Colorado's Cache la Poudre, tumbling from the snowcapped peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, is an exceptionally beautiful and exciting tributary of the North Platte. Long known for its scenic beauty, this Front Range river in Roosevelt National Forest became the state's first National Wild and Scenic River.
     While the upper stretches of the Cache La Poudre are well known for their many fine kayak runs, whitewater rafting trips begin less than 20 miles (32 km) west of Fort Collins. Adjacent to Colorado Route 14, almost continuous whitewater with numerous technical rapids, powerful hydraulics, and steep drops—such as the Class IV+ Mishawaka and Pineview Falls—leave little time to fully appreciate the river canyon's towering spires and sheer cliffs.
     The river’s easy access enables outfitters to offer a number of different half-day and one-day raft trips. Most popular are half-day runs, which include Mishawaka and Pineview falls and family-oriented trips that start below the falls.