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 14 Jun

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Sat 14 Jun

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

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 (188)

PnJNewYork

Aug 2024

We had the perfect full day rafting on the Rio Grande in the Taos Box with Austin. I can’t say enough good things about his professionalism. We went through more than a dozen class IV rapids, and it was just the two of us in the boat with him. He gave us precise instructions for how to row through each rapid, and we did so successfully and with lots of fun. We saw plenty of wildlife (bighorn sheep, numerous species of birds), and the lunch was great. Austin provided so much information about so many different topics - the river, the rapids, the wildlife, Taos, New Mexico in general. My head was spinning with all of the details he provided - in a good way! This trip is not for beginners, but if you’ve rafted on white water before, you MUST sign up for this trip if you are in the Taos area. If (when) we visit the area again with our twenty-something children, we will bring them along and do this again!

Happiness555975

Jun 2024

We are a family group of six. New Mexico River Adventures did a great job of outfitting us and preparing us for our trip. There were ample knowledgeable staff on-site, and their procedures were efficient. Amelia guided our raft. She taught us how to maneuver the raft, and shared her knowledge of the river, and of the history, geology and biology of the area. She was supportive with our children, especially our special needs son, and when we all dove in for a swim, Amelia hoisted us back into the craft like it was nothing. She also took several pictures of our group and shared them with us. When it was over , I was wishing we’d booked an all-day excursion. Thank you, Amelia, and the whole staff for such a great family outing!

mrbillow

Jun 2024

We had a fabulous time. Our guide, Kiki, was very competent and we felt safe. The lunch was surprisingly good. Be sure to bring/wear sunscreen!