Verde River @ Clarkdale

The Verde River @ Clarkdale project is a pivotal part of the Town's Sustainable Clarkdale vision. Clarkdale's vision with this project is to protect, preserve and restore the river and its habitat while honoring existing water rights, enhancing the public's experience and improving the economy of Clarkdale. Since the project's inception in 2011, the Town of Clarkdale has greatly expanded public river access on the Verde River @ Clarkdale, including site improvements at the 69-acre Tuzigoot River Access Point (RAP) (located at 15 E Tuzigoot Road) and the June, 2014 opening of the 110-acre Lower TAPCO River Access Point (located at 3400 Sycamore Canyon Road). Visitors to the Verde River @ Clarkdale enjoy kayaking the 3 miles of river between the Lower TAPCO RAP and the Tuzigoot RAP. Other popular activities include fishing, hiking, picnicking, bird watching, photography, swimming/wading, and wildlife watching.

Please remember that this is a day-use area, open from dawn to dusk and no camping or overnight parking is permitted.

Public Safety Measures

In the spring months during run-off (February to April), the Verde River experiences higher than usual flows and can be potentially dangerous to kayakers and paddle boarders, no matter what the experience level might be. The flows during the season range from 100 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 15,000 cfs in normal years. Before launching, boaters are encouraged to stay up to date on current, in-depth Verde River conditions. A brief overview of river conditions is hosted by Verde River Institute and is available here. The Town of Clarkdale River Ambassadors are generally on duty for any specific questions you may have when at the river access points.

In addition, the Town of Clarkdale will initiate the following procedures during high flow:

300 + cfs
- River Ambassadors will caution boaters/waivers must be signed to continue
- Boating Discouraged
500 + cfs
- Commercial Outfitters will cease all scheduled trips/launches
- Boating Discouraged
1,000 + cfs
- Private and Commercial launch areas will be blocked for inaccessibility
- No boating access
15,000 + cfs
- No public access to the Lower Tapco park area-Main access gate will be locked
- No boating access

Water Level Safety

Boating is not recommended when water levels are above 300 CFS. Check the USGS National Water Information System's Stream Flow Gauge to see the current water levels near Clarkdale: Verde River Near Clarkdale