Fryingpan River
Fryingpan River below Ruedi Dam
Map of Roaring Fork drainage basin, including the Fryingpan River
Location
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Counties	Eagle and Pitkin
Physical characteristics
Source	Near Mount Massive
• location	Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, Pitkin County
• coordinates	39°09′52″N 106°31′40″W / 39.16444°N 106.52778°W / 39.16444; -106.52778[1]
• elevation	12,083 ft (3,683 m)
Mouth	Roaring Fork River
• location	Basalt, Eagle County
• coordinates	39°22′00″N 107°02′03″W / 39.36667°N 107.03417°W / 39.36667; -107.03417[1]
• elevation	6,591 ft (2,009 m)
Length	42 mi (68 km)[2]
Basin size	237 sq mi (610 km2)[3]
Discharge
• location	Near Ruedi[3]
• average	176 cu ft/s (5.0 m3/s)[3]
• minimum	28 cu ft/s (0.79 m3/s)
• maximum	2,690 cu ft/s (76 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Marten Creek, South Fork Fryingpan River, Rocky Fork Creek
• right	Ivanhoe Creek, North Fork Fryingpan River, Lime Creek

The Fryingpan River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 42 miles (68 km) long,^[2] in Eagle and Pitkin counties in Colorado, United States.

History

The reason for the unusual name of the river is that when a group of trappers were attacked by a band of Ute Native Americans, only two men survived, one of whom was injured. Leaving his wounded friend in a cave close by, the last man left to summon help, but not before hanging a frying pan in a tree so that he could find the cave again on his return.^[1][4][5]

Geography

It rises in northeastern Pitkin County, in the White River National Forest in the Sawatch Mountains along the western side of the continental divide. It flows westward along the county line between Pitkin and Eagle County. Below Meredith, it is dammed to form the Ruedi Reservoir. It joins the Roaring Fork below Basalt. A portion of the river's water is diverted to the east side of the continental divide for irrigation and drinking water via the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.