New Mexico whitewater - Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Rio Arriba County

Rio Arriba county, Chama to Los Ojos section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-II     15 miles
  The average New Mexico whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that quite a few of the sections here are pretty easy. The wonderful New Mexico scenery and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water make the trip here worthwhile. This stretch of Rio Chama in New Mexico is 15 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class I-II section. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but you'd better reserve
    in advance because these hotels fill up quick. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. Whitewater paddling here in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great experience. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way there are
lots of good rivers for that around here. The Chama to Los Ojos section is one of many paddling sections in this river system. This section is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so why not pack your camp stove too. Getting some good exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more.

Briefly about the general area:
Rio Chama is mostly a rather dried up place; August is the wettest month with most rain while May is the month with the least amount of precipitation.
Throughout the warmest
 
time of the year highs here at Rio Chama get into the 80's while overnight lows are commonly in the 40's. Daytime highs during the winter are in the 30's with temperatures at Rio Chama dipping down into the 0's through winter nights.

Rio Chama, Chama to Los Ojos road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: I-II
Length: 15 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.8782
Longitude: -106.58339

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.73781
Longitude: -106.57625

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Current weather conditions at Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, New Mexico
WXPort

Local climate location: CHAMA 21 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Branding Iron Motel, Chama
5 miles away
The Branding Iron is centrally located in the scenic Chama Valley just 3/4 mile from the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway. Each of our spacious immaculate guest rooms offers in-room coffee service- ...

Best Western Jicarilla Inn & Casino, Dulce
29 miles away
Pronounced Hick-ah-REE-ya, the Best Western Jicarilla Inn and Casino is located on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, surrounded by fabulous scenery, streams, mountains...

The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu
35 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...



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 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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Rio Chama.
 Whitewater Near Rio Chama:
Rio de los Brazos, Rio Arriba County , 5 miles away, Class I-III - 9 miles long (Corkins Lodge to confluence with Rio Chama)
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 8 miles away, Class I-III - 15 miles long (Los Ojos to El Vado Lake)
Rio Brazos, Rio Arriba Co. County , 11 miles away, Class V+ - 14.5 miles long (above Corkins Lodge)
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 21 miles away, Class I-III - 33 miles long (El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir)
Rio de los Pinos, -blank- County , 22 miles away, Class V+ - 8.8 miles long (Osier Colorado to Campground Close to San Miguel New Mexico)
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 26 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Monastary to Big Eddy)
Conejos River, Conejos County , 26 miles away, Class II-IV - 6.4 miles long (Platoro Reservoir to South Fork Conejos)
Navajo River, Rio Arriba County , 27 miles away, Class II - 20 miles long (Chromo Colorado to Colorado Border)
 Ski Areas Near Rio Chama:
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 40 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 52 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 78 miles away, 1725 vertical feet
Taos, New Mexico , 79 miles away, 2612 vertical feet
Sipapu, New Mexico , 80 miles away, 1055 vertical feet
Red River, New Mexico , 81 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 89 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 93 miles away, 1900 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 93 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Angel Fire, New Mexico , 93 miles away, 2077 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rio Chama:
Branding Iron Motel, Chama , 5 miles away
Best Western Jicarilla Inn & Casino, Dulce , 29 miles away
The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 35 miles away
Holiday Inn Express PAGOSA SPRINGS, Pagosa Springs , 38 miles away
OakRidge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 39 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rio Chama:
Little Creel Resort, Chama, 4 miles away
Herron Store, Los Ojos, 4 miles away
Stone House Lodge, Los Ojos, 4 miles away
 Trails Near Rio Chama:
La Manga Stock Driveway, Conejos County , 18 miles away
Red Lake Trail, Conejos County , 18 miles away
Elk Creek Trail, Conejos County , 19 miles away
 National Parks Near Rio Chama:
Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 56 miles away
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 69 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