This explorer follows the San Juan River from Sand Island to Clay Hills, about 84 river miles. Mexican Hat, about mile 27, separates the upper and lower sections.
Use the place list to search by name or river mile, or tap a marker on the map. Numbered groups open nearby places. Use Previous and Next place to follow the river. Every mapped rapid has an aerial close-up and a view of the original BLM map.
This full river corridor is a geographic reference. The archive separately records an Upper San Juan journey, May 17–20, 2011. The map does not claim that journey covered the whole corridor or every marked place.
The river centerline comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset. Named places and general rapid classes come from the BLM's March 2018 river map. Pins are approximate representative locations, matched to that sheet and the river line. River miles are calibrated to its printed mileage marks; publications and river channels can differ. This first edition shows six named rapids, three access areas, and selected landmarks, not a complete inventory of rapids or camps.
Rapid close-ups use aerial tiles with varying image dates and a separate, unaltered BLM map view. Callouts identify the mapped rapid and the river above and below it; they are not surveyed hazard positions or running lines. Classes are reference ratings, not current conditions. Use a current river guide and the land manager's information for trip planning.
Sources checked October 25, 2026. Topography: USGS. Satellite imagery: Esri and contributors. Locations and classes are reference information; imagery does not show present river conditions.