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 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $145.00

Make a reservation

Sat 21 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)

David G

Jul 2015

We were two adults with some rafting experience, and 10 and 12 year old first-timers. We took a full-day trip on the Rio Grande (around 9 AM to 3 PM, leaving from and returning to their headquarters an hour north of Santa Fe). As advertised, the first half was a mild float with barely any rapids, offering a chance to learn how to coordinate rowing and to get comfortable in the raft, and to jump in and swim in the refreshingly-cool water. The second half was more exciting, with some class II and III rapids. The couple who joined with us rode in the front of the raft, and got the most excitement and drenching, so if that's what you're seeking you may want those seats. The kids both said they'd eagerly do it again, but only the rapids -- I think the mix of sedate and exciting was perfect for their first time. The landscape is pretty but not as remarkable as on the Rio Chama (they also run trips there, but apparently the rapids are less exciting). Our guide, Luke, was friendly and enthusiastic, and always made us feel comfortable and safe. He had a lot of insights to share based on his Environmental Science studies. It was nice to hear colorful explanations of the names and history of some of the rapids, even if some of them were likely apocryphal (Albert's Falls would not have been named after Einstein by the physicists in Los Alamos in the 1930s, since apart from Oppenheimer's visits there weren't any physicists there until 1942). Afterward, I learned that Albert Fall was a US Senator from New Mexico who was implicated in the Teapot Dome Scandal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_B._Fall Lunch of make-your-own sandwiches, an outstanding canteloupe, and various snacks, pleased everyone and substantially exceeded my expectations (who would have guessed they'd bring green chiles and fresh avocado!). An excellent experience! Next time, with adults or older kids, I'd do the Taos Box for additional excitement. I'd choose New Mexico River Adventures again. If you want to be picked up in Santa Fe rather than driving an hour north, there are other outfitters that will do that.

Bec M

Jun 2015

had such an amazing day on the rio grande, we did the half day racecourse and would highly reccomend it to anyone. The staff are so friendly and our guide Devin was informative and fun! would love to go back and do a full day! Note: they provide all the gear and morning tea or lunch

NicM_texas

Jun 2015

On a last minute stop driving north of Santa Fe we (a buddy and I) were able to get a trip with NMRA the next morning. It was a full day trip on "The Box" portion of the Rio Grande with class 3-4 rapids. On arriving the next morning the crew was putting together the trip and we met the owners (Matt and Wendy) in the office. They were extremely friendly and welcoming. There were several guides on the trip including Wendy, Brad, Sebastian and Carol in addition to Travis our boat guide. He and the guides were extremely charismatic and knowledgeable about the area's history (both cultural and geological) as well as the flora and fauna of the area. We even saw Big Horn sheep and their kids. The whole trip was extremely well planned and we had a delicious lunch halfway through on a beautiful beach spot. The rapids themselves were an amazing and adrenaline full time. I will definitely be coming back to NMRA next time I am in New Mexico!