Chama Canyon Day Run
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The Canyon
One of NM's best kept secrets!
Photographer:Kit Davidson
The "Day Stretch" on the Rio Chama is really just the last 9 miles of the full Chama Canyon run, which happen to be fairly roadside and easily accessible. This may be one of the better intermediate runs in the state when it is running, the scenery is unbelievable, and on par with just about anywhere else in New Mexico. The rapids, while small, are frequent, and a handful of them are fairly exciting, providing both a white knuckle adventure for beginners, and some hootin' good waves for the more seasoned folk. Throw in the fact that it is always uncrowded, and you've got yourself a great little boating adventure.
The run starts at the "Chavez Canyon" put in, which is marked by a small sign that says "<- BOAT ACCESS". Here the river is flat and quiet, and it stays that way until it runs past the Rio Chama campground (which is a beautiful campground) and runs through a couple of good but easy rapids. The largest of these, "Screaming Left Hand", comes up on you with an abrupt horizon line as you veer away from the road. It's short and fun. Below here the run really flattens out and stays mostly flat until Skull Bridge. Kick back and admire the amazing scenery.
At Skull Bridge the river ramps up a notch. Just above the bridge the river runs through a long and shallow class II, eventually culminating in Skull Rapid itself, a wave train with some good gradient that pours under the bridge, past a scary fence, and into the runout. Shortly below this there is a fun drop called "Island Rapid", where the river splits around a large sandbar. While they both are fun and passable, the river left channel has more features, and has a fun wave right where the two channels come back together. Below here it flattens out, with a couple of riffles every little bit or so, until you reach The Bend, where the river makes a pronounced bend to the right and away from the road. On the point of this bend is a good place to take a break, as it is away from the road. The river returns to the road in a large eddy where there is an incredibly massive (and old) cottonwood tree on river left. Truly a grandfather of a tree! Just below here is the biggest drop of the run, "Screaming Right Hand" or also called "Gauging Station Rapid". In either case, it is a small boulder garden up top, to a longer rapid with several big waves and large rocks in the runout, all up against a cliff wall on river left. It's a blast but a beginner should be thoroughly gripped for this one. There are a couple of small rapids below here that lead into the next drop, a two-drop sequence called "Whirlpool Rapid", where the river piles against another cliff wall and generates some fun currents. Another split channel rapid, called "Second Island Rapid" (go right if there is enough flow for more fun) and soon Big Eddy comes into view. Beginners will want to take out here, while intermediates can continue around the corner for one more big rapid, appropriately called "Big Eddy Rapid". Simply run this, eddy out on river left, walk back up to Big Eddy, and paddle back to the car. You can keep going all the way to Abiquiu Reservoir, which gets you several more small rapids, but access from here either requires a major walk (~5 mi) or a major paddle (~30 mi) to get out.
There is developed camping at Big Eddy and the Rio Chama campgrounds. Big Eddy has packed gravel spots with No Fires, while the Rio Chama has much more beautiful open sites with firerings, tables, and tent pads. There are several dispersed camping areas between the two as well, including "Whirlpool", and another one which I cannot remember the name of. Both of these are pretty as well.
Disclaimer
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| | Put-In
Take US 84 north of Abiquiu Reservoir, and turn left at the battered sign saying "Rio Chama". Follow this exciting gravel road for 5 jarring miles until you get to Big Eddy. Continue north for 9 miles and turn left at the sign that says "Boat Access". | | | Screaming Left Hand Class II+
This comes up on you in the first few miles. The river runs away from the road for a spell, and it is in here that a horizon line looms with some ominous thunder to provide the beginner with lots of trepidation. It sounds big, and is somewhat lengthy, but it's also very easy with clearly defined holes and rocks to avoid. Everyone should emerge upright and all smiles from this one. |  | Skull Rapid Class II+
This starts about three hundred yards above the Skull Bridge. It starts with an easy but shallow boulder garden, then drops into a steep wave train that pours under the bridge. Watch for the fencing on both sides of the river directly under the bridge. |  | Island Rapid Class II+
Just below Skull the river splits around a large dirt island. Both channels go, but the left channel has the better action, as well as a nice wave at the bottom where the two come together. |  | Screaming Right Hand Class III-
This comes up on you pretty quick after coming back around "The Bend". The river turns slightly away from the road, and a horizon line looms. Run this small boulder garden, and then take a breath in the brief flat below there. After this, negotiate the easy boulder garden at the top, line up and smack through the large waves in the middle, and then watch out for the boulders in river center in the bottom. Stay off the cliff wall on river left and you are good to go! |  | Whirlpool Rapid Class II+
Whirlpool is a two part drop a short ways below Screaming Right Hand. There is a small upper drop that has some decent but shallow waves on river left, and a lower drop that has some very interesting currents and rock placements. The river kinda loses its focus right here and the result is some bizarre cross currents and eddy lines, all shoved up against a cliff face. Whirlpools are generated here at high water, thus the naming. |  | Second Island Rapid Class II+
This drop occurs a short ways below Whirlpool, and just a short ways above Big Eddy. The river again split around a large sand island, only this time the best action occurs in the river right channel. This channel is fairly shallow so it's best done at levels over 600 or so. Just below this is some flatwater, and then just below on river left there are some fantastic water-generated erosional features both above the river and at the water level. If the water is low enough (less than 700ish) there is a really neat overhang you can paddle underneath. |  | Big Eddy Rapid Class III
This is a short and steep drop located just below the takeout. If water levels are low enough (below 2500) then it's possible to run the rapid, hike up about 50 yards to Big Eddy, and then paddle back to the takeout. Big Eddy Rapid is a short and violent drop with a cliff wall on river right, and several large boulders choking the path. There is an easier line on river left but river right is fairly full on. This rapid is worth the extra work as it is one of the steepest drops on the run, and often produces some of the biggest waves. | | | Take-Out
Drive back down to Big Eddy. Park. Repeat. |
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