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Roaring Fork River




The Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River , approximately 70 mi (113 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States . The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley , which includes the resort city of Aspen and the resorts of Aspen/Snowmass .

It rises in the Sawatch Range in eastern Pitkin County , on the west side of Independence Pass on the Continental Divide . It flows northwest past Aspen, Woody Creek , and Snowmass . It receives the Fryingpan River at Basalt . One mile below Carbondale , it receives the Crystal River from the south. It joins the Colorado in Glenwood Springs . The river flows through Canyon s along most of its route and is a popular destination for recreation Whitewater Rafting . The river supplies water through the Sawatch Range to the Twin Lakes Reservoir via the Twin Lakes Tunnel .

The Roaring Fork is a swift, deep, powerful river with very clear water. It is navigable by small craft from above Basalt to it's confluence with the Colorado.


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