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 24 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 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)

Coloradotraveler005

Jun 2019

Overall we enjoyed our full day rafting trip . The guides were great and very knowledgeable about the area. I know the river is higher and flowing faster , but we believe the breaks were taken where we just sat on the side for a bit were to justify their definition of full day raft trip and be able to charge more . We would have liked to just get it done in a shorter amount of time instead of take 4-5 breaks along the side . We were on the river about 9:30 or 10 and were back to office at 2:15 with an hour lunch break . The Rio Grande tour is indeed a good one if you want a mix of calm and exiting .

Response from Host

Jun 2019

Thank you very much for the review, we really do appreciate it. We definitely do not drag things out in order to justify charging more, we pull over to set safety and also to give paddlers a much needed break before each rapid. But you are definitely right, when the levels are high the water moves much faster and the trip is a bit shorter. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip overall and we really do appreciate the feedback!!

MG0r0n

Jun 2019

We had the great good fortune to hit the "Taos Box" and near peak conditions and WOW! what an incredible experience! There are several outfits to choose from for your white water rafting experience but save yourself the worry and choose the BEST. From the booking staff to your guide, you can be assured that New Mexico River Adventures has left no detail to chance. The changing areas are neat and tidy, the equipment looks new or is in excellent shape - even your shore lunch is above and beyond! While the competitor's guests are eating cold sandwiches, our guides unpacked cookstoves and prepared hot chicken fajitas and fresh fruit for our team. One last note about guides: everyone seemed to love whichever guide they had in their boat. By the joyful hoots and hollers coming from each raft, it was plain that everyone was having the time of their life. Here's what I know: I will always book with Wendy Meyer if she is available. Wendy is the best on the Rio!

Response from Host

Jun 2019

Wendy is the best!!!! Thank you for joining us on an epic season and we can't wait to see you again!

Redneck_Raider

Jun 2019

Our Trail Life Troop went rafting on the racecourse and the Taos box and it was awesome! Staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. Devin and Jake are both wonderful guides (and cooks!) who can definitely show you a good time! Wonderful food and service provided! Would definitely recommend! :D

Response from Host

Jun 2019

Thank you for the recommendation!! We are so glad you enjoyed Devin and Jake S., their cooking is only outdone by their amazing river navigating skills!