Colorado whitewater, Rio Blanco Archuleta county, Highway 84 to San Juan River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     8 miles   This section of Rio Blanco is 8 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The beautiful scenery of Colorado and the cool fresh water have people coming here. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state is often more difficult than elsewhere, so better not forget that many runs in this state are not easy. There are a few other sections in this river system that can be paddled as well. You might     be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this is an area with plenty of rivers for that. Getting a good workout and just hanging out with mother nature will make you glad you came. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. This is a pretty decent length section, you can easily run it on an afternoon. The put-in is not too far from Durango, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Whitewater paddling here in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains is a great experience. If you're a camper   you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. Briefly about the general area: Take a hike on the Blanco River Trail, and you'll perhaps meet some people from Pagosa Springs here. Not enough hours in a day to enjoy the San Juan and Jemez Mountains. Have a nice hiking adventure along the Mill Creek Stock Drive; Frio Canyon is a pleasant location to explore. Coming to this river is always a good idea. At Rio Blanco you don’t see much precipitation. The month of August is the wettest with most of the rain while June is generally the driest month. Through the summer highs here at Rio Blanco get into the 80's, and the night is a bit chillier of course, frequently in the 40's. Rio Blanco, Highway 84 to San Juan River road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Rio Blanco.   Whitewater Near Rio Blanco: Rio Blanco, Archuleta County, 4 miles away       Class II-III - 8 miles long (Highway 84 to San Juan River) San Juan River, Archuleta County, 7 miles away       Class II-III - 13.4 miles long (Pagosa to Trujillo Road) San Juan River, Archuleta County, 7 miles away       Class II-III - 1 miles long (Pagosa Springs Town Run) Whitewater Outfitter - Canyon REO, Archuleta County, 7 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - Pagosa Rafting Outfitters, Archuleta County, 8 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - AAA Pagosa Outside, Archuleta County, 9 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Navajo River, Rio Arriba (NM) / Archuleta County, 12 miles away       Class I-II - 25 miles long (Lower 25 miles to San Juan confluence) San Juan River - East Fork, Archuleta County, 16 miles away       Class III-IV - 4 miles long (East Fork to 160 Bridge) Navajo River, Rio Arriba County, 17 miles away       Class II - 20 miles long (Chromo Colorado to Colorado Border) Wolf Creek, Mineral County, 19 miles away       Class IV+ - 0.25 miles long (Downstream from Highway 160 Bridge)   Ski Areas Near Rio Blanco: Wolf Creek, Colorado , 23 miles away, 1604 foot drop, 7 lifts, 77 runs Silverton, Colorado , 59 miles away, 3200 foot drop, 1 lifts, 1 runs Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 59 miles away, 400 foot drop, 1 lifts, 3 runs Purgatory, Colorado , 63 miles away, 2029 foot drop, 11 lifts, 85 runs Telluride, Colorado , 73 miles away, 3845 foot drop, 18 lifts, 115 runs Hesperus Ski Center, Colorado , 74 miles away, 700 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 80 miles away, 1410 foot drop, 7 lifts, 37 runs Monarch, Colorado , 88 miles away, 1162 foot drop, 7 lifts, 63 runs Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 95 miles away, 2100 foot drop, 3 lifts, 15 runs Crested Butte, Colorado , 97 miles away, 2775 foot drop, 16 lifts, 121 runs   Hotels Near Rio Blanco: Quality Inn Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 7 miles away Elkwood ManorLuxury Bed Breakfast, Pagosa Springs , 7 miles away Fireside Inn And Cabins, Pagosa Springs , 7 miles away Alpine Inn Of Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 8 miles away Econo Lodge Pagosa Springs, Pagosa Springs , 9 miles away   Campgrounds Near Rio Blanco: Acres Green RV Park, Pagosa Springs, 3 miles away Wolf Creek Valley Campground, Pagosa Springs, 5 miles away The Last Resort RV Park and Campground, Pagosa Springs, 5 miles away   Trails Near Rio Blanco: Blanco River Trail, Archuleta , 9 miles away Mill Creek Stock Drive, Archuleta , 12 miles away Fourmile Stock Trail, Archuleta , 14 miles away Martinez Creek Trail, Archuleta , 15 miles away Rainbow Trail, Mineral , 15 miles away   Public Lands Near Rio Blanco: Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico , 31 miles away El Vado Lake State Park, New Mexico , 32 miles away Navajo Lake State Park, New Mexico , 36 miles away   Golf Courses Near Rio Blanco: Pagosa Springs Golf Club, Pagosa Springs , 9 miles away   Lakes Near Rio Blanco Opal Lake, Archuleta , 17 miles away Capote Lake, Archuleta , 19 miles away