The Eagle River is a popular run with rafters, beginner and intermediate kayakers, fishermen becaue its mostly Class II with a few Class III rapids and some good surf waves here and there. Below the HWY 131 bridge after a sharp right turn in the river is Trestle Rapid which can be scouted river right and looking from the bridge. Read and run. At the intersection of the river and the Interstate 70 bridge is Interstate Rapid. Dead Cow Rapid is the last real rapid in this stretch of river. It is a straightforward wave train with a hole in the middle that hit. Don’t let it getcha. Just roll. Dead Cow can be scouted from HWY 6 about mile marker 154 - there is a pullout marked as a day use area The rest of the runout is Class II. If you’re feeling frisky you can run “Rumble Seat” a Class IV rapid downstream of the takeout at Chambers Park.
Class III — intermediate, bigger waves
Grade from OpenStreetMap contributors. Conditions change with flow — scout before you run.
Eagle County, Colorado
Put-in coordinates mark the river reach; scout access and current before launching.
River geometry from american whitewater. Conditions and grades are guidance, not a substitute for on-the-water judgment.