New Mexico whitewater - Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Rio Arriba County Rio Arriba county, Abiquiu Dam to confluence with Rio Grande section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     25 miles   The Abiquiu Dam to confluence with Rio Grande stretch of Rio Chama is 25 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-II section. The put-in location is a short drive from Espanola, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The scenic beauty of Rio Arriba County and the cool fresh water attract people from near and far. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master in this state than those in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the rivers     here are not very demanding. 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. This is one of a small number of paddling stretches in this river system, there are a few others too. The river winds through the San Juan and Jemez Mountains and you get great scenery. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you won't find a large number of other spots. If you hurry you can run this stretch in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so why not pack your camp stove too. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. A bit of exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. Briefly about the general area: That right there is a heap of enjoyable things already but it goes on,   the San Juan and Jemez Mountains has it all. Why not take a refreshing hike along the Palacio Trail. Through the warmest time of the year, highs typically are in the 80's at Rio Chama. Through the dark hours of summer temperatures fall down into the 50's. Highs during the wintertime are mostly in the 40's, and nighttime lows through the winter for Rio Chama tend to be in the 10's. The Apache Trail offers hiking at its best, and Santa Fe National Forest is worth taking a look at. Rio Chama is a location that is quite dried up ordinarily; most of the rain falls during August, and the driest month of the year is February. Rio Chama, Abiquiu Dam to confluence with Rio Grande road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: I-II Length: 25 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.24 Longitude: -106.43001 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.04219 Longitude: -106.0869 Paddler input for Rio Chama, New Mexico: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, New Mexico Local climate location: ABIQUIU DAM 0 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu 10 miles away Beautiful 19-room Inn located in tranquil Chama River Valley setting. Guest rooms- suites- and casitas feature stunning Southwestern decor and luxurious beds with pillow-top mattresses. Many rooms wit... Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos 15 miles away This downtown Los Alamos hotel offers the perfect location with breathtaking mountain views. Friendly service, comfortable accommodations and unique amenities describe the Best Western Hilltop House... Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos 15 miles away The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos is conveniently located just five minutes from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, twenty minutes to the Jemez Mountains with skiing, hiking, fishing,...   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 New Mexico Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in New Mexico. Books about whitewater paddling on Rio Chama, New Mexico List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Rio Chama, New Mexico. Find a whitewater outfitter in New Mexico Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Espanola, New Mexico Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Espanola, New Mexico, the metro area neareast to Rio Chama. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Rio Chama.   Whitewater Near Rio Chama: Rio Ojo Caliente, Rio Arriba County , 13 miles away, Class I-II - 28 miles long (La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama) Rio Grande, Sandoval County , 21 miles away, Class III - 24 miles long (Otowi Bridge to Cochiti Reservoir) Rio Santa Cruz, Santa Fe County , 26 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (Cundiyo to Santa Cruz Reservoir) Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 28 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Monastary to Big Eddy) Rio Embudo, -blank- County , 29 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5 miles long (Close to Rio Lucio to Highway 75)   Ski Areas Near Rio Chama: Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 17 miles away, 1410 vertical feet Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 37 miles away, 1703 vertical feet Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 49 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 53 miles away, 1700 vertical feet Taos, New Mexico , 61 miles away, 2612 vertical feet Red River, New Mexico , 67 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Ski Rio, New Mexico , 69 miles away, 2150 vertical feet Angel Fire, New Mexico , 70 miles away, 2077 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 83 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Eldora, Colorado , 103 miles away, 1600 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Chama: The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 10 miles away Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos , 15 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos , 15 miles away Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos , 15 miles away Comfort Inn Espanola, Espanola , 16 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Chama: Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu, 3 miles away Cottonwood RV Park, Espanola, 15 miles away Oh Kay RV Park, Espanola, 16 miles away   Trails Near Rio Chama: Apache Trail, Rio Arriba County , 2 miles away Palacio Trail, Rio Arriba County , 3 miles away San Lorenzo Trail, Rio Arriba County , 5 miles away Lemitas Trail, Rio Arriba County , 5 miles away Vallecitos Trail, Rio Arriba County , 10 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Chama: Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 15 miles away Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 26 miles away