationing and Agreement Committee to provide recommendations on a variety of management-related issues. Provide assistance in a variety of maintenance tasks such as installing signs, painting picnic tables, cleaning campsites and overall recreation area cleanup. Work with AHRA staff monitoring Bluebird Houses at recreation sites. Manager’s message For those of you who are planning a vacation to the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) for the first time, I invite you to experience some of the best whitewater boating and trout fishing the State of Colorado has to offer! The AHRA is the most commercially boated whitewater river in the United States, and also offers the longest stretch of Gold Medal Trout fishing in the State of Colorado – 102 miles! In addition, the AHRA provides two gateway entrances (Hecla Junction and Ruby Mtn. Recreation Sites) into one of our nation’s newest national monuments and best kept secrets in Colorado: Browns Canyon! For those of you returning for another visit, I invite you to experience all we have to offer and be sure to see all of our recent improvements, including the completely remodeled Hecla Junction and Ruby Mountain Campgrounds, improved public access sites up and down the Arkansas River corridor and new picnic shelters at the Rincon and Stone Bridge Recreation Sites. Finally, I wish to thank all of our visitors for your continued support of the AHRA and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Your purchase of a parks pass and/or a camping permit makes all of this possible! Geography Region: Southeast County: Chaffee, Fremont, Lake and Pueblo Year Acquired: 1989 Elevation: 4,800-9,400 ft Miles From Denver: 110 Acreage Total Acres: 6,193 Governmental US Cong Dist: 3rd and 5th CO Senate: 2nd, 5th and 35th CO House: 46th, 47th, 60th and 61st Employees Permanent: 9 Temporary: 25 Volunteers: 73 Volunteer Hours: 3,802 Annual Visitation 866,119* Facilities 36 Boat Ramps Group Picnic Area 260 Picnic Sites Visitor Center Trails Biking: 27.7 miles Hiking: 29 miles Horseback: 19.1 miles Cross Country Skiing/ Snowshoeing: 29 miles OHV: 1.2 miles Total: 29 miles Camping Campsites (basic, year-round): 126 Campsites (primitive, year-round): 14 Campsites (dispersed, year-round): 100 Group Facilities (year-round) Roads Paved: 0.5 miles Unpaved: 10 miles Recreation Boating Fishing Geocaching Hunting Ice Fishing Ice Skating Ranger/Nature Programs Rock Climbing Swimming Wildlife/Bird Viewing Winter Camping 138 Walden Fort Collins 14 Craig Hayden Steamboat Springs 40 Estes Park 125 14 Loveland 34 36 13 131 134 40 34 Wray Brighton 287 93 Denver Golden Avon Vail Rifle 70 385 Breckenridge Collbran Fruita 36 Frisco Glenwood Springs 330 Leadville Aspen Grand Junction 82 24 85 Castle Rock 285 86 Fairplay Limon Burlington 70 24 40 65 Delta Paonia133 Hotchkiss Buena Vista Crawford Olathe Montrose Gunnison 92 50 Colorado Springs Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Salida Area(AHRA) 550 Kit Carson 67 Cripple Creek 9 Canon City 287 50 Ridgway Pueblo 285 Ouray 50 Lamar 25 La Junta 350 160 491 Cortez 550 Mancos Walsenburg Monte Vista Dolores numbers may be higher. Fort Brush Morgan 76 85 Kremmling Dove Creek *Not all of AHRA's recreation sites have traffic counters and therefore visitation 6 Greeley Oak Creek Meeker Sterling 14 160 Alamosa 150 La Veta Springfield Pagosa Springs Durango 12 172 285 160 Trinidad 151 COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-1192 cpw.state.co.us CHRISTOPHER STARK/CPW Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area