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
  The nature scenery of Colorado and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The Purple Cliffs to State line stretch of Animas River in Colorado is 12 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. If you have the time you can make this a two day trip, so go ahead and pack your camping stuff. There are so many stretches to paddle in this river system, the Purple Cliffs to State line stretch is just one of many. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but if you don’t have reservations
    you might end up sleeping in your car. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Colorado tend to be more challenging than the national average, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the rivers here are not very forgiving. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby.
No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you won't find a large number of other places. The put-in location is a short drive from Durango, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. Getting some good exercise and spending some quality time in nature are great attractions for lots of people.

Briefly about the general area:
Summertime highs at Animas River mostly tend to be in the 80's. Summer night lows fall down to the 40's. The cold days of the wintertime come with highs in the 30's; after the sun
 
is down during the winter temperatures at Animas River descend into the 0's. Around Animas River you don’t get a lot of rain; through August this area sees the most rain, and June is the month with the least moisture.
If you yearn for a little side tour, try Sanchez Draw.

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

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Current weather conditions at Animas River, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: FORT LEWIS 11 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Durango/Purgatory Super 8 Motel, 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 do...

Quality Inn & Suites, Durango
7 miles away
Durango's newest hotel with 123 comfortably appointed guest rooms and suites. Quality Inn & Suites has become the activity center for adventure seekers, business professionals, and nature lovers. Con...

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...



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 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
Durango, Colorado , 28 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 40 miles away, 3000 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 44 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 45 miles away, 3530 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 77 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Powderhorn, Colorado , 109 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 115 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Crested Butte, Colorado , 116 miles away, 3062 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 122 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Animas River:
Durango/Purgatory Super 8 Motel, Durango , 7 miles away
Quality Inn & Suites, Durango , 7 miles away
Wyndham Durango, Durango , 8 miles away
Best Western Rio Grande Inn, Durango , 8 miles away
Residence Inn By Marriott 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

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