New Mexico whitewater - Rio Grande, Taos County

Taos county, John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV     14 miles
  This stretch of Rio Grande is 14 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class III-IV section. The put-in location is a short drive from Taos, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The wonderful Taos County scenery and the water flowing gracefully down Rio Grande have people coming here. This section has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so go ahead and pack your camp stove. Great exercise and just being out on the river for a while will have you coming back for more. There are
    campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. There are plenty of other sections in this river system that
can be paddled as well. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good spots. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more forgiving, so if you're not from around here don't forget that rivers here are not as hard as elsewhere.

Briefly about the general area:
Yellow Bank Rapid is a great local attraction, and Rio Grande is a location with many visitors from Taos. Rio Grande is pretty dried up generally; August is the month that gets
 
the most rain while January is regularly the driest month.
During the warm days of summer highs here at Rio Grande get into the 80's, and the nighttime is quite colder of course, commonly in the 40's. Through the wintertime highs are ordinarily in the 30's while Rio Grande overnight low temperatures during the wintertime are in the 0's.

Rio Grande, John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV
Length: 14 miles
Average Gradient: 31 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.5348
Longitude: -105.7084

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.33599
Longitude: -105.73321

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Current weather conditions at Rio Grande, New Mexico
WXPort

Local climate location: TRES PIEDRAS 9 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Adobe and Stars Inn, Taos
9 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...

Taos - Days Inn, Taos
9 miles away
The Days Inn Taos, New Mexico is located in Northern New Mexico in the Foothills of the Sange de Cristo Mountains. We offer a free continental breakfast, free hi-speed wireless internet and free local...

Taos Super 8 Motel, Taos
10 miles away
Comparably low rates. 1/2 hour to Casinos, 1/2 hour to many different ski slopes, close to Plaza and shopping. Southwest style furniture. We offer clean comfortable rooms, helpful friendly employees...



OTHER_INFO
  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:
Rio Pueblo de Taos, -blank- County , 5 miles away, Class V+ - 3.5 miles long (to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County , 9 miles away, Class II-III - 8 miles long (Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge)
Red River, -blank- County , 10 miles away, Class IV+ - 14 miles long (Highway 515 to Dunn Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 12 miles away, Class III - 5 miles long (Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant)
Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County , 15 miles away, Class V - 6 miles long (Chiflo Campground to Little Arsenic Trail)
Rio Embudo, -blank- County , 15 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5 miles long (Close to Rio Lucio to Highway 75)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 20 miles away, Class II-IV - 14 miles long (Lee Trail to Chiflo Campground)
Rio Ojo Caliente, Rio Arriba County , 28 miles away, Class I-II - 28 miles long (La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama)
Rio Santa Cruz, Santa Fe County , 29 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (Cundiyo to Santa Cruz Reservoir)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 30 miles away, Class II-III - 24 miles long (Lobatos Bridge Colorado to Lee Trail)
 Ski Areas Near Rio Grande:
Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 20 miles away, 1055 vertical feet
Taos, New Mexico , 21 miles away, 2612 vertical feet
Red River, New Mexico , 26 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Ski Rio, New Mexico , 30 miles away, 2150 vertical feet
Angel Fire, New Mexico , 31 miles away, 2077 vertical feet
Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 36 miles away, 1703 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 55 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Eldora, Colorado , 65 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 83 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 94 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rio Grande:
Adobe and Stars Inn, Taos , 9 miles away
Taos - Days Inn, Taos , 9 miles away
Taos Super 8 Motel, Taos , 10 miles away
Quality Inn Taos, Taos , 10 miles away
Sun God Lodge, Taos , 10 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande:
Taos RV Park, Ranchos De Taos, 7 miles away
Taos RV Park, Ranchos De Taos, 8 miles away
New Buffalo, Arroyo Hondo, 9 miles away
 Trails Near Rio Grande:
Devisadero Peak Loop Trail, Taos County , 13 miles away
Comales Sheep Driveway, Taos County , 16 miles away
North End Trail, Taos County , 17 miles away
Simpson Memorial Trail, Taos County , 17 miles away
 National Parks Near Rio Grande:
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 39 miles away
Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 49 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