Colorado whitewater - Rio Grande, San Juan Mountains, Mineral/Rio Grande County Mineral/Rio Grande county, Wagon Wheel Gap to South Fork section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II     12 miles   The Wagon Wheel Gap to South Fork stretch of Rio Grande in Colorado is 12 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II section. The scenic beauty of Colorado and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water have people coming here. If you have the time you can make this a two day trip, so pack your camp stove. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. Getting a good workout and just hanging out with mother nature     are great reasons to come. The San Juan Mountains scenery is wonderful. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with not too many other places for that. The Wagon Wheel Gap to South Fork stretch is the only paddling stretch along Rio Grande. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Colorado tend to be more challenging than the national average, so better not forget that the rivers in this state are less manageable. Briefly about the general area: Rio Grande Palisades is an attention-grabbing place to explore while at Rio Grande, and close by you discover great sites like Raspberry Gulch. Not much precipitation falls here at Rio Grande; the wettest month of the year is regularly July, that's the one that rains the most, and June is the month   with the least moisture. And that's not all you can do here in the San Juan Mountains. Summertime highs at Rio Grande typically tend to be in the 70's, and through the night it cools down to the 30's. Highs during the wintertime are ordinarily in the 20's with temperatures at Rio Grande dipping down into the-10's during winter nights. Rio Grande, Wagon Wheel Gap to South Fork road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II Length: 12 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.7689 Longitude: -106.79631 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 37.6758 Longitude: -106.65191 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 Mountains, Colorado Local climate location: HERMIT 28 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Allington Inn and Suites, South Fork 6 miles away Close enough for a quick getaway, but filled with enough excitement and adventure to pack an entire vacation. This mountain destination is wrapped in the majestic San Juan Mountains of Southern Colora... The Spruce Lodge, South Fork 11 miles away Welcome to The Historic Spruce Lodge in beautiful South Fork, Colorado- Built in 1905, our main lodge offers rustic elegance and historic charm. A truly unique place to stay. Originally built as a boa... Holiday Inn Express Pagosa Springs, Co, Pagosa Springs 31 miles away The Holiday Inn Express Pagosa Springs offers guest rooms with either one king or two queen beds; Inside corridor; Every room has a 25' color TV, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board; 4...   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 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: Wolf Creek, Mineral County , 18 miles away, Class IV+ - 0.25 miles long (Downstream from Highway 160 Bridge) San Juan River - East Fork, Archuleta County , 23 miles away, Class III-IV - 4 miles long (East Fork to 160 Bridge)   Ski Areas Near Rio Grande: Wolf Creek, Colorado , 14 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Monarch, Colorado , 51 miles away, 1171 vertical feet Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 62 miles away, 400 vertical feet Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 64 miles away, 2100 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 65 miles away, 3000 vertical feet Crested Butte, Colorado , 66 miles away, 3062 vertical feet Durango, Colorado , 76 miles away, 2029 vertical feet Telluride, Colorado , 79 miles away, 3530 vertical feet Snowmass, Colorado , 79 miles away, 4406 vertical feet Aspen Mountain, Colorado , 80 miles away, 3267 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Grande: Allington Inn and Suites, South Fork , 6 miles away The Spruce Lodge, South Fork , 11 miles away Holiday Inn Express Pagosa Springs, Co, Pagosa Springs , 31 miles away Oak Ridge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 32 miles away Fairfield Pagosa Resort, Pagosa Springs , 34 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande: Palisade Campground, Mineral County, 3 miles away Aspen Ridge Cabins and RV Park, South Fork, 6 miles away Grandview Cabins, South Fork, 6 miles away   Trails Near Rio Grande: Lake Fork National Recreation Trail, Mineral County , 9 miles away Farmers Creek Trail, Mineral County , 11 miles away Farmers Creek Trail, Mineral County , 11 miles away Highline Trail, Mineral County , 11 miles away Wolf Creek Stock Driveway, Rio Grande County , 14 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Grande: Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Gunnison - CO , 41 miles away Curecanti National Recreation Area, Gunnison - CO , 41 miles away   Lakes Near Rio Grande