New Mexico whitewater - Rio Chama, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Rio Arriba County Rio Arriba county, Monastary to Big Eddy section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     7 miles   The nature scenery of New Mexico and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The put-in location is a short drive from Espanola, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside New Mexico you might find the rivers here a bit more manageable, so don't forget that rivers here are not as hard as elsewhere. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this is an area with not too many other places     for that. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The beauty of the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great plus for this river. The Monastary to Big Eddy section of Rio Chama is 7 miles long and it is classified as a class II-III section by American Whitewater. A bit of exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the Monastary to Big Eddy section is just one of them. On this section you do get some distance, good for a one day paddling trip. Briefly about the general area: Near Rio Chama you hit upon splendid locations like Ojitos Canyon. For the period of the summertime here at Rio Chama, high   temperatures usually reach the 80's. When the night sets in temperatures drop down into the 40's. High temperatures throughout the winter are normally in the 30's, and nighttime lows in the 0's for Rio Chama. Around Rio Chama you don’t get a lot of rainfall; during the month of August you get the most rain around here; April meanwhile is the driest month. 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 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 13 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu 18 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 31 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- ... Comfort Inn & Suites Los Alamos, Los Alamos 34 miles away The Comfort Inn and Suites Los Alamos is a 2009 newly renovated property. Located near the Bandelier National Monument, Jemez Mountians, Valles Caldera and 30 minutes from Sante Fe Plaza. Whether you ...   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 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, 1725 vertical feet Sipapu, New Mexico , 76 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Taos, New Mexico , 83 miles away, 2612 vertical feet Red River, New Mexico , 87 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Angel Fire, New Mexico , 94 miles away, 2077 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Chama: The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 18 miles away Branding Iron Motel, Chama , 31 miles away Comfort Inn & Suites Los Alamos, Los Alamos , 34 miles away Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos , 34 miles away Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos , 35 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