Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Rio Grande Gorge, Us 64 10 Miles West of Taos, NM
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.
Duration: 6 hours
See Availability.
2217 NM-68, Embudo, NM 87531, USA
09:30 AM
6 hours 30 minutes(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Stroller accessible
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Posted By : joeoR4050XB
As part of a trip through the West, a friend and I signed up for the all day Rio Grande trip with these people. They were very organized and professional to deal with on shore. On the water, Jake was our guide. He was funny, encouraging, and steered us flawlessly. We saw a Big Horn sheep up close. It exemplified the unspoiled and ancient beauty of the canyon. I had never rafted before and always wanted to. This was a perfect place and rafting company for the experience.
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Posted On : 2024-05-02
Posted By : saralangberg
One of the most amazing things I did, the tour was great, I felt safe the whole time and Austin,our guide , was simply the best!! The rest of the staff was great and. El Pfuhl too!We had an amazing time, I would very highly recommend it !!
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Posted On : 2023-09-05
Posted By : 704jof
Overall very disappointed in the tour. Tour Guide Sage did not know how to navigate the raft and was very poor at providing direction.
Sage was very rude as well and had a poor sense of humor/ acted unsafe. For example, once we went under the bridge she told everyone to duck, then pretended to hit her head which no one found funny on the tour.
Sage also capsized our raft, everyone fell out and Sage's first priority was to save herself rather than help the other people who had fallen out.
Sage needs to be let go. Overall it's not safe for her to continue to navigate any rafts and she is also very rude to first time people with minimal raft experience.
New Mexico River Adventures - please fix this situation. Overall disappointed, I could have been injured. Obviously, will not be coming back.
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Posted On : 2023-07-25
Posted By : Jills_House_of_Pie
So much fun! We are a couple in our mid-50s with no rafting experience. The full day tour was just right for us physically--not harrowing but not boring either--we ended the day tired and happy. The river is beautiful. The view from the river is definitely different from the view from the road. Everyone was super friendly. The trip was well managed with guides and other staffers working together efficiently and pleasantly. Emily was a fun, funny and knowledgable guide. She taught us well--we felt safe but not babied. We'd definitely do this again.
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Posted On : 2023-07-22
Posted By : allisondD7511TR
We had a wonderful day rafting down the Rio Grande with Katie and the rest of the all-female crew at New Mexico River Adventures (NMRA). Katie is a knowledgeable, skilled, and entertaining guide and we were so happy to spend the day in her boat. We would raft with her and the NMRRods again any time!
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Posted On : 2023-07-19
Posted By : glwheat66
What a great day with the great guides at New Mexico River Adventures. The full day is the way to go. The first part, before lunch, is more of a float but a great time getting to know your guide and others in the boat. Lunch was great and the guides were amazing! The racecourse, which was after lunch, was fun and the guides made you feel safe as you maneuvered through the rapids. Meeka (spelling may be wrong) was our guide in our raft and she was great. Highly recommend these guys. Super nice and very fun!
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Posted On : 2023-07-01
Posted By : Contractorag
This was one of the funnest things we have done as a family. We did the racecourse, which only takes about 1.5 hours. But by the time you check in, float, and get back is about 2.5 to 3 hours. This outfit has it together! Very easy and hassle free check in, they go over safety, and then get you all set up. They shuttle you to the take off location then shuttle you back. The guides are awesome! We never felt unsafe at any moment. The guide gave us clear instructions, and in between rapids told us about the geology and history of the rio grand location. Overall I highly recommend. Next time I will do the full day or two day trip. I can't wait to go back!
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Posted On : 2023-06-24
Posted By : michelleaE7275IB
I always wanted to river raft. The best experience for a first timer - or not! Racecourse was amazing, exciting and serene at the same time. Our guides were the best!! I look forward to seeing you all again.
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Posted On : 2022-09-28
Posted By : 303ChristineM
The entire experience was first-rate. Unlike many other rafting companies, these guys have a location where everyone can meet and get ready for the trip down the river where cars and belongings will be safe. Contrast this with some outfitters that have customers meet at the boat launch, where their vehicles remain parked for hours at the public boat launch Excellent changing rooms and toilets. Free wetsuits and splash jackets available—some outfitters charge for both. Decent chicken fajita lunch on the all-day trips. Plus the guides are all well-trained. Not everyone will be assigned Devin, but count your blessings if you get him; he is truly outstanding.
I can’t recommend this company highly enough.
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Posted On : 2022-08-22
Posted By : Debbie F
We had a blast on the half-day Racecourse trip! This was among our favorite activities of our action-packed 10 days in New Mexico. We've been on a bunch of river raft trips over the years, so we elected to try out the inflatable kayaks for this tour. Loved it! Our guide, Alden, shared info about the geology and history of the area along the way, and gave us some good paddling tips. On the morning of our tour, we were the only 2 kayakers among the fleet of about 7 rafts. When we approached the most serious of the rapids, the guides made sure that we were in-between the rafts (in case we flipped and needed rescue). I'm happy to report that we made it through the racecourse without incident. I would recommend the regular raft trip for families or anyone with limited paddling experience. The guides do a great job navigating the rapids. People who elect to kayak instead of raft should definitely have some experience since this is the real deal (not an amusement park ride). We have our own kayaks at home, but have had limited experience in swift-water. For even more of a thrill, plan your trip for earlier in the spring when the water is higher.
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Posted On : 2022-08-02
