How to go Rafting in Northern New Mexico

Nothing is more quintessentially summer than getting on the river in a raft or a kayak on a wild western river.  In a raft you can see wildlife, laugh with people, get some exercise and get really wet. You are with the water, in the water, hearing the water and watching and feeling the current. But the season for New Mexico rafting is short so make your plans now.

   In the western states rafting is a central part of experiencing the outdoors. The great rivers of the West like the Colorado in the Grand Canyon or the Salmon River in the River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho or the Arkansas in Colorado or Westwater in Utah… all of these are legendary river runs. Cataract Canyon, Utah, the American in California, the Rougue in Oregon. Nothing compares to the fun and wilderness immersion that you can find on a river trip.

   Ever since John Wesley Powell pioneered boating the Grand Canyon in wooden boats in 1869, river running has been a near obsession for many people all over the West. People like the Hatch brothers in Utah who started one of the first commercial river rafting companies in 1934 with crude boats. Today there are hundreds of commercial rafting companies all over the West and tens of thousands of people who kayak or raft independently as a deep part of experiencing the land and water of our wild country.

   There are also thousands of people who have boating gear in a garage and friends who love to boat, as this is a social sport. Few people boat alone for safety reasons and everyone needs help shuttling the truck from the put in to the take out. So groups of friends gather to boat together, year after year. 

New Mexico Rafting

   In northern New Mexico we have excellent whitewater rafting possibilities. Two rivers offer great experiences, either as day trips or for overnight boating. The Rio Grande leaves Colorado and enters the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument south of Alamosa, Colorado and near Questa, NM and continues down past the little hamlet of Pilar and on down to Embudo. Most of this stretch is boatable. The Chama River below El Vado Reservoir offers excellent boating experiences all the way down to the top of Abiquiu Reservoir. Most people take out at Big Eddy.

   The Rio Grande has a two stretches that most people run. The Box is the most challenging, from the John Dunn Bridge near Arroyo Seco, NM, the river runs 16 miles to the Taos Junction Bridge where people take out. This is the wildest whitewater in New Mexico. Several easy rapids and some that are much more challenging on the lower part of the river make for great splashing fun while the river courses through the high basalt cliffs of the Taos Gorge.  This run takes most of the day and is totally worth it. It is an easy run at high water (above 3000 cfs) but very technical below about 1500 cfs.

   The most popular stretch of the Rio Grande is the Racecourse that goes from the Quartzite (named for the Precambrian cliffs high above) put-in on Highway 68, five miles to the County Line take-out. Here you find class two and three rapids at high to moderate water. I don’t recommend running the river at low water levels.  The run is named for the mother’s day boat race held on the river every year.

   The Racecourse is the most popular run because it is easily accessible from Santa Fe or Taos.  All the commercial companies in northern New Mexico run the Racecourse. Just do it. If you’ve done it, do it again.

  The Chama River offers two stretches for rafting. A multi day trip starts at the base of the El Vado dam and runs down to the Monastery. From just below the Monastery to the Big Eddy take-out is an easy day run with level 2 rapids and a dirt road nearby for easy access. Both of these runs go through the spectacular Colorado Plateau country with big red, orange and white cliffs ranging in age from 300 to 80 million years old. Big trees, side canyons, beautiful water and easy rapids make the Chama a wonderful wilderness experience.

 Companies Who Will Take You on the River

   If you have a boat of your own or friends with boats, you probably know where you can go to float. But for people without boats, several commercial river rafting companies can take you on the trip of a lifetime and all you have to do is show up. They provide the gear, the transportation, the food, the guides and they watch out for you. Remember that passengers need to be able to swim and use a paddle. People who are very heavy might not be able to join.

    We recommend two companies that run a smooth, professional and safe operation. First choice is New Mexico River Adventures based in Rinconada, NM. We’ve done several trips with them and they are excellent river pilots, have clean solid boats and safety gear, and they know how to have a good time. They provide hot lunch on the Box trip  and the longer Chama trips and they gear you up with splash jackets, helmets, wetsuits when the water is cold and of course personal flotation devices (life jackets). These people are good!

    We also recommend Los Rios River Runners, a company founded in Taos in 1978 by Cisco Guevara, a true lover of the river and northern New Mexico. They are highly experience, safety conscious and always have a good time on the river.

    There are quite a few other companies that you can find with a search online but these two will take good care of you.

    Traditionally, river companies run old school buses or older vans to take you to and from the river. The less time you spend in these vehicles the better but they are safe and adequate and you can look out the windows at the scenery. While a tour company like Great Southwest Adventures will take you in Mercedes vans, the river company focuses on the boats and the rivers, not the shuttle.

Beer

    Right across the highway from the New Mexico River Adventures facility in Rinconada  is the Blue Heron Brewing Company. They brew a variety of good beers which they serve on tap in their modest adobe building. You can have a good IPA,  stout, amber or pilsner and sit out on the back patio and enjoy the shade of big umbrellas. 

    Blue Heron also runs their beer and pizza location in the historic Rio Grande Café building in Espanola. This is a good place to go for after river dinner or when you are on the road between Colorado and points south.

   Let’s support our Rio Arriba County micro brews and get on the river!