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Upper Animas River, Colorado
Whitewater Paddling
" November 30, 1960, Taos: Working now, as a bartender at the Taos Inn. A wretched job, of course, but I endure. Art must be my salvation. Art or madness. Art or defeat. Art or nothing. - Edward Abbey, from Confessions of a Barbarian "
GETTING STARTED
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When to Paddle: Typically May - July, depending on snowmelt runoff. Flow info: Watertalk (303) 831-7135, then push 7, then 2*; riversports.com. San Juan National Forest, (970) 247-4874. Driving Directions: From Silverton, the put-in is near the Mineral Creek/Animas River confluence next to the railroad tracks. To reach the take-out, drive Hwy 550 south from Silverton to the turnoff at Rockwood, turn east. Park next to the train tracks and follow a steeptrail up from the river. A sign on the rocks warning “Do not proceed downstream” marks this trail. Permits: None required.
From the heart of the San Juan Mountains, the free-flowing Animas River tumbles with a fury before taking a break in the Animas Valley. The upper part of this section, known as the Upper Animas, is a seasonal focal point for advanced- to expert-level paddlers looking for a white-knuckle romp, punctuated with highpoints such as Garfield Slide, No Name Falls and Broken Bridge.
The run begins in the town of Silverton at a put-in elevation of just under 10,000 feet, and ends near the final access point known as the Upper Rockwood Box at just over 7,000-feet elevation. In about 27 miles, or 24 miles if taking out at the Tacoma power plant, the Upper Animas continuously crashes through a healthy helping of waves and holes, with whitewater rated class IV-V. This is an adventurous paddling descent of one of the West's more challenging rivers.
With all of the gripping whitewater action, focusing on the surroundings is also a challenge. There are brief reprieves, however, when the action lets up long enough to gaze at the snow-covered fourteeners poking the sky from the Needles Range. Blue skies, clean and cold whitewater, and mountain scenery come together to create a beautiful setting for paddling the Upper Animas.
To extend the enjoyment of the surroundings, it is possible to turn the Upper Animas into a multi-day descent. But most popular is using the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge railroad to shuttle equipment and supplies to Needleton, located at a midway point in the run. This option also provides a nice riverside camping experience surrounded by mountains.
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