New Mexico | San Juan River / Vereda del Rio to Farmington

San Juan RiverVereda del Rio public launch to Westland Park public river access

A longer San Juan day trip from Vereda del Rio to Westland Park, extending the named upper access-chain float through Among the Waters.

Route location

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Open access map

Plan this route

DistanceAbout 19.14 river miles via Among the Waters (16.9 + 2.24 mi from published access guides)
DifficultyModerate
Typical timePlan a full day for the 19.14-mile float
ShuttleCar shuttle
The San Juan River below Navajo Dam in New Mexico, upstream of the Vereda del Rio launch.
Route photoSan Juan River near Navajo Dam; same-river context upstream of this route, not an endpoint or current-conditions photoPhoto by Phil Slattery via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
View Primary Source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
DifficultymoderateA long day on mostly gentle river, with multiple diversion structures, fences, bridge features and limited exits. Difficulty varies with flow and paddler experience.
PermitsNone notedNo special private-boater permit is listed for these New Mexico reaches, but state boating law, park rules, land-boundary restrictions and any Navajo Nation access rules apply. Confirm current notices.
CampingDay tripDay trip only. No authorized on-route campsite is confirmed for this section; do not camp at public access points or private banks. Use separately permitted lodging or established campgrounds.
SeasonJan-DecThe regulated tailwater is generally runnable year-round, but release changes, winter cold, summer heat, thunderstorms and monsoon sediment can change conditions. Check the applicable gauge and current release notices immediately before launch.

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Access and shuttle

A longer San Juan day trip from Vereda del Rio to Westland Park, extending the named upper access-chain float through Among the Waters.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Vereda del Rio public launch (water-entry edge)

Vereda del Rio and Westland Park are named public water-entry accesses; confirm current landing, parking, carry and closure conditions.

Finish

Take-out

Westland Park public river access (water-entry edge)

Among the Waters is a walk-in public access and the intermediate bailout; carry craft and gear from the designated parking area.

Road shuttle

Choose a shorter tripOptional

Choose your launch and take-out

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distance19.1 miMixed access
On-water timePlan a full day for the 19.14-mile floatFull route option
ShuttleCar shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Vereda del Rio public launch (water-entry edge) to Westland Park public river access (water-entry edge) is about 19.1 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.

Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • Vereda del Rio and Westland Park are named public water-entry accesses; confirm current landing, parking, carry and closure conditions.
  • Among the Waters is a walk-in public access and the intermediate bailout; carry craft and gear from the designated parking area.
  • Farmington parks and river accesses are open 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
  • Diversion dams, submerged fences, strainers and bridges
  • Heat, wind, monsoon storms, cold water and limited emergency exits

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.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.

Water-level history and forecastDetailed view

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today’s call.

Data status
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Data 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.

  • Checking data sources and update times.
Water levels, published guidance and update times

These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.

Gauge siteSan Juan River at Farmington, NM
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Preferred rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor300 cfs
High thresholdWater-level guidance unavailable
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreSouthwest Paddler San Juan River New Mexico access and hazards
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
What 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 distanceVereda del Rio public launch to Westland Park public river access; 19.14 miles

    Southwest Paddler lists the access coordinates and river-mile sequence; New Mexico Tourism corroborates the upper corridor as a popular relaxing float.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • Direct telemetryUSGS 09365000 San Juan River at Farmington, NM

    Use the gauge nearest the selected reach and recheck current discharge and trend.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • Published access-chain distancesVereda–Among the Waters: about 16.9 mi; Among the Waters–Westland: 2.24 mi; total: about 19.14 mi

    Southwest Paddler names the upper public access segment; current City of Farmington signage names the downstream public access and exact city segment distance.

    Source

  • Water-edge endpoints and bailoutVereda del Rio: 36.6995333, -107.9794694; Among the Waters: 36.7214944, -108.2238722; Westland Park: 36.7331514, -108.2494733

    Named river-entry coordinates from the reviewed access chain. City signage marks Among the Waters walk-in only; the 2024 fish-tissue survey locates Westland sampling on the San Juan River.

    Source

  • Direct telemetry and flow cueUSGS 09365000; 300 cfs minimum planning cue, 500 cfs target

    The station is direct same-river telemetry near the route. Southwest Paddler supplies the community minimum/target cue; compare live flow and trend with local observations and do not interpret it as a safety threshold.

    Source

  • Overlap and consolidationAdjacent extension of san-juan-river-vereda-among-waters; contains san-juan-river-among-waters-westland-park

    This route continues downstream from the existing Vereda–Among trip and includes the separately listed Among–Westland segment. It is a longer trip choice with a public bailout, not additional distinct river mileage.

    Source

  • Gallery image and reuse rightsSan Juan River near Navajo Dam, New Mexico

    Phil Slattery’s CC BY-SA 4.0 photograph is an honestly captioned same-river context image, well upstream of this route; it is not a route endpoint or current-conditions image.

    Source

Check the source links

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Compare another stretch on this river, or explore different rivers within 75 straight-line miles.

San Juan River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Vereda del Rio public launch to Westland 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 Vereda del Rio public launch to Westland Park public river access route on the San Juan River start and end?

This route starts at Vereda del Rio public launch (water-entry edge) and ends at Westland Park public river access (water-entry edge), about 19.14 river miles via Among the Waters (16.9 + 2.24 mi from published access guides) on the water.

Is the Vereda del Rio public launch to Westland Park public river access route on the San Juan River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.