Spotlight on the North Platte:
Although North Platte outfitters promote the river as
an intermediate-level raft trip, the narrow Northgate
Canyon's steep gradient and boulder-strewn channels
contain significant whitewater during the late spring
and early summer. Several Class III-IV rapids, such as
Windy Hole, the Narrows, and Stovepipe, can be very
challenging to paddle rafters.
The North Platte's rafting season begins after the
snowmelt, when outfitter vehicles can reach the
8,000‑foot elevation Routt Access put‑in, and normally
lasts until mid‑July. While outfitters run two-day raft trips
through the canyon from the Routt Access near Walden
to Bennett Peak in the Medicine Bow National Forest
near Saratoga, Wyoming, a shorter 14‑mile (22 km),
one‑day trip is the most popular. As the mountain waters
mellow near the end of the rafting season, some outfitters
offer leisurely float trips through the Routt and Medicine
Bow national forests in southern Wyoming |