Photo by Noah Wetzel.

The wild Yampa River winds its way through western Colorado for 250 miles, carving through landscapes and shaping ecosystems as it flows. It sustains endangered fish species, supports a vibrant agricultural community, and fuels the passions of flyfishers and whitewater paddlers who flock to its untamed currents. Flowing through the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs, it's a pillar of our community, and we strive to mirror the river's wild spirit.

Pictured above: Photographer Noah Wetzel employed a drone to capture this image of the Yampa River, west of Steamboat Springs. He shot the image on a foggy morning, following a rain the previous night. The clouds began to burn off, revealing windows into the lush Yampa River corridor, while also producing a sundog.

Photo by John Fielder. Rafters run the stretch of the Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument, where it joins with the Green River. The last project of renowned nature photographer John Fielder, “Colorado’s Yampa River; Free Flowing and Wild from the Flat Tops to the Green,” is on display at Tread of Pioneers Museum.

Photo by Noah Wetzel. Costumed rafters, with a dog at the bow, play in the C-hole during the Yampa River Festival, held each year in late spring. The event is one of two annual fundraisers for Friends of the Yampa, of which the late Peter Van De Carr was the founding president. The nonprofit organization works to protect the river through awareness, advocacy, stewardship and education. “You’ve got to know it to love it. You’ve got to love it to protect it,” Peter was known to say. Catch the River Festival this weekend. For more information, visit friendsoftheyampa.com.

Photo by Ben Duke. Fall colors reflect off the Yampa River on a late September afternoon. The river flows for 250 miles from the Flat Tops to Echo Park within Dinosaur National Monument. It is considered to be the wildest river in the entire Colorado river system. The Yampa River retains a natural hydrograph that mimics what it was before humans entered Northwest Colorado.

Photo by Cyndi Marlowe. Boaters pass by the mural on the river side of the ambulance building in downtown Steamboat Springs. Artist Jill Bergman, along with a team of 120 volunteers, created the mural, entitled “The Yampa is Wild,” in 2019 on behalf of Friends of the Yampa.