The Arkansas River, Salida to Canon City Fishing & River Map Guide is designed to be the perfect companion for anyone recreationally exploring this section of the Arkansas River. From Salida to Canon City, the Arkansas River flows east through a series of desert canyons known as Bighorn Sheep Canyon and the Royal Gorge. Along the way, it covers 56 river miles and loses 1,700 feet of elevation. The geology of this stretch varies greatly, with canyons confining the channel from Salida to Howard, from Coaldale to Lone Pine, and from Texas Creek to Parkdale. Between these canyons, the terrain opens up, the river widens, and the current speed decreases. The final section, the Royal Gorge, is a Class IV+ sinkhole that is accessible only by boat and is not known for fishing.
Each Fishing & River Map guide includes detailed river maps at a scale of 1 inch = 1/2 mile. At this scale, each Each river turn and rapid are clearly depicted and labeled. Each page is centered on the river and overlaps with adjacent pages, making it easy to find any spot along the river. The maps include rapids, river miles, access points, private and public lands, gauging stations, recreation sites, and more.
Greg Felt, a renowned fly fishing guide on the Arkansas River, wrote the introduction along with descriptions of specific fly fishing strategies and seasonal fluctuations found on the river. You'll also find stream flow charts, hatch diagrams, and a chart of river access points.
More convenient and easier to use than folded maps, yet just as compact and lightweight, National Geographic's Fishing & River Map Guide booklets are printed on waterproof and tear-resistant Backcountry Tough paper, with stainless steel staples. A full UTM grid is printed on the map to aid GPS navigation.
