New Mexico whitewater - Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Rio Arriba County Rio Arriba county, El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-III     33 miles   This stretch of Rio Chama in Rio Arriba County is 33 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class I-III section of whitewater. The natural beauty of New Mexico and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. If you're coming from Espanola it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, as you can see on the road map further down. When you're paddling down a San Juan and Jemez Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby.     There are plenty of other sections in this river system that can be paddled as well. A section like this is is of course not run in a single day, so it looks like you will be camping out. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so better not forget that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are not so many other good rivers for that around here. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. Great exercise and spending some quality time in nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. Briefly about the general area: High temperatures at Rio Chama during the warm months are in the   80's with nighttime lows in the 40's. All through the winter highs are in the 30's, and through the dark hours in the winter at Rio Chama temperatures descend to the 0's. Long Canyon is a tremendous place to stop by near Rio Chama; if the weather is great, you can go for a hike along the Hart Trail. It is very arid here at Rio Chama usually; most of the rain falls during August, and April on the other hand is the driest. If you want a great time in the great outdoors just come on up to the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. Rio Chama, El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: I-III Length: 33 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.58217 Longitude: -106.72826 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.31215 Longitude: -106.5822 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: EL VADO DAM 15 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu 22 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... Branding Iron Motel, Chama 25 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 36 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...   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 Chama, Rio Arriba County , 6 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Monastary to Big Eddy) Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 14 miles away, Class I-III - 15 miles long (Los Ojos to El Vado Lake) Rio de los Brazos, Rio Arriba County , 18 miles away, Class I-III - 9 miles long (Corkins Lodge to confluence with Rio Chama) Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 21 miles away, Class I-II - 15 miles long (Chama to Los Ojos) Rio Brazos, Rio Arriba Co. County , 26 miles away, Class V+ - 14.5 miles long (above Corkins Lodge)   Ski Areas Near Rio Chama: Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 36 miles away, 1410 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 58 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 69 miles away, 1725 vertical feet Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 71 miles away, 1700 vertical feet Sipapu, New Mexico , 78 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Taos, New Mexico , 84 miles away, 2612 vertical feet Red River, New Mexico , 87 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Angel Fire, New Mexico , 96 miles away, 2077 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Chama: The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 22 miles away Branding Iron Motel, Chama , 25 miles away Best Western Jicarilla Inn & Casino, Dulce , 36 miles away Comfort Inn & Suites Los Alamos, Los Alamos , 40 miles away Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos , 40 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Chama: Echo Campground, Rio Arriba County, 10 miles away Herron Store, Los Ojos, 17 miles away Stone House Lodge, Los Ojos, 17 miles away   Trails Near Rio Chama: Hart Trail, Rio Arriba County , 3 miles away Encino Trail, Rio Arriba County , 18 miles away San Pedro Parks Trail, Rio Arriba County , 19 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Chama: Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 42 miles away Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 58 miles away