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 The Highway 166 to Twitchell Reservoir stretch of Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo / Santa Barbara County is 15 miles long and is a class III-IV section of whitewater     according to American Whitewater. The Highway 166 to Twitchell Reservoir stretch is the only paddling stretch along Cuyama River. The natural beauty of San Luis Obispo / Santa Barbara County and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just being out on the river for a while will have you coming back for more. There's camping available near Cuyama River. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. If you hurry you can run this section in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so go ahead and pack your sleeping bag. The wild scenery of the Sierra Madre is great. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside California you might find the rivers here a bit more   challenging, so if you're not from around here don't forget that the rivers in this state are less manageable. Briefly about the general area: Hiking is a popular thing to do around Cuyama River; Willow Spring Trail is a great local trail, and the Lake Ridge Trail offers hiking at its best. Now, you may feel that's heaps but there's even more amusing things to do here in the Sierra Madre. Summertime highs at Cuyama River ordinarily tend to be in the 70's. Summer night lows plunge down to the 50's. High temperatures during the winter are normally in the 60's, and nighttime lows in the 40's for Cuyama River. At Cuyama River you don’t see much rain; January is the month that gets the most rain, and July meanwhile is the driest month. 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. Quality Inn & Suites 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... Candlewood Suites SANTA MARIA, Santa Maria 19 miles away Discover Santa Maria®s newest extended stay hotel, Candlewood Suites. See why our guests consider us home. Featuring Candlewood Cupboard, Gazebo Grill, free guest laundry and our Priority Club Rew... Fairfield Inn & Suites Santa Maria, Santa Maria 19 miles away At Fairfield Inn by Marriott?, we provide you with exactly the hotel experience you're looking for - a clean, comfortable room at an affordable price. Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast, exer...   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: Quality Inn & Suites Santa Maria, Santa Maria , 19 miles away Candlewood Suites SANTA MARIA, Santa Maria , 19 miles away Fairfield Inn & Suites 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   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