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New Mexico | San Juan River / Farmington to Kirtland
San Juan RiverAmong the Waters Park public access to Kirtland Lions Park public river access
A continuous Farmington-to-Kirtland San Juan float combining the City’s Among the Waters–Westland and Westland–Lions segments, with a public intermediate access at Westland Park.
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Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.
Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A continuous Farmington-to-Kirtland San Juan float combining the City’s Among the Waters–Westland and Westland–Lions segments, with a public intermediate access at Westland Park.
Access map
Put-in
Among the Waters Park public access (water-entry edge)Among the Waters is walk-in only; carry craft and gear to the marked river entry.
Take-out
Kirtland Lions Park public river access (water-entry edge)Westland Park is a public intermediate access; verify its landing, parking and carry before relying on it as a bailout.
Road shuttle
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Access planner
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This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Among the Waters Park public access (water-entry edge) to Kirtland Lions Park public river access (water-entry edge) is about 7.7 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Access notes and hazards
Access caveats
- Among the Waters is walk-in only; carry craft and gear to the marked river entry.
- Westland Park is a public intermediate access; verify its landing, parking and carry before relying on it as a bailout.
- Lions Park is the City-marked end of navigable river segments. City access hours are 6 AM–10 PM March–October and 6 AM–6 PM November–February.
- Remain on the water between designated public accesses and respect private property.
Watch for
- Low or changing water and unknown shallow features
- Wind, thunderstorms, hot-weather exposure and cold-water shock
- Private banks and limited emergency exits between named public accesses
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
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Conditions
Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast
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USGS measurements
More about this gauge
These measurements come from the gauge station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
San Juan River at Farmington, NM. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Gauge detail
Water-level history and forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
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Hourly forecast
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Route gallery
Photos
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Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | San Juan River at Farmington, NM |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Southwest Paddler San Juan River New Mexico access and hazards |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Named public access and distanceAmong the Waters Park public access to Kirtland Lions Park public river access; 7.74 miles
Southwest Paddler lists the access coordinates and river-mile sequence; New Mexico Tourism corroborates the upper corridor as a popular relaxing float.
- Scoring floor300 cfs minimum planning cue; 500 cfs target
The 300 cfs cue is reach-specific community guidance. Verify direct gauge telemetry, release trend and local conditions before travel.
- Direct telemetryUSGS 09365000 San Juan River at Farmington, NM
Use the gauge nearest the selected reach and recheck current discharge and trend.
- Safety and campingPFD, diversion/fence portage, public access and nearby basecamp
New Mexico State Parks identifies low-head dams and strainers as serious hazards; Navajo Lake State Park documents developed camping near the upper reach.
- City access chain and lengthAmong the Waters–Westland: 2.24 mi; Westland–Kirtland Lions: 5.5 mi; combined: 7.74 mi
Current City signage names all three public river accesses, provides the two component lengths and identifies Lions Park as the end of navigable river segments.
- Water-edge coordinate evidenceAmong the Waters: 36.7214944, -108.2238722; Westland Park: 36.7331514, -108.2494733; Lions Park: 36.7217139, -108.325675
The 2024 New Mexico fish tissue study locates the Westland and Lions sampling reaches on the San Juan River; the City map independently identifies all three public access points. The intermediate Westland point is an on-water bailout marker.
- Adjacent-route consolidationDownstream continuation of san-juan-river-vereda-among-waters
This trip starts at the existing route’s Among the Waters takeout and continues downstream without overlapping its water miles; Westland is an intermediate public bailout. The Westland–Lions card is an intentional shorter launch alternative within this route.
- Gallery image and reuse rightsSan Juan River near Navajo Dam, New Mexico
Phil Slattery’s Wikimedia Commons image is CC BY-SA 4.0. It is a same-river context photo, about 40 river miles upstream, not a photograph of this exact Farmington section or current conditions.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- Southwest Paddler San Juan River New Mexico access and hazards
- New Mexico Tourism San Juan River paddling overview
- New Mexico State Parks paddlesports safety guidance
- Navajo Lake State Park boating and camping
- City of Farmington San Juan River signage and access map
- 2024 San Juan River fish tissue study sampling locations
- San Juan River near Navajo Dam photo, Phil Slattery via Wikimedia Commons
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
San Juan River paddling FAQ
What water level is best for the Among the Waters Park public access to Kirtland Lions Park public river access route on the San Juan River?
Paddle Today watches San Juan River at Farmington, NM and uses 300 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does the Among the Waters Park public access to Kirtland Lions Park public river access route on the San Juan River start and end?
This route starts at Among the Waters Park public access (water-entry edge) and ends at Kirtland Lions Park public river access (water-entry edge), about 7.74 river miles via Westland Park (2.24 + 5.5 mi per City signage) on the water.
Is the Among the Waters Park public access to Kirtland Lions Park public river access route on the San Juan River suitable for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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