The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves. It travels about 550mi distance. Its course lies in the U.S. states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska.The head of the river is essentially all of Jackson County, Colorado, whose boundaries are the continental divide on the east and south and the mountain drainage peaks on the east—the north boundary is the state of Wyoming boundary. The rugged Rocky Mountains surrounding Jackson County have at least twelve peaks over 11000ft in height. From Jackson County the river flows north about 200mi out of the Routt National Forest and North Park (Colorado basin) near what is now Walden, Colorado to Casper, Wyoming. Shortly after passing Casper the river turns to the east-southeast and flows about 350mi to the city of North Platte, Nebraska.The North Platte and South Platte River join to form the Platte River in western Nebraska near the city of North Platte, Nebraska. The Platte River flows to the Missouri River which joins the Mississippi River to flow to the Gulf of Mexico. The river provides the major avenue of drainage for northern Colorado, eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. It is only navigable over most of its length at high water by canoes, kayaks and rubber rafts.
