Colorado whitewater - Piedra River, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Hinsdale/ Archuleta County

Hinsdale/ Archuleta county, Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-IV     12 miles
  The average Colorado whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master than those in other states, so better not forget that rivers here are less forgiving. This section of Piedra River is 12 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II-IV section of whitewater. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature are great reasons to come. The Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge section is one of a few paddling sections in this river system. 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. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. The beauty of the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great plus for this river. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way around here
you'll find a large number of good places. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The nature scenery of Colorado and the water flowing gracefully down Piedra River make the trip here worthwhile.

Briefly about the general area:
Piedra River gets a typical amount of rainfall; the month with most of the rain is August, and June on the other hand is the driest. At Piedra River during the days of summer highs are in the 80's. Once the sun is
 
down it dips down to the 40's. High temperatures throughout the winter are normally in the 30's; after the sun is down through the wintertime temperatures at Piedra River plunge into the 0's.
These mountains rock, just check out all the enjoyable stuff to do in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. The Devil Mountain Trail offers hiking at its best. While staying at Piedra River you could always explore First Box Canyon, and a spree to Piedra River Hot Springs will fill your soul with pleasant feelings.

Piedra River, Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-IV
Length: 12 miles
Average Gradient: 40 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.35376
Longitude: -107.32351

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.24297
Longitude: -107.34124

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Current weather conditions at Piedra River, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: VALLECITO DAM 4 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Keyah Grande Resort, Pagosa Springs
11 miles away
Keyah Grande - An exclusive getaway. A Spanish-inspired gem, intimately nestled within 4,200 acres of pristine mountain wilderness, in the heart of Colorados San Juan Mountains. The eight guest suites...

Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs
18 miles away
Fairfield Pagosa gives you an incredible 18,000 acres to discover. Its lakes, golf course, trout streams and other natural wonders give you a million places to hide away among the magnificent Rockies....

Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs
18 miles away
Indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, sundeck and picnic area. Microwaves and refrig. available. Free breakfast including fresh fruit, assorted cereals, oatmeal, bagels, danishes and muffins. All ro...



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 Piedra River, Colorado
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Piedra 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 Piedra River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Piedra River.
 Whitewater Near Piedra River:
Piedra River, Hinsdale/ Archuleta County , 7 miles away, Class III-V - 10 miles long (1st Fork Bridge to Lower Piedra Campgound)
Piedra River, Archuleta County , 12 miles away, Class II-III - 20 miles long (Lower Piedra Campground to Navajo Reservation)
Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 18 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground)
San Juan River, Archuleta County , 22 miles away, Class II-III - 13.4 miles long (Pagosa to Trujillo Road)
San Juan River, Archuleta County , 23 miles away, Class II-III - 1 miles long (Pagosa Springs Town Run)
Rio Blanco, Archuleta County , 25 miles away, Class II-III - 8 miles long (Highway 84 to San Juan River)
Rio Grande, Hinsdale County , 27 miles away, Class III-IV - 8 miles long (Rio Grande Reservoir to 12 miles above Creede)
Navajo River, Rio Arriba (NM) / Archuleta County , 27 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Lower 25 miles to San Juan confluence)
 Ski Areas Near Piedra River:
Silverton, Colorado , 36 miles away, 3000 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 36 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Durango, Colorado , 38 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 38 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 50 miles away, 3530 vertical feet
Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 50 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 90 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Crested Butte, Colorado , 92 miles away, 3062 vertical feet
Monarch, Colorado , 96 miles away, 1171 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 101 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Piedra River:
Keyah Grande Resort, Pagosa Springs , 11 miles away
Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs , 18 miles away
Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 18 miles away
Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 18 miles away
Oak Ridge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 22 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Piedra River:
Piedra Hunter Campground, Archuleta County, 3 miles away
Lower Piedra Campground, Archuleta County, 3 miles away
Mesa Spring Hunter Campground, Archuleta County, 4 miles away
 Trails Near Piedra River:
Devil Mountain Trail, Archuleta County , 4 miles away
Middle Mountain Trail, Archuleta County , 7 miles away
Pine-Piedra Stock Driveway, Hinsdale County , 8 miles away
Piedra Stock Trail, Archuleta County , 11 miles away
Fourmile Stock Trail, Archuleta County , 14 miles away
 National Parks Near Piedra River:
Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 52 miles away

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