Rio Chama
El Vado Ranch to Chavez Canyon (Chama River Canyon Wilderness) · Class II–III · NM
Snapshot from Oct 22, 2026. Live reading loading.
Runnable range 300 to 3,000 cfs. This is a draft estimate that paddlers have not reviewed yet.
- Season
- Permit season Apr 15 to Sep 15, with scheduled releases after mid-July
- Character
- A 22-mile wilderness float through colorful canyon walls in northern New Mexico.
- Watch for
- Winter minimum flows of about 50 cfs are not boatable. Flows are controlled by El Vado Dam.
- Gauge
- USGS 08285500
Rio Chama below El Vado Dam
No reading in the Oct 22, 2026 snapshot.
Dam-controlled. The BLM suggests minimum flows of 300 cfs for kayaks, canoes and rafts under 12 feet and 500 cfs for larger rafts. - Permit
- Lottery
Lottery entries due on Recreation.gov before Jan 31 for weekend launches. Apr 15 to Sep 15 permit season.
Fees and rules
El Vado Ranch charges a per-person launch fee, currently $5 (cash preferred). No fee or reservation is required for private day trips launching from Chavez Canyon.
Advance permits are required Apr 15 to Sep 15 from El Vado Ranch to Chavez Canyon. The early season runs Apr 15 to Jul 15 and the release season runs Jul 16 to Sep 15, and you can apply for each separately. The lottery awards Friday launches, and winners may launch on Friday or Saturday. After Sep 15 and before Apr 15 no reservation is needed; self-register at the put-in. The BLM manages 22 miles within the Chama River Canyon Wilderness, and the 9 miles from Chavez Canyon to Big Eddy are managed by the Santa Fe National Forest.
Source: BLM Rio Chama permit page. It does not list the group size, launches per day or the lottery opening date, so confirm those with the BLM Taos Field Office (575-758-8851).
- Snowpack
- No snowpack basin is linked to this run. Flows here are mostly set by dam releases, so snowpack is a poor guide.
Trip reports
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