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

Sat 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Sat 21 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)

D6192ENjohnr

May 2022

I enjoyed the smooth waters before lunch. Since my girlfriend and I are seniors with limited rafting experience, we did not expect to be the only two paddlers on the rapids portion of the trip. We had initially ask to be partnered with stronger paddlers. The lack of good paddlers support caused an almost fatal accident on the 1/4 mile #3 rapid. It would of been a 5 star trip with two more strong paddlers. Our companion raft had 6 strong paddlers. The young guides rescue was greatly appreciated. JR

Response from Host

May 2022

Hey there JR, We are glad the majority of your trip was enjoyable! Per our conversation over the phone, I totally understand that your dip in the water was a scare for you, but after talking with the guides on the trip I do want to again assure you that it was far from an 'almost fatal accident'. As I told you when we spoke, and long before I was a raft guide, I too have taken an unexpected swim on a commercial rafting trip and it felt scary so I totally understand your feelings. As a whitewater professional now and the owner of an extremely safety conscious company, I can tell you with the utmost confidence that neither your swim, nor mine all those years ago, was anything close to nearly fatal. There is always the chance of falling out of the boat on a rafting trip and our guides are extensively trained on how to handle those situations. We wish you the best and hope you and your girlfriend have a wonderful summer!

J2172PEjamien

Mar 2022

We had an absolutely amazing experience! We did the Rio Grande Racecourse 1/2 day trip and it was absolutely perfect for our family. The staff were extremely friendly and organized. We showed up and they immediately greeted us and let us know the process. It is refreshing to know that all the details will be handled for you when you are on vacation. They provided all of our family with wet suits and splash jackets (it was a chilly day). All of the staff went above and beyond to make our family have the BEST experience. Our youngest daughter was a little nervous and they helped calm her nerves and get her excited for the trip. Our guide, Hannah, did an amazing job and our kids loved all the information she provided along the journey down the river. We spent a week on vacation and did several fun activities, but our kids say this was their favorite! Book a trip now, you will not regret it! You will have an amazing time! Thanks again and it’s refreshing to witness such amazing customer service. Keep up the awesome job!

Response from Host

Apr 2022

Thank you so very much for the super duper amazing review, we really appreciate it!! We will continue to give each and every customer our all everyday. We value every customer that comes through the door and aim to impress each and every one, but it's when we hear that we have blown the kids away that we know we are doing something right! We hope to see you all again in the future!

Tizden2020

Mar 2022

Devon did an excellent job of calming my nerves and was very knowledgeable. All staff was helpful and friendly. This was a wonderful first time experience for me. Would 100% recommend and would come again!

Response from Host

Apr 2022

We 100% agree that Dev is excellent! Thank you for rafting with us and we hope to see you all again!