New Mexico whitewater - Rio Grande, Sangre De Cristo Mountains, Taos/Rio Arriba County

Taos/Rio Arriba county, Chiflo Campground to Little Arsenic Trail section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS V     6 miles
  The nature scenery of New Mexico and the playfulness of the water make the trip here worthwhile. This stretch of Rio Grande is 6 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class V section. There are plenty of other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well. The average New Mexico whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that a large number of rivers in this state are quite easy. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this
    is an area with plenty of spots for that. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Getting some good exercise and just hanging out with mother nature
are great reasons to come. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. If you're coming from Taos it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, as you can see on the road map further down. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, good for a one day paddling trip. When you're paddling down a Sangre De Cristo Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too.

Briefly about the general area:
Not much rain falls here at Rio Grande; the month of August is the wettest with
 
most of the rain, and the driest month is January. These mountains rock, just look at all the enjoyable stuff to do in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains.
All through the summer months here at Rio Grande, high temperatures usually get into the 80's, and through summer nights temperatures are in the 40's. Through the winter highs are in the 30's; nighttime lows in the 0's for Rio Grande. Big Arsenic Falls is a nice local attraction; Little Arsenic Rapids is always fun to check out.

Rio Grande, Chiflo Campground to Little Arsenic Trail road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: V
Length: 6 miles
Average Gradient: 69 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.7411
Longitude: -105.6794

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.6481
Longitude: -105.6935

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Current weather conditions at Rio Grande, Sangre De Cristo Mountains, New Mexico
WXPort

Local climate location: TRES PIEDRAS 17 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Adobe and Stars Inn, Taos
12 miles away
Come see the starry skies! In March of 1996, Adobe & Stars opened its doors to guests seeking striking accommodations and a high level of hospitality in a majestic setting. It is situated just outsi...

El Pueblo Lodge, Taos
17 miles away
Located on four beautifully landscaped acres on the north side of Taos, we are a short walk to the Historic Taos Plaza, in addition to shops, galleries and world class restaurants. Taos Pueblo and Tao...

Resort at Taos, Taos Ski Valley
17 miles away
The Resort at Taos is located next to the former home of Nicolai Fechin, a local community artist and is a short walk to shops and restaurants. The resort houses 67 studio, one and two bedroom units. ...



OTHER_INFO
  Sangre De Cristo Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains.

Sangre De Cristo Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Sangre De Cristo Mountains.

All New Mexico Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in New Mexico.
Books about whitewater paddling on Rio Grande, New Mexico
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Rio Grande, 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 Taos, New Mexico
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Taos, New Mexico, the metro area neareast to Rio Grande. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Rio Grande.
 Whitewater Near Rio Grande:
Red River, -blank- County , 5 miles away, Class IV+ - 14 miles long (Highway 515 to Dunn Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County , 6 miles away, Class II-III - 8 miles long (Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 6 miles away, Class II-IV - 14 miles long (Lee Trail to Chiflo Campground)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 15 miles away, Class III-IV - 14 miles long (John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 16 miles away, Class II-III - 24 miles long (Lobatos Bridge Colorado to Lee Trail)
Rio Pueblo de Taos, -blank- County , 19 miles away, Class V+ - 3.5 miles long (to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 26 miles away, Class III - 5 miles long (Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant)
Rio Embudo, -blank- County , 29 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5 miles long (Close to Rio Lucio to Highway 75)
 Ski Areas Near Rio Grande:
Taos, New Mexico , 17 miles away, 2612 vertical feet
Red River, New Mexico , 19 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Sipapu, New Mexico , 31 miles away, 1055 vertical feet
Angel Fire, New Mexico , 33 miles away, 2077 vertical feet
Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 50 miles away, 1725 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 66 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 88 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 96 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rio Grande:
Adobe and Stars Inn, Taos , 12 miles away
El Pueblo Lodge, Taos , 17 miles away
Resort at Taos, Taos Ski Valley , 17 miles away
Best Western Kachina Lodge & Meetings Center, Taos , 18 miles away
Hotel La Fonda, Taos , 18 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande:
Big Arsenic Springs Campground, Taos County, 1 miles away
Little Arsenic Springs Campground, Taos County, 2 miles away
El Aujae Campground, Taos County, 2 miles away
 Trails Near Rio Grande:
Number 3 Lift Trail, Taos County , 17 miles away
Twining Blue Lake Trail, Taos County , 20 miles away
Simpson Memorial Trail, Taos County , 20 miles away
Devisadero Peak Loop Trail, Taos County , 20 miles away
 National Parks Near Rio Grande:
Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Mosca - CO , 53 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