Colorado whitewater - Animas River, La Plata County

La Plata county, 32nd St. Park to Purple Cliffs section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III     6.5 miles
  The average Colorado whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master than those in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that rivers here are not as easy as elsewhere. The 32nd St. Park to Purple Cliffs stretch of Animas River in La Plata County is 6.5 miles long and it is classified as a class III section by American Whitewater. The scenic beauty of Colorado and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream make the trip here worthwhile. There are plenty of other sections in this river system
    that can be paddled as well. The campgrounds here at Animas River are pretty good. This stretch has has enough mileage, it's good length for a morning trip. No shortage of good hotels, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. 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 spots. If you're coming from Durango it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. A bit of exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are sure to keep you coming back for more.

Briefly about the general area:
Near Animas River you discover tremendous spots like Horse Gulch; you'll meet a lot of folks from Durango here. It is
 
very waterless here at Animas River mostly; through August this area sees the most rain, and the driest month is June.
The warmest time of the year brings highs in the 80's to Animas River, and through summer nights temperatures are in the 40's. Through the winter highs are in the 30's, and nighttime lows at Animas River throughout the winter commonly fall into the 0's.

Animas River, 32nd St. Park to Purple Cliffs road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III
Length: 6.5 miles
Average Gradient: 27 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.30258
Longitude: -107.86375

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.23646
Longitude: -107.86735

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Current weather conditions at Animas River, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: FORT LEWIS 13 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Wyndham Durango, Durango
Downtown Durango at Your Doorstep. Wyndham Durango, located at the heart of Durango's most popular attractions, is your best resort choice to relive Old West Americana culture and enjoy plenty of mode...

Best Western Rio Grande Inn, Durango
Experience the splendor and adventure of the Southwest while based at the Best Western Rio Grande Inn, located in historic downtown Durango, Colorado. The timeless Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge R...

Historic Strater Hotel, Durango
The Strater Hotel has been the centerpiece of Historic Durango since 1887. Walk into the lobby and lose a century. Memorabilia of historical significance fill display cases throughout the hotel. Each ...



OTHER_INFO
  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:
Animas River, La Plata County , 8 miles away, Class II-III - 12 miles long (Purple Cliffs to State line)
Hermosa Creek, La Plata County , 14 miles away, Class IV-V - 24 miles long (Hermosa Park to US 550)
Animas River, San Juan/ La Plata County , 15 miles away, Class IV-V - 2.6 miles long (Tacoma to Rockwood Rail Yard)
Canyon Creek, La Plata County , 15 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (to Animas River)
Animas River, San Juan/ La Plata County , 24 miles away, Class IV-V - 24.2 miles long (Silverton to Tacoma)
Lime Creek, -blank- County , 25 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (1st Gorge)
Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 26 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground)
Animas River, San Juan County , 28 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Cedar Hill to Farmington City Park)
 Ski Areas Near Animas River:
Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 13 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Purgatory, Colorado , 20 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 32 miles away, 1900 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 33 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 36 miles away, 3845 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 75 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Animas River:
Wyndham Durango, Durango , 1 miles away
Best Western Rio Grande Inn, Durango , 1 miles away
Historic Strater Hotel, Durango , 1 miles away
Econo Lodge Durango, Durango , 1 miles away
Holiday Inn DURANGO, Durango , 1 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Animas River:
Cotton wood RV Park, Durango, 2 miles away
Alpen Rose RV Park, Durango, 3 miles away
United Campgrounds Of Durango, Durango, 3 miles away
 Trails Near Animas River:
Highline Trail, La Plata County , 15 miles away
Goodhope Stock Driveway, La Plata County , 16 miles away
Highline Loop Trail, Montezuma County , 17 miles away
 National Parks Near Animas River:
Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 25 miles away
Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park - CO , 38 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Animas River:
Hillcrest Golf Club, Durango , 1 miles away
Hillcrest Golf Club, Durango , 1 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