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Río Maipo: Santiago’s whitewater in the Cajón del Maipo

Río Maipo guide in the Cajón del Maipo: lower class III and upper class III–IV sections, flows, access and today’s live Maipo water level.

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Where the Maipo runs

The Maipo is the main river of the Santiago Metropolitan Region. It rises on the west slope of Volcán Maipo in the Andes, flows down the Cajón del Maipo past San Gabriel, San Alfonso and San José de Maipo, and reaches the Pacific in the Valparaíso Region. It is the region’s biggest source of irrigation and drinking water. The Yeso and the Volcán are major mountain tributaries.

Sections

Locals simply talk about the “Lower” and the “Upper” Maipo. It is the training river for Santiago’s paddlers, about an hour from the city, with roadside access and an established rafting scene.

• Lower Maipo (class III): put in around km 47 of the canyon road, above San Alfonso, and take out around km 39, just above Puente Toyo near El Melocotón. That is about 8 km and an hour on the water. It is mostly class III, with a short mini-canyon below San Alfonso that becomes class IV at high water. You can extend the run down to Parque Los Héroes in San José de Maipo.
• Upper Maipo (class III–IV): launch at Puente El Yeso, about 2 km above San Gabriel, run the last stretch of the Yeso into the Maipo, then mostly class III–IV water down to “Frenchman’s Corner”. At very high flows the whole stretch could be considered class V+; even at low water it stays a solid class IV.

Season and typical flows

The Maipo runs all year. Flows on the lower river range from about 28 m³/s in autumn (around 1,000 cfs) to around 210 m³/s (7,500 cfs) during full spring snowmelt.

How to read our Maipo gauges

Our Maipo page shows DGA stations Río Maipo en El Ingenio, higher in the canyon, and Río Maipo en El Manzano, further down toward the canyon mouth, plus the tributaries Río Yeso en Puente El Yeso and Río Volcán en Queltehues. The Yeso gauge is right at the upper Maipo put-in. Compare the main stem readings with the roughly 28–210 m³/s range above: the lower end is low autumn water and the top is big spring runoff.

Access

Follow the paved road up the Cajón del Maipo from Santiago through San José de Maipo. Kilometre markers along the road are the easiest way to find the put-ins and take-outs, and there are plenty of places to stay and eat along the canyon.

Safety

Besides big holes at high water, the main hazards on the lower run are irrigation and hydro intakes that divert water from the river. Know where they are before you go. Snowmelt water is cold, so dress for a swim.

Frequently asked questions

What class is the Maipo?

The lower Maipo is mostly class III; the upper Maipo is class III–IV, harder at very high water.

Where can I see the Maipo water level today?

On <a href="https://chilewaterlevels.com/maipo/">chilewaterlevels.com/maipo</a>, from DGA stations at El Ingenio and El Manzano.

Provisional real-time data from DGA Chile. Always scout and check conditions on the river.

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Sources: riversofchile.com/rio-maipo · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maipo_River · Updated 2026-10-26