Colorado whitewater - Animas River, San Juan and Jemez 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 Silverton to Tacoma section of Animas River in San Juan/ La Plata County is 24.2 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class IV-V section of whitewater. The average Colorado whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be harder to run than those in other states, so don't forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Durango, as you can see on the road map further down. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots.
    You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so go ahead and pack your sleeping bag. The beautiful San Juan and Jemez Mountains scenery is an added bonus. This river system has a few good paddling sections and the Silverton to Tacoma section is one of them. There's camping
available near Animas River. Getting some good exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are great attractions for lots of people. 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. The nature scenery of San Juan/ La Plata County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream attract people from near and far.

Briefly about the general area:
At Animas River through the summertime highs are in the 70's. Once the sun is down it sinks
 
down to the 40's. The wintertime brings highs down to the 30's with temperatures at Animas River dipping down into the 0's through winter nights.
Animas River is frequently a relatively dehydrated site; August is the wettest month with most rain, and the driest of the months is June.

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 and Jemez Mountains, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: TELLURIDE 17 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Purgatory Village Condominium Hotel, Durango
6 miles away
This ski-in/ski-out resort features a wide variety of services such as 24 hour front desk, fitness center, wedding services, complimentary Internet access in public areas, restaurants, conference room...

Purgatory Lodge by Durango Mountain Resorts, Durango
6 miles away
This luxury ski-in/ski-out property is the anchor of the new Purgatory Village, featuring upgraded skier services and a new Purgys Day Lodge. Purgatory Lodge units range in size from 2 bedrooms to 4 b...

Cascade Village, Durango
6 miles away
Located just 2 miles north of the main entrance of Durango Mountain Resort, Cascade has a large selection of vacation rentals and lodging accommodations from a studio for two to a single family home i...



OTHER_INFO
  San Juan and Jemez Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains.

San Juan and Jemez Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the San Juan and Jemez 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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
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:
Purgatory, Colorado , 6 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 8 miles away, 1900 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 9 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 17 miles away, 3845 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, 2775 vertical feet
Sunlight Mountain, Colorado , 99 miles away, 2010 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Animas River:
Purgatory Village Condominium Hotel, Durango , 6 miles away
Purgatory Lodge by Durango Mountain Resorts, Durango , 6 miles away
Cascade Village, Durango , 6 miles away
Lodge at Tamarron, Durango , 10 miles away
The Ice House Lodge, 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

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater