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

Mon 23 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Mon 23 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)

LightPacker314111

Aug 2020

This trip will be a memory of a lifetime for all of us, but especially my three grandchildren. The guide can make or break this adventure, and the guides work hard to make sure all enjoy. Our guide catered to the kids to make sure they enjoyed the adventure with a emphasis on safety and an educational approach. Our raft was “bath tubbed” and not even my five year old was scared because our guide shouted orders immediately that we had practiced and followed. It was so fun. That was our favorite part of the trip. The staff are knowledgeable, experienced, and kind. We look forward to returning next season.

Response from Host

Oct 2020

We take safety very seriously, especially when children are involved! We are so glad you enjoyed your time on the river with us!

ginam129

Jul 2020

Went in July and water was low but still had fun. If you are a novice this is a perfect river for you. Nothing too rough nor scary but super fun for first timers. My daughter was a first timer and had a blast. Me, it was my second time and I would have preferred a little more action but still had the best time. Now for the guide and employee's, they were amazing. Our guide John-Michael was the BEST, kept us laughing and informed with history and stories the whole time. One bit of info, they tell you not to follow the GPS bc it takes you to the wrong place, so I was so worried about getting lost, and I'd call to make sure I was on the right tract, and the girl on phone gave me great directions, but, it was exactly how gps took us too. So if you use waze GPS it was correct.

Response from Host

Jul 2020

Waze always shows the way! Your review is so great, thank you so much!! JM is such a well balanced guide between his navigation skills, humor and knowledge. Thank you joining us and we hope to see you again!

Karen O

Jul 2020

Everyone here was so great! They had a great balance of keeping the new Covid restrictions with making sure everyone had a great time. The guides communicated so well, and connected with all the riders!

Response from Host

Jul 2020

All of us at NMRA are about communication and connection, it's important in all facets of life! Thank you so much for rafting with us and for the very nice review, we really appreciate it!