Wave Description:

Another artificial park in the Ark valley that gives up some good surfing. It’s no coincidence that Badfish Paddleboards makes their home in Salida. Features vary on flow, but generally you’ll find wave holes that give up friendly surfs over 300 cfs.

In the fall of 2022 Salida completed the Scout Wave 2.0 project. Even at low flows (350 cfs or so), it’s produced a wide, glassy wave, along the lines of a wider Sixx at River Run Park, but bigger at solid flows. It’s surfable at 250, better at 350, and the upper limit is around 3,000-3,500 cfs, though it is currently a work in progress, and is occasionally altered by sandbags. At high flows, it is nearly head-high from trough to peak, and as of June 2024, Scout 2.0 is the best surf wave in Colorado, at least in my opinion.

At higher flows (2,500-3,000), swims can get rowdy, and the boundary between the eddies and the downstream flows can hold surfers down for short periods. The backwash in front of the concrete structure can also pin loose boards, posing the risk of leash entrapments. Keep an eye on other surfers when flows are high.

The new wave is just downstream of the F Street Bridge.

There is a webcam that works most of the time here. Click play on the mountain road scene.

Gauge Information:

Anything over 300 cfs on the Nathrop gauge should get you something here, but more water is usually better until things get scary; where that happens depends on your skill and tolerances, but could be as low as 1,500 or as high as never. So far Scout 2.0 is holding at flows up to 1200 cfs, though it’s still a work in progress. Here is an alternative gauge, since the Nathrop gauge is only operated seasonally. And check here for a webcam (though it’s not always pointed at the wave). Here is a newer static camera that is on the wave.

For photos of the waves at specific flows, check out the River Surf Report.

Want flow alerts for this gauge? Sign up here.

Directions:

Park near the boat ramp or near the bridge and the features will be obvious.