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

Fri 27 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Fri 27 Dec

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)

Donald W

Aug 2018

My family and I had a great trip. We had four kayaks "duckys" and 1 raft. Mark was great. Very knowledgeable, patient, tactful. We had two young girls in our group. Along, with a wide variety of outdoor experience and physical ability. It was an A+ trip all the way.

Response from Host

Sep 2018

Thank you for the spectacular review! The inflatable kayaks are so much fun at these water levels and we are glad you enjoyed Mark.

col6smith

Aug 2018

From the time we arrived at the base, it was clear that NMRA is a first class business. The girls behind the counter were friendly and helpful in calming fears and informing us what to expect. The real benefit was the guides for our 8 person full day trip. Haley and Mark were very knowledgeable and tolerated our inexperience. They both made the day fun and exciting. The hot lunch was wonderful. If we do another raft trip in the area we will definitely use NMRA.

Response from Host

Sep 2018

Why go economy when you can go first class for the same price?!? Thank you so much for the glowing review!

Sara G

Aug 2018

I did the full day trip on the Rio Grande and had an amazing time! Check in was smooth, they provided us with helmets, life vests, and safety instructions before heading to the drop off area. I went in an inflatable kayak (a fun-yak, ha!) alongside a larger raft, which was a lot of fun!! The morning gave us a chance to test out our skills and get comfortable on the water. Our guide, Luke, prepared some very tasty fajitas and snacks mid-day, I don't think I've ever eaten so quickly! After lunch, we headed down the "race track" and hit some very exciting class 2 and 3 rapids. All along the way, Luke provided us with fun facts about the geology and history of the area, as well as local flora and fauna. It was a really fun way to spend a day, Luke was and awesome guide - I would highly recommend this for anyone visiting the area!

Response from Host

Aug 2018

Thank you, Sara!