New Mexico whitewater - Rio Grande, San Juan Mountains, Sandoval County Sandoval county, Otowi Bridge to Cochiti Reservoir section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III     24 miles   The wonderful Sandoval County scenery and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream attract people from near and far. The average New Mexico whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master than those in other states, so better not forget that a lot of the rivers here are suitable for beginners. The beautiful San Juan Mountains scenery is an added bonus. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors are sure to keep you coming back for more. The nearby hotels are a bit away from     the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. Rio Grande doesn't have a lot of paddling sections, the Otowi Bridge to Cochiti Reservoir section is the only one. This section is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so why not pack your sleeping bag too. If you're coming from Los Alamos it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. This stretch of Rio Grande is 24 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class III section. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you won't find a large number of other spots. Briefly about the general area: This is a really good river.   The Cochiti Frijoles Trail offers hiking at its best. These mountains rock, just explore all the cool stuff to do in the San Juan Mountains. Spring 7 is a striking place to have a look at while you're at Rio Grande, and close by you stumble on great spots like Ancho Canyon. For the period of the warm days of summer, highs usually are in the 80's at Rio Grande. When the night sets in temperatures dip down into the 50's. For the duration of the winter highs are in the 30's with temperatures at Rio Grande dipping down into the 10's during winter nights. Not much rain falls here at Rio Grande; August is the month that gets the most rain, and February on the other hand is the driest. Ancho Rapid is always fun to check out, and a journey to Bandelier National Monument is recommended. Rio Grande, Otowi Bridge to Cochiti Reservoir road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III Length: 24 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.8745 Longitude: -106.1403 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.65219 Longitude: -106.30761 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, San Juan Mountains, New Mexico Local climate location: LOS ALAMOS 13 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos 8 miles away This downtown Los Alamos hotel offers the perfect location with breathtaking mountain views. Friendly service, comfortable accommodations and unique amenities describe the Best Western Hilltop House... Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos 9 miles away Guests of this Los Alamos hotel are invited to enjoy many amenities, including free hot breakfast, free local calls, free weekday newspaper and free coffee. Business travelers will appreciate mode... Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos 9 miles away The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos is conveniently located just five minutes from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, twenty minutes to the Jemez Mountains with skiing, hiking, fishing,...   San Juan Mountains Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the San Juan Mountains. San Juan Mountains Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the San Juan 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 Los Alamos, New Mexico Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Los Alamos, 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: Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 21 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Abiquiu Dam to confluence with Rio Grande) Rio Santa Cruz, Santa Fe County , 25 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (Cundiyo to Santa Cruz Reservoir) Rio Ojo Caliente, Rio Arriba County , 29 miles away, Class I-II - 28 miles long (La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama)   Ski Areas Near Rio Grande: Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 14 miles away, 1410 vertical feet Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 29 miles away, 1703 vertical feet Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 34 miles away, 1700 vertical feet Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 52 miles away, 1055 vertical feet Taos, New Mexico , 71 miles away, 2612 vertical feet Angel Fire, New Mexico , 74 miles away, 2077 vertical feet Red River, New Mexico , 77 miles away, 1600 vertical feet Ski Rio, New Mexico , 82 miles away, 2150 vertical feet Wolf Creek, Colorado , 104 miles away, 1604 vertical feet Eldora, Colorado , 117 miles away, 1600 vertical feet   Hotels Near Rio Grande: Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos , 8 miles away Ashley Hotel and Suites, Los Alamos , 9 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Alamos, Nm, Los Alamos , 9 miles away Sunrise Springs Inn, Santa Fe , 14 miles away Inn at Santa Fe, Santa Fe , 16 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Rio Grande: Juniper Campground, Los Alamos County, 4 miles away Cottonwood RV Park, Espanola, 16 miles away Trailer Ranch, Santa Fe, 16 miles away   Trails Near Rio Grande: Cochiti Frijoles Trail, Sandoval County , 4 miles away Capulin Canyon Trail, Sandoval County , 7 miles away Frijoles Stone Lions Trail, Sandoval County , 8 miles away Canada Capulin Trail, Sandoval County , 9 miles away Bland Frijoles Trail, Sandoval County , 9 miles away   National Parks Near Rio Grande: Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 7 miles away Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 16 miles away