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)

882loiss

Aug 2019

We spent a full day on the Rio Grande with an excellent guide, Matt van Buren. Beginning with a lazy float to get acclimated, the four of us paddlers learned Matt’s commands for when we would need them in the afternoon. A hot lunch of fajitas and secret sauce kept us paddling through bumpy rapids of the race course and around Baby Huey, a huge rock perched at the side of the river. Thanks to a business that values safety and geologic information as much as coursing through the rapids.

Response from Host

Aug 2019

Thank you!! We are glad you agree with our emphasis on all aspects of the river trip, not just crashing through the waves (but oh boy is that part fun!!).

BTMC68

Jul 2019

We took our summer vacation to Angel Fire NM this year and one of our day excursions was the Rio Grande Gorge full day trip. The day would provide us with some quiet time on the water with some swimming and learning the ropes as well as some history of the area ( beware of the Jacalopes!) Then we stopped for some lunch which was provided and prepared by the guides. (Which were all wonderful) They took allergies into consideration as well. Then a quick float in the current and back to the rafts for the Race Course part of the trip! That was amazing! Your guide definitely plays a big part of your experience and Garrett did not disappoint! He was funny, informative, knowledgeable, and skilled at his job. We felt safe and had lots of laughs along the way. It was a great experience and we thank Garrett and the team for that! We even saw Garrett a couple of days later on a hike out at Willams Lake and he stopped to chat with us for a bit. Which was amazing considering the size of the state and the odds we would be in the same place at the same time! The company is professional, clean and know their stuff. They took some great shots which you can see right after the trip and purchase a pin drive to take home and print for us to keep as memories. I totally recommend this trip with this company. They were wonderful. Thank you from the family from St. Augustine FL. Brendan, Tracy, Emily and Riley

Response from Host

Aug 2019

What a treat to run into Garrett on and off the river! We thank you for joining us and for the awesome review!

81lynnt

Jul 2019

We had a great time on the Rio Grande Gorge day trip with our 14-year-old daughter. She thought she was going to hate it and only came along because she had no other choice. Our guide Liam’s great enthusiasm for the river and the area turned her around and by the end she was up front helping set the pace for paddling.

Response from Host

Aug 2019

Thank you! We can work some serious magic on teenagers!!!