How to river surf Miracle Wave

Summary: Miracle Wave: the greenest, buttery smooth wave in Denver. This is a true wave, not a hole like most of the other surf spots in the area. It deserves to be ridden on an ocean board (both surfboards and SUPs work), but requires a fast board since the wave is fairly small and slow.

The big problem with this wave is the consistency. The wave requires at least 1000 CFS to be surfable. It is located 200 yards below the Chatfield Reservoir dam. This means that the dam operators control whether or not the wave forms. Most of the year, they only release 200 CFS of water. They will only bump it up to surfable levels when the reservoir is filling up, and there’s a big spring snowmelt coming. Sometimes the wave will be surfable in the spring for a week, sometimes a month, sometimes not at all. Hence the name Miracle Wave, it’s a miracle if you get to surf it.

Erin Livingston surfing river right

Location: Google Map Link. Miracle Wave is located within Chatfield State Park which has an $8 entrance fee. Typically the west entrance to the park is the fastest route. After paying the fee, turn left at the stop sign and follow signs for the “Dog Off Leash Park”. Park and unload at the Dog Park parking lot, then walk around the OUTSIDE of the Dog Park fence to access the river. The walk to the wave from your car is about half a mile, so don’t forget anything!

Once at the wave, there are two options: river right and river left. Typically river left forms a better wave sooner. It will have a small foam pile around 1000 CFS, while river right requires around 2000 CFS for it to start breaking. Longer/faster boards will be able to surf both sides. Slower boards may require surfing the river left side.

Bradley Hilton on river right and Benjamin Smith on river left

Difficulty: Miracle is an intermediate to advanced wave. Since it’s not very retentive, it requires extra skill to keep your board (surfboard or standup paddle board) on the wave. Catching and staying on Miracle Wave is the most difficult and/or frustrating part.

Hazards: Miracle Wave is shallow with SHARP rocks. River left is especially dangerous. Try your best to not fall off your board until you are at least 10 feet below the wave. There are random, sharp rocks literally inches below the surface of the water.

Catching the wave on river left from the eddy can also be harmful to boards. I’ve seen MANY dinged boards, lost fins, and crushed fin boxes from surfers attempting to catch the wave on river left. I almost exclusively surf river right for this reason. I would rather surf the slightly worse side of the wave, and not ding my boards.

Liz Riviere surfing a Streamline surfboard on river right, in a snow storm

Ideal flows: 1,000 CFS or above. At around 2,000 CFS the shallow rocks become a little more covered and both river right and left become equally good as far as wave shape. The max the dam can release is around 3,000 CFS, but the difference between 2,000 and 3,000 CFS is negligible.

Gauge: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Gauge2/detail/id/49936/

Best time of year: April to June seem to offer the best chances for a good release from the dam. During these months keep an eye on the gauge to see what the flows are. If it’s good, GO NOW!

Amenities: Miracle Wave is located in the Denver Metro area. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and other big city amenities within driving distance. There is also camping within the park itself, but often requires reservations.

Erin Livingston surfing river right