New Mexico whitewater - Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Rio Arriba County Rio Arriba county, Los Ojos to El Vado Lake section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-III     15 miles   The scenic beauty of New Mexico and the water flowing gracefully down Rio Chama make the trip here worthwhile. The average New Mexico whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so don't forget that rivers here are less demanding. There are so many sections to paddle in this river system, the Los Ojos to El Vado Lake section is just one of many. Getting a good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors have a lot of people coming here. You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so why not     pack your sleeping bag too. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. The Los Ojos to El Vado Lake section of Rio Chama in New Mexico is 15 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class I-III section of whitewater. When you're paddling down a San Juan and Jemez Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling places. Briefly about the general area: Rio Chama is commonly a reasonably dehydrated site; during August this area sees the most rain; May is when it's the driest. Summertime brings highs in the 80's to Rio Chama with nighttime   lows in the 40's. Daytime highs through the wintertime are in the 30's, and nighttime lows at Rio Chama through the winter mostly sink into the 0's. Rio Chama, Los Ojos to El Vado Lake road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: I-III Length: 15 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.73781 Longitude: -106.57625 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.64975 Longitude: -106.74331 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: CHAMA 22 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Branding Iron Motel, Chama 12 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, Dulce 26 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 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...   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 , 8 miles away, Class I-II - 15 miles long (Chama to Los Ojos) Rio de los Brazos, Rio Arriba County , 10 miles away, Class I-III - 9 miles long (Corkins Lodge to confluence with Rio Chama) Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 14 miles away, Class I-III - 33 miles long (El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir) Rio Brazos, Rio Arriba Co. County , 18 miles away, Class V+ - 14.5 miles long (above Corkins Lodge) Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 20 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Monastary to Big Eddy) Navajo River, Rio Arriba County , 26 miles away, Class II - 20 miles long (Chromo Colorado to Colorado Border) Navajo River, Rio Arriba (NM) / Archuleta County , 30 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Lower 25 miles to San Juan confluence)   Ski Areas Near Rio Chama: Wolf Creek, Colorado , 44 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 48 miles away, 1410 vertical feet Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 77 miles away, 1703 vertical feet Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 82 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Taos, New Mexico , 84 miles away, 2612 vertical feet Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 84 miles away, 1700 vertical feet Ski Rio, New Mexico , 84 miles away, 2150 vertical feet Red River, New Mexico , 86 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 92 miles away, 400 vertical feet Silverton, Colorado , 92 miles away, 3000 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Chama: Branding Iron Motel, Chama , 12 miles away Best Western Jicarilla Inn, Dulce , 26 miles away The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 32 miles away Holiday Inn Express Pagosa Springs, Co, Pagosa Springs , 39 miles away Oak Ridge Lodge, Pagosa Springs , 40 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Chama: Herron Store, Los Ojos, 7 miles away Stone House Lodge, Los Ojos, 7 miles away Little Creel Resort, Chama, 11 miles away   Trails Near Rio Chama: Hart Trail, Rio Arriba County , 13 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Chama: Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 53 miles away Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 67 miles away   Lakes Near Rio Chama