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
  This stretch of Piedra River in Hinsdale/ Archuleta County is 12 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II-IV section of whitewater. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so keep in mind that quite a few of the sections here are not easy. There's camping available near Piedra River. If you have the time you can make this a two day trip, so why not pack your sleeping bag too. A good workout and spending some quality time in nature will make you glad you came. 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. The natural beauty of Colorado and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream will make you feel great. The beauty
of the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great plus for this river. There are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge stretch is one of them. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this is an area with plenty of rivers for that.

Briefly about the general area:
Man, is there lots of entertaining things to do in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. If the weather is brilliant here at Piedra River, you can go for a hike along the Devil Mountain
 
Trail. Piedra River Hot Springs is a pretty site to check out while you're at Piedra River; First Box Canyon is nearby, and is a magnificent place.
Summer at Piedra River comes with high temperatures in the 80's while nighttime lows are commonly in the 40's. High temperatures during the wintertime are normally in the 30's, and overnight lows in the 0's for Piedra River. The amount of rainfall that falls at Piedra River is close to the national average; all through August this area sees the most rain while June is the month with the least amount of precipitation.

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

Paddler input for Piedra River, Colorado:

Submit Input:
Your Name:
Write or Paste Input here:

Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines




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...

Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs
17 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...

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....



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, 1900 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 36 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Purgatory, Colorado , 38 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 38 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 50 miles away, 3845 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, 2775 vertical feet
Monarch, Colorado , 96 miles away, 1162 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Piedra River:
Keyah Grande Resort, Pagosa Springs , 11 miles away
Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 17 miles away
Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs , 18 miles away
Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 18 miles away
Whispering Pines Condominums, Pagosa Springs , 19 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