Colorado whitewater - Animas River, San Juan Mountains, San Juan/ La Plata County San Juan/ La Plata county, Silverton to Tacoma section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV-V     24.2 miles   The scenic beauty of San Juan/ La Plata County and the water flowing gracefully down Animas River make the trip here worthwhile. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers here are not as easy as elsewhere. The starting location is a short drive from Durango, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The beauty of the San Juan Mountains is a great plus for this river. The nearby hotels are a     bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The campgrounds here at Animas River are pretty good. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good places. There are a few other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature will make you glad you came. The Silverton to Tacoma section of Animas River in San Juan/ La Plata County is 24.2 miles long and it is classified as a class IV-V section by American Whitewater. This section is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so why not pack your camp stove too. Briefly about the general area: During the long summer days, highs regularly are in the 70's at Animas River.   Throughout the moonlight hours it's commonly in the 40's. The winter brings highs down to the 30's while Animas River nighttime low temperatures throughout the wintertime are in the 0's. Animas River is pretty dry commonly; the wettest month of the year is generally August, that's the one that rains the most; June on the other hand is the driest. Animas River, Silverton to Tacoma road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: IV-V Length: 24.2 miles Average Gradient: 80 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.803 Longitude: -107.67259 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.52415 Longitude: -107.78239 Paddler input for Animas River, Colorado: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Animas River, San Juan Mountains, Colorado Local climate location: TELLURIDE 17 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Purgatory Village Condominium Hotel, Silverton 6 miles away Located at the base of Durango Mountain Resort surrounded by the majestic San Juan Mountains. In the winter, ski all day and then relax with a therapeutic massage or go into the quaint downtown distri... Cascade Village, Durango 7 miles away Located one mile north of Durango Mountain Resort - Cascade Village is the quinessential Colorado Mountain Lodge. The property has incredible views of the Needles Range and Engineer M ountain. The mai... Tamarron Resort, Durango 12 miles away Tamarron is located 15 miles north of Durango in a beautiful valley tucked beneath the rugged Hermosa Cliffs. Tamarron is 8 miles south of Durango Mountain Resort. The Lodge offers guests a beautiful ...   San Juan Mountains Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the San Juan Mountains. San Juan Mountains Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the San Juan Mountains. All Colorado Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Colorado. Books about whitewater paddling on Animas River, Colorado List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Animas River, Colorado. Find a whitewater outfitter in Colorado Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Durango, Colorado Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Durango, Colorado, the metro area neareast to Animas River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Animas River.   Whitewater Near Animas River: Lime Creek, -blank- County , 3 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (1st Gorge) Mineral Creek - South, -blank- County , 8 miles away, Class V+ - 0.5 miles long (Above South Mineral Camp Ground) Canyon Creek, La Plata County , 8 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (to Animas River) Animas River, San Juan/ La Plata County , 9 miles away, Class IV-V - 2.6 miles long (Tacoma to Rockwood Rail Yard) Hermosa Creek, La Plata County , 13 miles away, Class IV-V - 24 miles long (Hermosa Park to US 550) Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 16 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground) San Miguel River, San Miguel/ Montrose County , 23 miles away, Class III - 7.3 miles long (Silverpick Road to Fall Creek Road) Animas River, La Plata County , 24 miles away, Class III - 6.5 miles long (32nd St. Park to Purple Cliffs)   Ski Areas Near Animas River: Durango, Colorado , 6 miles away, 2029 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 8 miles away, 3000 vertical feet Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 13 miles away, 400 vertical feet Telluride, Colorado , 17 miles away, 3530 vertical feet Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 30 miles away, 700 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 65 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Powderhorn, Colorado , 82 miles away, 1650 vertical feet Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 84 miles away, 2100 vertical feet Crested Butte, Colorado , 86 miles away, 3062 vertical feet Sunlight Mountain, Colorado , 99 miles away, 2010 vertical feet   Hotels Near Animas River: Purgatory Village Condominium Hotel, Silverton , 6 miles away Cascade Village, Durango , 7 miles away Tamarron Resort, Durango , 12 miles away Ice House Lodge, Telluride , 16 miles away Camels Garden, Telluride , 16 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Animas River: Lime Creek Campground, San Juan County, 2 miles away Purgatory Campground, La Plata County, 6 miles away South Mineral Campground, San Juan County, 8 miles away   Trails Near Animas River: Highline Trail, San Juan County , 8 miles away Deer Park Trail, San Juan County , 9 miles away Whitehead Trail, San Juan County , 9 miles away Brooklyn Trail, San Juan County , 11 miles away Circle Trail, Dolores County , 13 miles away   National Parks Near Animas River: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 49 miles away Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park - CO , 52 miles away   Lakes Near Animas River