Colorado whitewater - Rio Grande, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Hinsdale County Hinsdale county, Rio Grande Reservoir to 12 miles above Creede section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III-IV     8 miles   The natural beauty of Colorado and the playfulness of the water beats anything. The sections for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in Colorado are often more challenging than in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. The Rio Grande Reservoir to 12 miles above Creede section of Rio Grande in Hinsdale County is 8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class III-IV section. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance     then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Great exercise and just being out on the river for a while are great reasons to come. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. There are no other stretches to paddle along Rio Grande than the Rio Grande Reservoir to 12 miles above Creede stretch. This is a pretty decent length section, good for a one day paddling trip. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good spots. The beautiful San Juan and Jemez Mountains scenery is an added bonus. Briefly about the general area: Long Canyon is in close proximity to Rio Grande and is a delightful place; why not take a refreshing hike along the Fern Creek Stock Driveway. Man, is there lots of exciting stuff to do in   the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. Around Rio Grande you don’t get a lot of rain; throughout the month of August you get the most rain around here while February is the month with the least amount of precipitation. High temperatures at Rio Grande throughout the long summer days are in the 70's. Summer nighttime lows descend down to the 40's. The cold days of the winter come with highs in the 30's; winter nights come with lows in the-10's to Rio Grande. Rio Grande, Rio Grande Reservoir to 12 miles above Creede road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III-IV Length: 8 miles Average Gradient: 38 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.72908 Longitude: -107.23381 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.77448 Longitude: -107.14028 Paddler input for Rio Grande, Colorado: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Rio Grande, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Colorado Local climate location: LAKE CITY 14 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs 27 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.... Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs 28 miles away Pagosa Lodge is located on the west side of town with beautiful views of the San Juan Mountains and Pinon Lake. Pagosa Lodge is a 3 diamond facility just one mile from the Pagosa Springs Golf Course ... Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs 28 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...   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 Rio Grande, Colorado List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Rio Grande, 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 Rio Grande. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Rio Grande.   Whitewater Near Rio Grande: Lake Fork Gunnison River, Hinsdale/Gunnison County , 19 miles away, Class III - 3.6 miles long (Lake City Town Run) Henson Creek, Hinsdale County , 19 miles away, Class IV-V - 6.7 miles long (Above Nellie Creek to 1/2 mile from Lake City) Wolf Creek, Mineral County , 27 miles away, Class IV+ - 0.25 miles long (Downstream from Highway 160 Bridge) Piedra River, Hinsdale/ Archuleta County , 27 miles away, Class II-IV - 12 miles long (Upper Piedra Campground to 1st Fork Bridge) Vallecito Creek, La Plata County , 28 miles away, Class V+ - 1 miles long (1 mile above Vallecito Campground) San Juan River, Archuleta County , 29 miles away, Class II-III - 1 miles long (Pagosa Springs Town Run) San Juan River - East Fork, Archuleta County , 29 miles away, Class III-IV - 4 miles long (East Fork to 160 Bridge)   Ski Areas Near Rio Grande: Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 30 miles away, 400 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 31 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 33 miles away, 3000 vertical feet Durango, Colorado , 44 miles away, 2029 vertical feet Telluride, Colorado , 47 miles away, 3530 vertical feet Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 63 miles away, 2100 vertical feet Crested Butte, Colorado , 65 miles away, 3062 vertical feet Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 65 miles away, 700 vertical feet Monarch, Colorado , 72 miles away, 1171 vertical feet Aspen Highlands, Colorado , 81 miles away, 3635 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Grande: Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs , 27 miles away Pagosa Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 28 miles away Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 28 miles away Keyah Grande Resort, Pagosa Springs , 28 miles away Oak Ridge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 29 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande: Road Canyon Campground, Hinsdale County, 0 miles away River Hill Campground, Hinsdale County, 3 miles away South Clear Creek Falls Campground, Hinsdale County, 5 miles away   Trails Near Rio Grande: Fern Creek Stock Driveway, Hinsdale County , 4 miles away Long Ridge Stock Driveway, Mineral County , 8 miles away Middle Creek Stock Driveway, Mineral County , 12 miles away McKenzie Stock Driveway, Mineral County , 14 miles away Cebolla Trail, Hinsdale County , 16 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Grande: Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Gunnison - CO , 55 miles away Curecanti National Recreation Area, Gunnison - CO , 55 miles away