Animas

IMPORTANT: Please visit the Southern Ute Indian Tribe's website for regulations on boating and fishing the Animas River within the SUIT reservation boundaries. The Tribe permits non-Tribal members to float through reservation lands on the Animas River, Los Pinos River, the Piedra Rive, and the San Juan River. However, only people who are actively fishing (and with a valid fishing permit) using a small craft may put-in or take-out at specified fishing access points. See below for additional information should you choose to complete the entire 20 mile run in one day.

Keep in mind the river bank is entirely private property and Southern Ute Indian Tribal lands until the New Mexico State line, aproximatley 20 miles from Purple Cliffs. The stretch can be done in 6-7 hours at flows greater than 4,000 cfs. Some comercial outfitters have permits which allows for partial runs of this section. If interested in viewing this river section prior to boating it privately, or if you're not up for a full 6-18 hour day on the river, I suggest reaching out to Mild to Wild Rafting here.

The Purple Cliffs (aka Dallebeta Park) to the New Mexico State Line section of the Lower Animas River is a class I and II Section. It is easy read and run at all levels. At higher flows there are a few distinct features that could flip a raft. About 2.5 miles into the run the river makes a sharp turn to the right. Here the private property owners have embeded fish ladders to the bottom of the river that can form somewhat rententive holes at high flows. The run is straight down the middle. Aproximatley 14 miles down the river there is a low head dam. It can be recognized by a pumphouse on the river righ

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