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

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

 

CLASS III-V     10 miles
  This stretch of Piedra River in Colorado is 10 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class III-V section. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state is often more difficult than elsewhere, so you'd better keep in mind that a lot of the rivers here are not suitable for beginners. The starting point is not too far from Durango, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. Getting some good exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons to come. 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. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of spots for that. There are a few other stretches in this river system that
can be paddled as well. The wonderful Hinsdale/ Archuleta County scenery and the playfulness of the water will make you feel great. The San Juan Mountains scenery is wonderful. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. You can enjoy this section more if you take your time, so why not pack your sleeping bag too.

Briefly about the general area:
At Piedra River during the days of summer highs are in the 80's, and during summer nights temperatures are in the 40's. The wintertime comes with highs in the 30's; winter nights
 
come with lows in the 0's to Piedra River. You might want to pay a visit to Peterson Gulch if you're here at Piedra River.
An average amount of precipitation falls at Piedra River; of all the months in a year August is the one with the most rain while June is generally the driest month.

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

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-V
Length: 10 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.24297
Longitude: -107.34124

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.11259
Longitude: -107.38421

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

Local climate location: VALLECITO DAM 2 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs
20 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...

Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs
21 miles away
Nestled in Wolf Creek Valley at the basin of the San Juan Mountains, Pagosa Springs offers one of the largest and hottest mineral springs in the world. This quiet community is noted as the last 'natu...

Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs
21 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 Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the San Juan Mountains.

San Juan Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the San Juan 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, Archuleta County , 5 miles away, Class II-III - 20 miles long (Lower Piedra Campground to Navajo Reservation)
Piedra River, Hinsdale/ Archuleta County , 7 miles away, Class II-IV - 12 miles long (Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge)
Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 22 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground)
San Juan River, Archuleta County , 23 miles away, Class II-III - 13.4 miles long (Pagosa to Trujillo Road)
San Juan River, Archuleta County , 25 miles away, Class II-III - 1 miles long (Pagosa Springs Town Run)
Rio Blanco, Archuleta County , 26 miles away, Class II-III - 8 miles long (Highway 84 to San Juan River)
Navajo River, Rio Arriba (NM) / Archuleta County , 26 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Lower 25 miles to San Juan confluence)
 Ski Areas Near Piedra River:
Silverton, Colorado , 40 miles away, 3000 vertical feet
Durango, Colorado , 40 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 41 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 43 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 48 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 53 miles away, 3530 vertical feet
Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 97 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 97 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Crested Butte, Colorado , 99 miles away, 3062 vertical feet
Monarch, Colorado , 102 miles away, 1171 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Piedra River:
Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 20 miles away
Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 21 miles away
Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs , 21 miles away
Oak Ridge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 25 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Pagosa Springs, Co, Pagosa Springs , 26 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Piedra River:
Navajo, Arboles, 4 miles away
Lower Piedra Campground, Archuleta County, 4 miles away
Capote Campground, Archuleta County, 7 miles away
 Trails Near Piedra River:
Pine-Piedra Stock Driveway, Hinsdale County , 8 miles away
Devil Mountain Trail, Archuleta County , 9 miles away
Middle Mountain Trail, Archuleta County , 12 miles away
Piedra Stock Trail, Archuleta County , 15 miles away
Fourmile Stock Trail, Archuleta County , 18 miles away
 National Parks Near Piedra River:
Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 47 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