Rio Grande Gorge Full Day

Overview

The Lower Gorge of the Rio Grande is a broad canyon with lush riparian habitat along the banks of the Rio. A fantastic full day adventure for families, first time rafters and groups. The first half of the day is beautiful float through the Orilla Verde section of the Rio Grande with incredible scenery, gorgeous riverside lunch stops and ample opportunity to work on your paddling in preparation for the exciting whitewater of the Racecourse to come in the afternoon. The Rio Grande Gorge full day trip meets at our headquarters at 8:30 a.m. daily and the minimum age during most of the year is 5 years old

City: New Mexico

Tue 17 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Tue 17 Sep

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

World Class Guides

Safe, Secure Parking,

Full Service Headquarters

All rafting Equipment

Lunch

Signature, Hot Chicken Fajita Lunch

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

What To Expect

Rio Grande Gorge

Starting Out We start at our headquarters where you’ll meet your guides for the day who will outfit you with all the gear necessary for the day on the river. At the headquarters, you will find safe secure parking, clean restrooms, changing rooms, shaded picnic tables on our patio rooms, and any last minute items you might have forgotten including sunscreen, water shoes, hats and much more. This is the perfect place to start your adventure. Craft choices are dependent on water levels. The large majority of our guests like to participate and paddle along with the guide in the back of the boat giving paddling commands, however, you may also choose to sit back and let the guide do the work on an oar boat. And for the adrenaline junkies, ask about an inflatable kayak at no extra charge. Floating the Rio Grande Gorge After the short drive to the starting point in our vans, your river trip begins with a placid morning float through one of the most scenic parts of the canyon with great opportunities to see a variety of wildlife including mule deer, river otter, beaver and many different birds of prey. This section also affords us time to practice paddling techniques, swimming and simply enjoying the Rio Grande. Somewhere in this stretch, we’ll stop on the side of the river for a nice lunch put together by your guides. After lunch, we run the Class III rapids of the “Racecourse.” The Lower Gorge of the Rio Grande is a broad canyon with lush riparian habitat along the banks of the Rio. As we enter the “Racecourse” section the geology radically changes as we pass onto the Rio Grande fault line, one of the largest intercontinental fault lines in North America. But let’s not forget the whitewater! The Racecourse is 6 miles of action-packed class 2-3 rapids. Perfect for everyone from beginners to intermediate/experts. There is something for everyone to enjoy on this section. With rapids like the Maze, Albert’s Falls, The Narrows, and The Thunderdome make sure you are braced in and ready to get wet! Listen to your guides as they negotiate these rapids and don’t forget to ask them to surf when the water levels are lower. Guides for the Rio Grande Gorge Full Day Our guides are the best in the business, focusing on safety and guest service as a top priority. All are extremely knowledgeable about the area’s geology, ecology and history and just love being on the river. Our Guides have experience on rivers all over the country and across the globe, I know you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do. They will certainly help to make your day on the river the best possible. Full Day Rio Grande rafting trips available EVERY DAY starting in March through September. Our minimum age at most water levels is 5, however, at the higher flows, that minimum age rises to 13. Book online or call us anytime, 1-800-983-7756, to reserve your space.

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (175)

michelleaE7275IB

Sep 2022

I always wanted to river raft. The best experience for a first timer - or not! Racecourse was amazing, exciting and serene at the same time. Our guides were the best!! I look forward to seeing you all again.

303ChristineM

Aug 2022

The entire experience was first-rate. Unlike many other rafting companies, these guys have a location where everyone can meet and get ready for the trip down the river where cars and belongings will be safe. Contrast this with some outfitters that have customers meet at the boat launch, where their vehicles remain parked for hours at the public boat launch Excellent changing rooms and toilets. Free wetsuits and splash jackets available—some outfitters charge for both. Decent chicken fajita lunch on the all-day trips. Plus the guides are all well-trained. Not everyone will be assigned Devin, but count your blessings if you get him; he is truly outstanding. I can’t recommend this company highly enough.

Response from Host

Aug 2022

Thank you so much for the detailed review!! We pride ourselves on what we offer our guests and we are thrilled to know you noticed. We count our blessings daily that we are so lucky to work with Dev, he's the best!!

Debbie F

Aug 2022

We had a blast on the half-day Racecourse trip! This was among our favorite activities of our action-packed 10 days in New Mexico. We've been on a bunch of river raft trips over the years, so we elected to try out the inflatable kayaks for this tour. Loved it! Our guide, Alden, shared info about the geology and history of the area along the way, and gave us some good paddling tips. On the morning of our tour, we were the only 2 kayakers among the fleet of about 7 rafts. When we approached the most serious of the rapids, the guides made sure that we were in-between the rafts (in case we flipped and needed rescue). I'm happy to report that we made it through the racecourse without incident. I would recommend the regular raft trip for families or anyone with limited paddling experience. The guides do a great job navigating the rapids. People who elect to kayak instead of raft should definitely have some experience since this is the real deal (not an amusement park ride). We have our own kayaks at home, but have had limited experience in swift-water. For even more of a thrill, plan your trip for earlier in the spring when the water is higher.

Response from Host

Aug 2022

Thank you for the awesome review Debbie!! We are so glad you two loved the inflatable kayaks, they are a ton of fun!! We hope to see you all again the future when the water is higher!