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

Rio Arriba county, Monastary to Big Eddy section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-III     7 miles
  The scenic beauty of New Mexico and the cool fresh water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state is often easier than elsewhere, so better not forget that rivers here are not as hard as elsewhere. This stretch of Rio Chama is 7 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II-III section. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This stretch is mid length, good for a one day paddling
    trip. The Monastary to Big Eddy section is one of many paddling sections in this river system. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are not so many other good places for that around here. The beautiful San Juan Mountains scenery is an added bonus. And of course,
there are campgrounds nearby. If you're coming from Espanola it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just being out on the river for a while have a lot of people coming here.

Briefly about the general area:
Rio Chama is frequently a relatively dehydrated place; August is when you get the most rain here, and April is the month with the least moisture. If you're here, you might as well check out Ojitos
 
Canyon.
High temperatures at Rio Chama throughout the days of summer are in the 80's, and through the night it cools down to the 40's. The winter comes with highs in the 30's; nighttime lows at Rio Chama throughout the winter commonly plunge into the 0's.

Rio Chama, Monastary to Big Eddy road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-III
Length: 7 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.36612
Longitude: -106.6817

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.31215
Longitude: -106.5822

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

Local climate location: EL VADO DAM 13 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu
28 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...

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos
34 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,...

Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos
34 miles away
Guests of this Los Alamos hotel are invited to enjoy many amenities, including free hot breakfast, free local calls, free weekday newspaper and free coffee. Business travelers will appreciate mode...



OTHER_INFO
  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.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Rio Chama.
 Whitewater Near Rio Chama:
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 6 miles away, Class I-III - 33 miles long (El Vado Lake to Abiquiu Reservoir)
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 20 miles away, Class I-III - 15 miles long (Los Ojos to El Vado Lake)
Rio de los Brazos, Rio Arriba County , 23 miles away, Class I-III - 9 miles long (Corkins Lodge to confluence with Rio Chama)
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 26 miles away, Class I-II - 15 miles long (Chama to Los Ojos)
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 28 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Abiquiu Dam to confluence with Rio Grande)
 Ski Areas Near Rio Chama:
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 30 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 64 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 65 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 65 miles away, 1703 vertical feet
Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 76 miles away, 1055 vertical feet
Taos, New Mexico , 83 miles away, 2612 vertical feet
Ski Rio, New Mexico , 87 miles away, 2150 vertical feet
Red River, New Mexico , 87 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Angel Fire, New Mexico , 94 miles away, 2077 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 108 miles away, 3000 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rio Chama:
The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 28 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos , 34 miles away
Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos , 34 miles away
Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos , 35 miles away
Best Western Jicarilla Inn, Dulce , 41 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rio Chama:
Echo Campground, Rio Arriba County, 7 miles away
Rio Puerco Campground, Rio Arriba County, 15 miles away
 Trails Near Rio Chama:
Hart Trail, Rio Arriba County , 8 miles away
Encino Trail, Rio Arriba County , 12 miles away
San Pedro Parks Trail, Rio Arriba County , 16 miles away
Redonda Trail, Rio Arriba County , 17 miles away
Upper Gallina River Trail, Rio Arriba County , 17 miles away
 National Parks Near Rio Chama:
Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 36 miles away
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 53 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