The 'Canadian River' is a tributary of the
North Platte River, located approximately 20 mi (30 km) long, in
Jackson County in north central
Colorado in the
United States. It drains the eastern edge of the
North Park basin along the western side of
Medicine Bow Mountains.
It rises in several short forks that descend from the southwest edge of the Medicine Bow Mountains near
Clark Peak in southeastern
Jackson County, north of
Gould and northwest of
Cameron Pass. It descends to the northwest through the
Colorado State Forest, and in the valley floor, where it becomes a braided stream as it passes through ranch country. It roughly skirts the eastern edge of the valley, roughly parallel to the
Michigan River to the west. It joins the North Platte from the east in north central Jackson County, approximately 7 mi (12 km) north of
Walden and approximately 2 mi (3 km) downstream from the mouth of the Michigan.