Colorado whitewater - Rio Grande, San Juan and Jemez 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 has been rated as a class II section by American Whitewater. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Colorado tend to be more challenging than the national average, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that many runs in this state are not easy. 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. The natural beauty of Colorado and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water are in themselves     reasons enough to come here to paddle. The beauty of the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great plus for this river. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. This is the only paddling stretch along Rio Grande. Getting a good workout and just hanging out with mother nature will have you coming back for more. If you hurry you can run this section in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so why not pack your camping stuff too. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this area has a pretty small number of paddling rivers. Briefly about the general area: For the period of the days of summer here at Rio Grande, high temperatures regularly get into the 70's. For the period of the moonlight hours it's usually in the 30's. Throughout the wintertime highs are typically in the 20's, and winter nights come   with lows in the-10's to Rio Grande. Life's too short to enjoy all the entertaining things in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. Rio Grande gets very little rain; the month of July is the wettest with most of the rain while June is the month with the least amount of precipitation. A cool spot to explore next to Rio Grande is Rio Grande Palisades; if you would like a little side journey, try Raspberry Gulch. 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 and Jemez 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 7 miles away *** FREE CONTINENTAL BREAFKAST *** The Spruce Lodge in South Fork is a beautiful, newly restored, historic building that was erected in 1926 as a boarding house for sawmill workers at Galbreath Tie an... Holiday Inn Express PAGOSA SPRINGS, Pagosa Springs 31 miles away The Holiday Inn Express Pagosa Springs offers guest rooms with either one king or two queen beds; all interior corridor. Every room has a 25' color TV, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board...   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: 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, 1162 vertical feet Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 64 miles away, 2100 vertical feet Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 65 miles away, 400 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 65 miles away, 1900 vertical feet Crested Butte, Colorado , 66 miles away, 2775 vertical feet Purgatory, Colorado , 76 miles away, 2029 vertical feet Telluride, Colorado , 79 miles away, 3845 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 , 7 miles away Holiday Inn Express PAGOSA SPRINGS, Pagosa Springs , 31 miles away OakRidge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 32 miles away Whispering Pines Condominums, 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