New Mexico whitewater - Rio Grande, Sangre De Cristo Mountains, Taos/Rio Arriba County Taos/Rio Arriba county, Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     8 miles   The Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge section of Rio Grande in New Mexico is 8 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The wonderful Taos/Rio Arriba County scenery and the water flowing gracefully down Rio Grande beats anything. Great exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more. The beautiful Sangre De Cristo Mountains scenery is an added bonus. This is not the only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. You might have to settle for a hotel     a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so keep in mind that rivers here are less demanding. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. The starting location is a short drive from Taos, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. On this section you do get some distance, it's good length for a morning trip. Briefly about the general area: Around Rio Grande you don’t get a lot of precipitation; all through the month of August you get the most rain around here, and January is when it's the driest. A splendid   place next to Rio Grande is Ojitos Canyon, and a short journey to Horse Thief Shorty Rapid is always worthwhile. The warmest time of the year at Rio Grande arrives with high temperatures in the 80's. Summer overnight lows plunge down to the 40's. The cold days of the wintertime come with highs in the 30's; nighttime lows at Rio Grande throughout the winter frequently fall into the 0's. You clearly ought to adore the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Rio Grande, Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-III Length: 8 miles Average Gradient: 12 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.6481 Longitude: -105.6935 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.53499 Longitude: -105.7084 Paddler input for Rio Grande, New Mexico: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Rio Grande, Sangre De Cristo Mountains, New Mexico Local climate location: TRES PIEDRAS 13 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Adobe and Stars Inn, Taos 8 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 13 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 13 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. ...   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.       These outdoors activities are available near Rio Grande.   Whitewater Near Rio Grande: Red River, -blank- County , 2 miles away, Class IV+ - 14 miles long (Highway 515 to Dunn Bridge) Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County , 6 miles away, Class V - 6 miles long (Chiflo Campground to Little Arsenic Trail) Rio Grande, Taos County , 9 miles away, Class III-IV - 14 miles long (John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge) Rio Grande, Taos County , 12 miles away, Class II-IV - 14 miles long (Lee Trail to Chiflo Campground) Rio Pueblo de Taos, -blank- County , 13 miles away, Class V+ - 3.5 miles long (to Taos Junction Bridge) Rio Grande, Taos County , 21 miles away, Class III - 5 miles long (Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant) Rio Grande, Taos County , 21 miles away, Class II-III - 24 miles long (Lobatos Bridge Colorado to Lee Trail) Rio Embudo, -blank- County , 24 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 , 21 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Sipapu, New Mexico , 26 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Angel Fire, New Mexico , 32 miles away, 2077 vertical feet Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 45 miles away, 1725 vertical feet Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 61 miles away, 1410 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 90 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 91 miles away, 1700 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Grande: Adobe and Stars Inn, Taos , 8 miles away El Pueblo Lodge, Taos , 13 miles away Resort at Taos, Taos Ski Valley , 13 miles away Hotel La Fonda, Taos , 13 miles away Best Western Kachina Lodge & Meetings Center, Taos , 14 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande: Cebolia Mesa Campground, Taos County, 3 miles away La Junta Campground, Taos County, 4 miles away Little Arsenic Springs Campground, Taos County, 4 miles away   Trails Near Rio Grande: Devisadero Peak Loop Trail, Taos County , 16 miles away Number 3 Lift Trail, Taos County , 17 miles away Simpson Memorial Trail, Taos County , 18 miles away Twining Blue Lake Trail, Taos County , 20 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Grande: Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 48 miles away Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 56 miles away