The Arkansas River is the spine of this whole valley — 102 miles of Gold Medal trout water, world-class whitewater, and a canyon that holds one of the largest bighorn sheep herds in Colorado. We found a quiet pond and a boardwalk, watched the water, and let US-50 do the rest. Cliffs on one side, river on the other, the whole way.
Arkansas River (Bighorn Sheep Canyon)
- The Bighorn Sheep Canyon stretch offers fun Class II-III whitewater rafting just west of Canon City along US-50.
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife designated 102 miles of the Arkansas as Gold Medal trout water in 2014, the longest such stretch in the state.
- The canyon is home to one of Colorado's largest bighorn sheep herds, with over 400 animals on its cliffs.
- The main rafting run flows about 8.7 miles from Pinnacle Rock down to the Parkdale Recreation Site.
- Signature rapids include Three Rocks and Spike Buck as the whitewater highlights of the section.
US-50 Arkansas River Scenic Highway
- US-50 hugs the Arkansas River as it snakes through Bighorn Sheep Canyon between Salida and Canon City.
- The canyon walls are sheer cliffs carved by millions of years of erosion, easily visible right from the road.
- Drivers regularly spot bighorn sheep, part of one of Colorado's largest herds, grazing on the cliffs near the highway.
- To the west the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rise like a 14,000-foot sawtooth wall on the horizon.
- Historic canyon towns like Wellsville, Cotopaxi, and Howard line the route along the river.