| Fryingpan River | |
| Map: | Roaring Fork Colorado basin map.png |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Colorado |
| Subdivision Type3: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name3: | Eagle and Pitkin |
| Length: | 42miles |
| Discharge1 Location: | Near Ruedi[1] |
| Discharge1 Min: | 28cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 176cuft/s[2] |
| Discharge1 Max: | 2690cuft/s |
| Source1: | Near Mount Massive |
| Source1 Location: | Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, Pitkin County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 39.1644°N -106.5278°W[3] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 12083feet |
| Mouth: | Roaring Fork River |
| Mouth Location: | Basalt, Eagle County |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 39.3667°N -107.0342°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 6591feet |
| Basin Size: | 237sqmi |
| Tributaries Left: | Marten Creek, South Fork Fryingpan River, Rocky Fork Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | Ivanhoe Creek, North Fork Fryingpan River, Lime Creek |
The Fryingpan River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 42miles long,[4] in Eagle and Pitkin counties in Colorado, United States.
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.[3] [5] [6]
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.