California whitewater - Cuyama River, Sierra Madre, San Luis Obispo / Santa Barbara County San Luis Obispo / Santa Barbara county, Highway 166 to Twitchell Reservoir section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III-IV     15 miles   Be advised, this river's headwater starts on private, sporatically goes through USFS, back to private. From Cuyama down to Santa Maria is mostly private. Beware of me & my neigbors barb wire fences. Very seasonal to paddle if your lucky. Draws down to a trickle. Twitchel Reservoir, Vaqueor Dam is NOT OPEN to the public. It is on private land. Being seasonal, it has many hazards. Says Steve Whitewater rafting and kayaking in California is often more difficult than elsewhere, so better not forget that rivers here are less forgiving. The Highway 166     to Twitchell Reservoir section of Cuyama River in California is 15 miles long and has been rated as a class III-IV section by American Whitewater. This stretch is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so go ahead and pack your sleeping bag. When you're paddling down a Sierra Madre river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. The wonderful California scenery and the cool fresh water attract people from near and far. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. Getting a good workout and just being out on the river for a while are great reasons to come. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This is the only paddling stretch along Cuyama River. Briefly about   the general area: Take a hike on the Willow Spring Trail, and hiking along the Lake Ridge Trail is delightful fun. At Cuyama River through the summertime months highs are in the 70's. When the night sets in temperatures descend down into the 50's. The winter comes with highs in the 60's, and after the sun is down through the winter temperatures at Cuyama River plunge into the 40's. Now, you may imagine that's lots but there's even more amusing stuff to do here in the Sierra Madre. Not much rainfall falls here at Cuyama River; the month with most of the rain is January while July is the month with the least amount of precipitation. Cuyama River, Highway 166 to Twitchell Reservoir road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III-IV Length: 15 miles Average Gradient: 35 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.1052 Longitude: -120.07171 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.0255 Longitude: -120.2584 Paddler input for Cuyama River, California: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Cuyama River, Sierra Madre, California Local climate location: PISMO BEACH 14 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Comfort Inn Santa Maria, Santa Maria 19 miles away Centrally located near Hancock College and Fairgrounds and across the street from the Marian Medical Center. Easy freeway access. Guest rooms with patios or balconies facing the swimming pool and cour... Rose Garden Inn - Santa Maria, Santa Maria 19 miles away Welcome to the Rose Garden Inn in Santa Maria, located in the beautiful neighborhood of Solvang in the Central Coast of California. We are a 'different' kind of Inn-one with a friendly and helpful st... Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Santa Maria, Ca, Santa Maria 19 miles away Take a video tour of our hotel! The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Santa Maria is a three Diamond AAA full service property conveniently located off Hwy 101 at the Broadway exit. The hotel®s location m...   Sierra Madre Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Sierra Madre. Sierra Madre Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Sierra Madre. All California Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California. Books about whitewater paddling on Cuyama River, California List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Cuyama River, California. Find a whitewater outfitter in California Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, California Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, California, the metro area neareast to Cuyama River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Cuyama River.   Ski Areas Near Cuyama River: Shirley Meadow, California , 117 miles away, 600 vertical feet Sierra Summit, California , 141 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Badger Pass, California , 151 miles away, 800 vertical feet Mammoth Mountain, California , 167 miles away, 3100 vertical feet June Mountain, California , 170 miles away, 2590 vertical feet Mt Waterman, California , 170 miles away, 1300 vertical feet Mountain High, California , 175 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Ski Sunrise, California , 175 miles away, 816 vertical feet Dodge Ridge, California , 177 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Mt. Baldy, California , 181 miles away, 2100 vertical feet   Hotels Near Cuyama River: Comfort Inn Santa Maria, Santa Maria , 19 miles away Rose Garden Inn - Santa Maria, Santa Maria , 19 miles away Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Santa Maria, Ca, Santa Maria , 19 miles away Best Western Big America, Santa Maria , 20 miles away Victorian Mansion, Los Alamos , 20 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Cuyama River: Brookshire Campground, Santa Barbara County, 4 miles away Colson Canyon Campgrounds, Santa Barbara County, 7 miles away Agua Escondido Campground, San Luis Obispo County, 8 miles away   Trails Near Cuyama River: Willow Spring Trail, Santa Barbara County , 1 miles away,  4.2 hiking miles, 1637 feet elevation difference Lake Ridge Trail, Santa Barbara County , 4 miles away, 4.5 hiking miles, 1833 feet elevation difference Indians Trail, Santa Barbara County , 6 miles away, 7.5 hiking miles, 1444 feet elevation difference Machesna Trail, San Luis Obispo County , 11 miles away,  4.2 hiking miles, 1390 feet elevation difference Hi Mountain Trail, San Luis Obispo County , 20 miles away, 3.7 hiking miles, 1419 feet elevation difference