New Mexico whitewater - Rio Grande, Taos County

Taos county, Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III     5 miles
  The starting point is not too far from Taos, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant section of Rio Grande is 5 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class III section. The campgrounds here at Rio Grande are pretty good. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in New Mexico are often easier than in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that the rivers in this state are less demanding. The nearby hotels are a bit away
    from the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. There are so many stretches to paddle in this river system, the Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant stretch is just one of many. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some
kayaking, either way this is an area with plenty of rivers for that. The scenic beauty of Taos County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water attract people from near and far. This stretch has has enough mileage, you can easily run it on an afternoon.

Briefly about the general area:
The beauty of mother nature reveals herself at Big Rock Rapid, and a trip to The Narrows Rapid will fill your soul with good feelings. At Rio Grande you don’t see much rainfall; the month with most of the rain is August; the driest of the months is January.
 
For the period of the warm days of summer at Rio Grande temperatures are commonly in the 80's. Once the sun is down it drops down to the 40's. High temperatures through the wintertime are normally in the 30's while the cold winter nights at Rio Grande are in the 0's.

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

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III
Length: 5 miles
Average Gradient: 12 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.26498
Longitude: -105.7961

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.23707
Longitude: -105.84247

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Current weather conditions at Rio Grande, New Mexico
WXPort

Local climate location: TRES PIEDRAS 17 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Days Inn Taos, Taos
17 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...

Hampton Inn Taos, Taos
17 miles away
The Hampton Inn Taos hotel in New Mexico is 2.5 miles south of the Central Plaza area and across the street from South Side Convention Center. Taos area attractions include Kit Carson Park and cemete...

Super 8 Motel - Taos, Taos
17 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 Embudo, -blank- County , 3 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5 miles long (Close to Rio Lucio to Highway 75)
Rio Pueblo de Taos, -blank- County , 10 miles away, Class V+ - 3.5 miles long (to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 12 miles away, Class III-IV - 14 miles long (John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Santa Cruz, Santa Fe County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (Cundiyo to Santa Cruz Reservoir)
Rio Ojo Caliente, Rio Arriba County , 19 miles away, Class I-II - 28 miles long (La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama)
Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County , 21 miles away, Class II-III - 8 miles long (Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge)
Red River, -blank- County , 22 miles away, Class IV+ - 14 miles long (Highway 515 to Dunn Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County , 26 miles away, Class V - 6 miles long (Chiflo Campground to Little Arsenic Trail)
 Ski Areas Near Rio Grande:
Sipapu, New Mexico , 20 miles away, 1055 vertical feet
Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 25 miles away, 1725 vertical feet
Taos, New Mexico , 32 miles away, 2612 vertical feet
Red River, New Mexico , 38 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Angel Fire, New Mexico , 39 miles away, 2077 vertical feet
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 44 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 71 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 96 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rio Grande:
Days Inn Taos, Taos , 17 miles away
Hampton Inn Taos, Taos , 17 miles away
Super 8 Motel - Taos, Taos , 17 miles away
Quality Inn Taos, Taos , 18 miles away
Don Fernando De Taos, Taos , 18 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande:
Taos RV Park, Ranchos De Taos, 12 miles away
Trampas Diamante Campground, Rio Arriba County, 13 miles away
Trampas Medio Campground, Rio Arriba County, 15 miles away
 Trails Near Rio Grande:
Comales Sheep Driveway, Taos County , 16 miles away
Medio Dia Trail, Santa Fe County , 17 miles away
Rio Molino Trail, Santa Fe County , 17 miles away
Sierra Mosca Trail, Santa Fe County , 17 miles away
Trampas Trail, Rio Arriba County , 17 miles away
 National Parks Near Rio Grande:
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 27 miles away
Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 38 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