The Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo del Norte, as it is known in Mexico, flows about 1,960 miles from its headwaters near Alamosa, Colorado, through New Mexico and down the Texas-Mexico border through Big Bend to Brownsville and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the fifth longest river in the US, and drains a significant portion of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Altogether, its 335,000 square miles of drainage basin account for about 11 percent of all continental US area. However, paddling in Colorado is generally limited to the Upper Rio Grande above the Town of South Fork, though it is possible to paddle several other sections of the river, as well.
Mineral and Rio Grande Counties along SH 149 in the San Juan Mountains of Rio Grande National Forest. Wagon Wheel Gap is located along the river about midway through the run. Masonic Park is on the river near the end of the run, and South Fork is on the river at the take-out. The Lake Fork and Cebolla Creek tributaries to the Gunnison River have their headwaters just a few miles north of this run. The Piedra, San Juan, Los Pinos, Florida and Animas Rivers all have their headwaters a few miles to the south.
Durango miles; Denver miles; Grand Junction miles; Santa Fe miles; Albuquerque miles; Phoenix miles; Salt Lake City miles; El Paso miles; Dallas miles; Austin miles; San Antonio miles; Houston miles; Oklahoma City miles; Little Rock miles; Kansas City miles. (All distances are approximate, and depend upon starting point, destination point on the river and route taken.)
Put in at Marshall Park, just off SH 149 southwest of Crede, at 0.0 miles. There are no other access points for this reach of the Rio Grande.
River Hill Campground (USFS), on RD 520 from SH 149 below Rio Grande Reservoir, offers primitive campsites and river access; Marshall Park (USFS), off SH 149 southwest of Crede, offers primitive campsites and river access. Other USFS campgrounds nearby, but not along the river, include Lost Trail (above Rio Grande Reservoir) and Thirty Mile (on the west bank of Rio Grande Reservoir) above this reach, South Clear Creek off SH 149 below Continental Reservoir on the North Fork, Palisade, located along SH 149 near the river southeast of Crede between Wagon Wheel Gap and Masonic Park and a half dozen other campgrounds along US Highway 160 between Pagosa Springs and SH 149 southeast of Masonic Park.
There are no known liveries or outfitters operating along the Rio Grande in Colorado. Be prepared to set up and run your own shuttles.
