Colorado whitewater - Animas River, San Juan Mountains, San Juan/ La Plata County San Juan/ La Plata county, Tacoma to Rockwood Rail Yard section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV-V     2.6 miles   The Tacoma to Rockwood Rail Yard section of Animas River is 2.6 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class IV-V section. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Durango, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. The wild scenery of the San Juan Mountains is great. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Colorado are harder than the national norm, so better not forget that the rivers in this state are less manageable.     The wonderful Colorado scenery and the cool fresh water beats anything. No need to look hard for hotels, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way there are lots of good places for that around here. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more. This is a pretty short section so better bring some good walking shoes. This is not the only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. Briefly about the general area: Animas River is in close proximity to Sawmill Canyon which is undeniably worth taking a look at. During the warm days of summer here at Animas River, high temperatures usually get into the 70's while night lows are generally in the 30's. For the duration   of the winter the highs are mostly in the 30's with winter lows in the 0's overnight here at Animas River. A normal amount of precipitation falls here at Animas River; most of the rain falls all through August; the driest month is June. Animas River, Tacoma to Rockwood Rail Yard road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: IV-V Length: 2.6 miles Average Gradient: 118 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.52415 Longitude: -107.78239 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.50289 Longitude: -107.78531 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: RICO 17 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Tamarron Resort, Durango 3 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 ... Cascade Village, Durango 6 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... Purgatory Village Condominium Hotel, Silverton 7 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...   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: Canyon Creek, La Plata County , 1 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (to Animas River) Hermosa Creek, La Plata County , 7 miles away, Class IV-V - 24 miles long (Hermosa Park to US 550) Animas River, San Juan/ La Plata County , 9 miles away, Class IV-V - 24.2 miles long (Silverton to Tacoma) Lime Creek, -blank- County , 11 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (1st Gorge) Animas River, La Plata County , 15 miles away, Class III - 6.5 miles long (32nd St. Park to Purple Cliffs) Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 17 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground) Mineral Creek - South, -blank- County , 17 miles away, Class V+ - 0.5 miles long (Above South Mineral Camp Ground) Animas River, La Plata County , 22 miles away, Class II-III - 12 miles long (Purple Cliffs to State line) San Miguel River, San Miguel/ Montrose County , 28 miles away, Class III - 7.3 miles long (Silverpick Road to Fall Creek Road)   Ski Areas Near Animas River: Durango, Colorado , 7 miles away, 2029 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 17 miles away, 3000 vertical feet Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 22 miles away, 700 vertical feet Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 22 miles away, 400 vertical feet Telluride, Colorado , 23 miles away, 3530 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 69 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Powderhorn, Colorado , 89 miles away, 1650 vertical feet Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 93 miles away, 2100 vertical feet Crested Butte, Colorado , 95 miles away, 3062 vertical feet Sunlight Mountain, Colorado , 108 miles away, 2010 vertical feet   Hotels Near Animas River: Tamarron Resort, Durango , 3 miles away Cascade Village, Durango , 6 miles away Purgatory Village Condominium Hotel, Silverton , 7 miles away Iron Horse Inn, Durango , 13 miles away Best Western Mountain Shadows, Durango , 13 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Animas River: Haviland Lake Campground, La Plata County, 2 miles away Durango Koa Kampground, Durango, 3 miles away Bear Creek Campground, La Plata County, 4 miles away   Trails Near Animas River: Highline Trail, San Juan County , 13 miles away Circle Trail, Dolores County , 14 miles away Goodhope Stock Driveway, La Plata County , 14 miles away Highline Trail, La Plata County , 17 miles away Whitehead Trail, San Juan County , 17 miles away   National Parks Near Animas River: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 40 miles away Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park - CO , 45 miles away   Lakes Near Animas River