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

Archuleta county, Lower Piedra Campground to Navajo Reservation section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-III     20 miles
  The Lower Piedra Campground to Navajo Reservation section of Piedra River in Colorado is 20 miles long and has been rated as a class II-III section by American Whitewater. The nature scenery of Colorado and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. Great exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are sure to keep you coming back for more. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master in this state than those in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that a large number of rivers
    in this state are not easy. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. There are a few other sections in this river system that can be paddled as well. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this area has a large number of paddling rivers. The
river winds through the San Juan and Jemez Mountains and you get great scenery. The put-in location is a short drive from Durango, as you can see on the road map further down. 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. You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so pack your sleeping bag.

Briefly about the general area:
A great location to have a look at next to Piedra River is Pine Tree Canyon. At Piedra River you don’t see much precipitation; the month with
 
most of the rain is August, and June is when it's the driest.
Throughout the warmest time of the year at Piedra River temperatures are mostly in the 80's, and throughout the night it cools down to the 40's. Highs all through the wintertime are regularly in the 30's while Piedra River nighttime low temperatures through the winter are in the 0's.

Piedra River, Lower Piedra Campground to Navajo Reservation road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-III
Length: 20 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.11259
Longitude: -107.38421

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.07239
Longitude: -107.40551

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

Local climate location: IGNACIO 1 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Keyah Grande Resort, Pagosa Springs
17 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
23 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
24 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 , 5 miles away, Class III-V - 10 miles long (1st Fork Bridge to Lower Piedra Campgound)
Piedra River, Hinsdale/ Archuleta County , 12 miles away, Class II-IV - 12 miles long (Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge)
Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 25 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground)
San Juan River, Archuleta County , 26 miles away, Class II-III - 13.4 miles long (Pagosa to Trujillo Road)
Navajo River, Rio Arriba (NM) / Archuleta County , 28 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Lower 25 miles to San Juan confluence)
Rio Blanco, Archuleta County , 28 miles away, Class II-III - 8 miles long (Highway 84 to San Juan River)
San Juan River, Archuleta County , 29 miles away, Class II-III - 1 miles long (Pagosa Springs Town Run)
 Ski Areas Near Piedra River:
Purgatory, Colorado , 41 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 43 miles away, 1900 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 44 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 47 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 47 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Telluride, Colorado , 56 miles away, 3845 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 96 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Piedra River:
Keyah Grande Resort, Pagosa Springs , 17 miles away
Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 23 miles away
Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs , 24 miles away
Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 24 miles away
Whispering Pines Condominums, Pagosa Springs , 25 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Piedra River:
Pinon Park Campground and RV Resort, Arboles, 4 miles away
Navajo, Arboles, 9 miles away
Lower Piedra Campground, Archuleta County, 9 miles away
 Trails Near Piedra River:
Pine-Piedra Stock Driveway, Hinsdale County , 10 miles away
Devil Mountain Trail, Archuleta County , 14 miles away
Middle Mountain Trail, Archuleta County , 17 miles away
Piedra Stock Trail, Archuleta County , 20 miles away
 National Parks Near Piedra River:
Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - NM , 43 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