Colorado whitewater - Animas River, La Plata County La Plata county, Purple Cliffs to State line section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     12 miles   If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside Colorado you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so keep in mind that the rivers in this state are less manageable. The Purple Cliffs to State line stretch of Animas River is 12 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II-III section of whitewater. This is not the only paddling section in this river system, there are others too. If you hurry you can run this section in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so why not pack your camp stove too. The wonderful La Plata     County scenery and the playfulness of the water beats anything. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way there are not so many other good rivers for that around here. A good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors have people coming from far and near. 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. Briefly about the general area: Summertime highs at Animas River typically tend to be in the 80's. Summer night lows descend down to the 40's. For the period of the winter highs are mostly   in the 30's while Animas River overnight low temperatures all through the winter are in the 0's. Sanchez Draw is right next door to Animas River and is a tremendous location. Animas River is pretty dried up regularly; August is when you get the most rain here, and June is when it's the driest. Animas River, Purple Cliffs to State line road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-III Length: 12 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.23646 Longitude: -107.86735 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.99982 Longitude: -107.86503 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, Colorado Local climate location: FORT LEWIS 11 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Super 8 Durango/Purgatory, Durango 7 miles away * Welcome to Durango, the heart of Colorado & number 39; old and new west! * Durango has been a bustling railroad town since the 1880s and today you can still ride the historic steam train from d... Comfort Inn & Suites Durango, Durango 7 miles away Durango's newest hotel with 123 comfortably appointed guest rooms and suites. Comfort Inn and Suites has become the activity center for adventure seekers, business professionals, and nature lovers. C... Wyndham Durango, Durango 8 miles away 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...   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: Animas River, La Plata County , 8 miles away, Class III - 6.5 miles long (32nd St. Park to Purple Cliffs) Animas River, San Juan County , 21 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Cedar Hill to Farmington City Park) Hermosa Creek, La Plata County , 22 miles away, Class IV-V - 24 miles long (Hermosa Park to US 550) Animas River, San Juan/ La Plata County , 23 miles away, Class IV-V - 2.6 miles long (Tacoma to Rockwood Rail Yard) Canyon Creek, La Plata County , 23 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (to Animas River) Animas River, San Juan County , 30 miles away, Class II+ - 0.01 miles long (Farmington Whitewater Park)   Ski Areas Near Animas River: Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 16 miles away, 700 vertical feet Purgatory, Colorado , 28 miles away, 2029 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 40 miles away, 1900 vertical feet Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 41 miles away, 400 vertical feet Telluride, Colorado , 45 miles away, 3845 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 77 miles away, 1604 vertical feet   Hotels Near Animas River: Super 8 Durango/Purgatory, Durango , 7 miles away Comfort Inn & Suites Durango, Durango , 7 miles away Wyndham Durango, Durango , 8 miles away Best Western Rio Grande Inn, Durango , 8 miles away Doubletree Hotel Durango, Durango , 8 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Animas River: Durango Yearround RV Park, Durango, 2 miles away Alpen Rose RV Park, Durango, 6 miles away Durango East KOA, Durango, 8 miles away   National Parks Near Animas River: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 18 miles away Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park - CO , 40 miles away   Lakes Near Animas River