The Eagle River flows from its source in the White River National Forest in Eagle County of west central Colorado in a westerly direction to its confluence with the Colorado River east of Gypsum. Most of the river is paralleled by IH 70 and SH 6, while the headwaters stretch runs alongsside US Highway 24. Homestake Creek, a tributary of the Eagle River, has a steep gradient of 480 FPM, but most of the river is not quite as steep. The scenery is just gorgeous, and exemplifies Colorado whitewater rivers.
Various sections of the Eagle River, with its short season, range in difficulty from playful Class II to raging Class V whitewater. Gore Creek, a major tributary, flows through the ski resort town of Vail to join the Eagle at Dowd Chute. There are many feeder creeks that, for qualified boaters, offer excellent trips with techncial drops. Other than Homestake Creek, the Eagle is runnable in rafts, as well as kayaks, though some sections are recommended for expert paddlers only. Some sections can be run in canoes, though whitewater outfitting is strongly recommended.
Beginning amid aspen and spruce forests, the river flows to the high desert with its juniper trees and sagebrush. near Edwards, the Eagle begins to widen and the rapids become more "manageable". From Gilman Gorge through the Lower Eagle the river flows about 32.5 miles, though the total length is longer. Campsites can be scarce during the early to mid-summer season, when paddlers vie for space with construction workers that flock to the Eagle Valley every summer.
