New Mexico whitewater, Rio Grande Taos Rio Arriba county, Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     8 miles   The scenic beauty of Taos/Rio Arriba County and the playfulness of the water have people coming here. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in New Mexico are often easier than in other states, so keep in mind that many runs in this state are very easy. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. There are plenty of other stretches 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 spots for that. If you're coming from Taos it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. When you're paddling down a Sangre De Cristo Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. On this section you do get some distance, good for a one day paddling trip. The Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge section of Rio Grande in New Mexico is 8 miles long and it is classified as a class II-III section by American Whitewater. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just   hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Briefly about the general area: A pleasant place to take a look at near Rio Grande is Ojitos Canyon; there are plenty of people from Arroyo Hondo here. Yep, outdoors fun things truly is plentiful here in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Don't leave Rio Grande without first paying a visit to Horse Thief Shorty Rapid. It is very dehydrated here at Rio Grande generally. August is the wettest month with most rain, and January meanwhile is the driest month. Rio Grande, Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge 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 Grande.   Whitewater Near Rio Grande: Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County, 3 miles away       Class II-III - 8 miles long (Red River confluence to John Dunn Bridge) Rio Grande, Taos County, 3 miles away       Class III-IV - 14 miles long (John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge) Red River, -blank- County, 6 miles away       Class IV+ - 14 miles long (Highway 515 to Dunn Bridge) Rio Grande, Taos/Rio Arriba County, 8 miles away       Class V - 6 miles long (Chiflo Campground to Little Arsenic Trail) Whitewater Outfitter - Far FLUNG Adventures, Taos County, 9 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Rio Pueblo de Taos, -blank- County, 12 miles away       Class V+ - 3.5 miles long (to Taos Junction Bridge) Whitewater Outfitter - Big River Raft Trips, Taos County, 14 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - Los Rios River Runners, Taos County, 14 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Rio Grande, Taos County, 15 miles away       Class II-IV - 14 miles long (Lee Trail to Chiflo Campground) Rio Grande, Taos County, 19 miles away       Class III - 5 miles long (Taos Junction Bridge to Embudo Station Restaurant)   Ski Areas Near Rio Grande: Taos, New Mexico , 17 miles away, 2612 foot drop, 13 lifts, 110 runs Red River, New Mexico , 21 miles away, 1600 foot drop, 7 lifts, 58 runs Sipapu, New Mexico , 26 miles away, 1055 foot drop, 4 lifts, 31 runs Angel Fire, New Mexico , 32 miles away, 2077 foot drop, 7 lifts, 74 runs Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico , 45 miles away, 1725 foot drop, 7 lifts, 69 runs Pajarito Mountain, New Mexico , 61 miles away, 1410 foot drop, 7 lifts, 37 runs Wolf Creek, Colorado , 90 miles away, 1604 foot drop, 7 lifts, 77 runs Sandia Peak, New Mexico , 91 miles away, 1700 foot drop, 6 lifts, 30 runs   Hotels Near Rio Grande: Touchstone Inn, Taos , 13 miles away La Posada De Taos, Taos , 13 miles away Hotel La Fonda De Taos, Taos , 13 miles away American Artists Gallery House, Taos , 14 miles away Taos Country Inn, Taos , 14 miles away   Campgrounds Near Rio Grande: Cebolia Mesa Campground, Taos County, 3 miles away La Junta Point, San Cristobal, 3 miles away La Junta Canyon, San Cristobal, 4 miles away   Trails Near Rio Grande: Devisadero Peak Loop Trail, Taos , 16 miles away Number 3 Lift Trail, Taos , 17 miles away Simpson Memorial Trail, Taos , 18 miles away Twining Blue Lake Trail, Taos , 20 miles away   Public Lands Near Rio Grande: Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Santa Fe - NM , 48 miles away Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos - NM , 56 miles away Carson National Forest, New Mexico , 30 miles away Cimarron Canyon State Park, New Mexico , 34 miles away Coyote Creek State Park, New Mexico , 40 miles away   Golf Courses Near Rio Grande: Taos Country Club, Ranchos De Taos , 13 miles away   Lakes Near Rio Grande Talpa Reservoir, Taos , 16 miles away