Colorado River – Weather, Lodging, Map, News

For those who love water bodies and outdoor sports, the Colorado River has always been a favorite. So, in case you are dying to try the adventurous outdoor activities, plan your next trip to the Colorado river with your group.
But before you start your planning and ask for a trip meeting, there are some vital things that you need to know about your trip to the Colorado River. Here, in this article, I will guide you with all those necessary pieces of information.
Colorado River
In northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, the Colorado River is one of the principal rivers. This 1,450-mile or 2,330 kilometer-long river encompasses parts of 2 Mexican states and 7 U.S. States.
The river has started its journey from the central rocky mountains of Colorado, and after flowing to the southwest across the Colorado Plateau, and obviously through the famous Grand Canyon. After that, it reaches Lake Mead in Arizona. In Arizona- Nevada border the river turns south towards the international border.
Weather Report
When you are planning to visit the Colorado River, it is better to plan for any kind of weather condition. Especially in case you are planning to experience the geographical beauty of this river through the Grand Canyon, the place is already ready to surprise you.
For most of the part, the weather of the Grand Canyon or Colorado river is usually sunny and warm, but anytime you can experience cooler temperatures and a renewed rainstorm. Most visitors prefer the time between March to October for making a trip.
Here is a chart that will show you the average temperature and precipitation of this region.
Months | Precipitation | Mean Minimum Temperature | Mean Maximum Temperature |
March | .79″ | 48° | 71° |
April | .47″ | 56° | 82° |
May | .36″ | 63° | 92° |
June | .30″ | 71° | 101° |
July | .84″ | 79° | 106° |
August | 1.4″ | 75° | 103° |
September | .97″ | 70° | 96° |
October | .65″ | 58° | 84° |
Lodging: Best Places To Stay
When you are planning to visit the Colorado river, you do not need to worry about the places where you can actually stay. This river stretches in a wide area. And among all the places, the Grand Canyon is the most famous.
The Grand Canyon National Park is the best place to experience the most mesmerizing view of the Colorado River. In case you are willing to stay inside the park, you will find pretty places along the south rim.
It is always advised to book your stayings in advance, and especially in case you are visiting during the spring break, fall weekends, and summer months. All the lodges are open throughout the whole year.
Here is a list of some well maintained and well-equipped stayings.
- Bright Angel Lodge.
- Yavapai Lodge.
- Maswik Lodge.
- Thunderbird Lodge.
- Kachina Lodge.
- El Tovar Hotel.
- Valle.
- Red Lake.
- Flagstaff.
- Williams.
Map: Geographical Location
This 1,450 miles long Colorado river runs with headwaters in Wyoming and Colorado. Eventually, it also flows across the international border of Mexico. The total drainage basin area of this river is around 246,000 square miles.
And the Colorado river map includes Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, California. The most famous tourist spot related to this river is the Grand Canyon, which is in the southwest portion of the Colorado Plateau.
Grand Canyon is the northwest part of Arizona, which is also really close to the borders of Nevada and Utah. As I have already told you, the Colorado River drains water from 7 states in total, but the geographical location that is known as the Grand Canyon is entirely in Arizona.
And a really large part of this Grand Canyon comes within the Grand Canyon National Park, which is totally managed by National Park Services or NPS. But the waterfalls of Havasupai and the Grand Canyon Skywalk are located outside the national park on tribal islands.
The south rim of this canyon is open throughout the year and totally situated at the Arizona side of the canyon. The south rim has both a real service and airport, and it only takes around a one-hour drive from Interstate 40 and also the town of Williams, Arizona.
It will take only 90 minutes from Flagstaff. In case you are searching for the nearest large city that also has a major airport, let me tell you it is Phoenix, Arizona, which is located at a driving distance of 4 hours from this place.
Things To Do In Colorado River
As I have already mentioned, the Colorado River offers a wide range of adventurous and outdoor water activities. This is the reason why most people rush towards this river during the season between March to October.
Here is a list of the Colorado river adventures that you can try when you are visiting the Colorado River.
- Boating.
- Fishing.
- Rafting.
- Kayaking.
- Stand-up paddleboarding.
- Hiking.
- Skiing.
- Snowmobiling.
- Horse riding
- Balloon flights
- Biking through the places.
Apart from all these adventurous activities, you also can explore the geographical beauty along with the biological diverseness of this place. The colorado river toad is quite famous in the entire world.
Best Time To Visit Colorado River
Most people consider outdoor activities while they are planning their Colorado river trip. And due to this same reason, the best time to visit the Colorado river varies from person to person. Such as the white-water river rafting depends on the amount of water.
And the amount of water in the river changes constantly. When it comes to river rafting, high water is the most exciting time. Between the 3rd week of May and the 3rd week of June, the high water level is perfect for this purpose.
From late June through the middle of August, the water level usually is medium. This duration is perfect for young families. Visitors will get low water levels from early April till the middle of May.
What Makes This Place To At Least Visit Once In Your Lifetime?
The Colorado river covers a wide range of areas. It drains water from 7 states. And the Grand Canyon, which is world-famous for its geographical importance and structure. The Colorado River is perfect for trying adventurous outdoor activities like river rafting. So, a trip that you will make here will be worth cherishing your entire life.