New Mexico whitewater - Rio Chama, San Juan 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   The El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir stretch of Rio Chama in New Mexico is 33 miles long and has been rated as a class I-III section by American Whitewater. The wonderful New Mexico scenery and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water beats anything. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside New Mexico you might find the rivers here a bit more manageable, so keep in mind that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular     destination. The river winds through the San Juan Mountains and you get great scenery. A section like this is is of course not run in a single day, so better bring your camping gear along. This river system is full of great paddling stretches, the El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir stretch is just one of them. Getting some good exercise and just being out on the river for a while are great reasons to come. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The starting point is not too far from Espanola, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way around here you won't find a large number of other places. Briefly about the general area: If you wish for a little side trip, try Long Canyon, and there's   nice hiking along the Hart Trail. Summertime brings highs in the 80's to Rio Chama. Throughout the moonlight hours it's commonly in the 40's. Through the wintertime this place gets highs in the 30's, and winter nights come with lows in the 0's to Rio Chama. Rio Chama is a location that is quite arid ordinarily; of all the months in a year August is the one with the most rain, and the driest month is April. There's no way anyone can get bored here in the San Juan 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 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 32 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 Jicarilla Inn, 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... Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos 40 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 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 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, 1703 vertical feet Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 71 miles away, 1700 vertical feet Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 78 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Taos, New Mexico , 84 miles away, 2612 vertical feet Ski Rio, New Mexico , 86 miles away, 2150 vertical feet Red River, New Mexico , 87 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Angel Fire, New Mexico , 96 miles away, 2077 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 102 miles away, 3000 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Chama: The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 32 miles away Best Western Jicarilla Inn, Dulce , 36 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos , 40 miles away Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos , 40 miles away Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, 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