New Mexico whitewater - Rio Ojo Caliente, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, Rio Arriba County

Rio Arriba county, La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-II     28 miles
  This section of Rio Ojo Caliente in New Mexico is 28 miles long and has been rated as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. The scenic beauty of Rio Arriba County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream make the trip here worthwhile. If you're coming from Espanola it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. This stretch is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so pack your camping stuff. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby.
    The La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama section is the only paddling section along Rio Ojo Caliente. A good workout and just being out on the river for a while are great attractions for lots of people. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short
distance then no problem but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so better not forget that many runs in this state are very easy. The beauty of the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great plus for this river. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of rivers for that.

Briefly about the general area:
Through the days of summer, highs generally are in the 80's at Rio
 
Ojo Caliente. For the period of the dark hours of summer temperatures sink down into the 50's. The wintertime brings highs down to the 40's with temperatures at Rio Ojo Caliente dipping down into the 10's through winter nights. Have a tremendous hiking adventure along the Lemitas Trail.
Rio Ojo Caliente is a location that is reasonably waterless typically; most of the rain falls during August, and December on the other hand is the driest.

Rio Ojo Caliente, La Madera to confluence with Rio Chama road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: I-II
Length: 28 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.3837
Longitude: -106.03721

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.1094
Longitude: -106.1419

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Current weather conditions at Rio Ojo Caliente, San Juan and Jemez Mountains, New Mexico
WXPort

Local climate location: EL RITO 2 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Comfort Inn Espanola, Espanola
15 miles away
Free High Speed Internet Access. We are centrally located in Northern NM. 30 minutes drive to Ghost Ranch, Bandalier National Monument, Los Alamos and Santa Fe. Pet accommodation: 10.00/night....

Espanola-Days Inn, Espanola
15 miles away
Our Days Inn Espanola is located on Highway 68 and US 84/285 in the valley of Espanola, New Mexico and Rio Grande River.* We offer a free continental breakfast, free hi-speed wireless internet & free ...

The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu
21 miles away
Beautiful 19-room Inn located in tranquil Chama River Valley setting. Guest rooms- suites- and casitas feature stunning Southwestern decor and luxurious beds with pillow-top mattresses. Many rooms wit...



OTHER_INFO
  San Juan and Jemez Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains.

San Juan and Jemez Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the San Juan and Jemez Mountains.

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

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Rio Ojo Caliente.
 Whitewater Near Rio Ojo Caliente:
Rio Chama, Rio Arriba County , 13 miles away, Class I-II - 25 miles long (Abiquiu Dam to confluence with Rio Grande)
Rio Embudo, -blank- County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5 miles long (Close to Rio Lucio to Highway 75)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 19 miles away, Class III - 5 miles long (Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant)
Rio Santa Cruz, Santa Fe County , 20 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (Cundiyo to Santa Cruz Reservoir)
Rio Pueblo de Taos, -blank- County , 28 miles away, Class V+ - 3.5 miles long (to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Grande, Taos County , 28 miles away, Class III-IV - 14 miles long (John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge)
Rio Grande, Sandoval County , 28 miles away, Class III - 24 miles long (Otowi Bridge to Cochiti Reservoir)
 Ski Areas Near Rio Ojo Caliente:
Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 29 miles away, 1410 vertical feet
Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 32 miles away, 1703 vertical feet
Sipapu Ski, New Mexico , 38 miles away, 1055 vertical feet
Taos, New Mexico , 48 miles away, 2612 vertical feet
Red River, New Mexico , 54 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Ski Rio, New Mexico , 56 miles away, 2150 vertical feet
Angel Fire, New Mexico , 57 miles away, 2077 vertical feet
Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 62 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
Wolf Creek, Colorado , 84 miles away, 1604 vertical feet
Eldora, Colorado , 91 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Rio Ojo Caliente:
Comfort Inn Espanola, Espanola , 15 miles away
Espanola-Days Inn, Espanola , 15 miles away
The Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu , 21 miles away
Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa at Buffalo Thunder, Santa Fe , 21 miles away
Best Western Hilltop House Hotel, Los Alamos , 25 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Rio Ojo Caliente:
Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu, 10 miles away
Cottonwood RV Park, Espanola, 14 miles away
Oh Kay RV Park, Espanola, 15 miles away
 Trails Near Rio Ojo Caliente:
Lemitas Trail, Rio Arriba County , 9 miles away
Palacio Trail, Rio Arriba County , 12 miles away
Apache Trail, Rio Arriba County , 15 miles away
San Lorenzo Trail, Rio Arriba County , 17 miles away
 National Parks Near Rio Ojo Caliente:
Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 24 miles away
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 25 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