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"A dream come true for us first-timer Dallas suburbanite knuckleheads. I felt like we were on National Geographic Explorer, not just watching it on tv. The Los Rios people showed us a unique glimpse of nature and America that is vanishing, with an absolutely perfect chemistry of safety, fun, and total professional delivery. Got to do it again ... Viva Los Rios!" Sterling Forsythe & family Carrollton, TX

"I just wanted to thank everyone at Los Rios for a great trip through the Taos Box on Memorial Day! All of our guides were friendly and funny but also clearly knowledgeable and professional when it comes to whitewater safety. The river was high, wild, and exciting and made for the best raft trip I've ever experienced! The scenery of the gorge was an awe-inspiring backdrop for a great adventure. In addition, a pleasant surprise was the great lunch that they prepared! I will definitely recommend Los Rios to anyone I know who travels to New Mexico." Angela Kordyak Washington, DC

The legendary Rio Grande Gorge … A remote chasm of rugged basalt cliffs plunging 800 feet to the river, dotted with juniper, cedar and sage.  A breathtaking wilderness alive with the cries of ravens, falcons, and eagles.  And the deep, echoing roar of world-class whitewater. The life-giving waters of the Rio Grande originate as melting snow high in the Rocky Mountains.  The raging spring floods year after year have carved a deep, remote and beautiful canyon across the Taos Mesa, which in 1968 was designated by Congress the nation’s first Wild and Scenic River.  Many species of wildlife live here, including elk, deer, beaver, and mountain lions.  The river teems with brown and rainbow trout.

We run three-day, two-day, full-day and half-day adventures on the Rio Grande between Questa and the Taos County Line (see map).  This continuous stretch of river is divided into four sections (from north to south): The Middle Box, The Taos Box, Orilla Verde and the Racecourse.  We also run three-day and two-day trips down the Whiterock Canyon section of the Rio Grande, between Los Alamos and Cochiti Lake.

Rio Grande Day Trips - Rafting

The Taos Box

The ultimate whitewater thrill.  16 miles
of intense, challenging rapids crashing through the most awe-inspiring part of the Gorge.  Our most popular full-day trip which always sells out early.
Full day   Class 4+      Recommended min. age: 12
Meet 9 a.m.

The Racecourse

A half-day trip of almost constant action, as you power through thrilling, rollercoaster rapids in a spectacular canyon where the walls rise to 1500 feet.
Half day   Class 3       Recommended minimum age: 6 (12 in high water)
Meet 9.30 a.m. or 1.30 p.m.

Orilla Verde

A mellow and scenic half-day trip perfect for small children and seniors.  Placid, gentle waters glide along past towering bluffs and buttes.  Swallows skim the surface and dart past the raft in a dazzling display of avian acrobatics.  And Indian petroglyphs too.
Half day   Class 2       Recommended minimum age: none
Meet 9.30 a.m. or 1.30 p.m.

The Lower Gorge

A full-day trip combining Orilla Verde and the Racecourse.
Full day   Class 3       Recommended minimum age: 6 (12 in high water)
Meet 9.30 a.m.

       

Rio Grande Day Trips - Funyaks

In the later part of the season when water levels are low, we bring out the funyaks.  Also known as duckies, these inflatable one-person kayaks are very stable and easy to maneuver.  You can learn to paddle one your first day on the river.  There is an instruction session on the river before the trip begins so you can learn the basic strokes, and you will be accompanied by expert guides paddling their own funyaks, giving you instructions and help every step of the way.

The Middle Box

The Middle Box is pristine wilderness, the most remote and rarely-visited section of the Gorge, and it's ideal for adventurous people who have never paddled a funyak or kayak before.  There is plenty of calm water to practice in, as well as exciting Class 2 and 3 rapids.  (You can walk around the bigger rapids if you like.)  The day begins with a one-mile hike down into the canyon, with mules carrying the equipment.  This trip is available during low water only.
Full day    Class 3    Recommended minimum age: 12    Meet 9 a.m.

Orilla Verde

The peaceful waters lapping through the green meadows of Orilla Verde will give you plenty of time to practice your paddling technique without too much whitewater to challenge your nerves.  This is the only funyak trip we run in both high and low water.
Half day    Class 2    Recommended minimum age: 10    Meet 9.30 a.m. or 1.30 p.m.

The Racecourse

For athletic people only.  You must have strong muscles and a strong will to run the big rapids of the Racecourse in a funyak - a trip which we only offer in low water.  Expect to end up in the water at least once!
Half day    Class 3    Recommended minimum age: 16    Meet 9.30 a.m. or 1.30 p.m.

The Lower Gorge

Orilla Verde and the Racecourse combined.  A whole morning to perfect your paddling technique, and a challenging run in the afternoon.  As above, available during low water season only.
Full day    Class 3    Recommended minimum age: 16    Meet 9.30 a.m.

       

Rio Grande Overnight Trips

Three-Day Rio Grande

The total Rio Grande experience - the adventure of a lifetime.  Three days in one of America's most breathtaking wilderness canyons, with world-class whitewater to boot.  Not to mention eagles, falcons, ancient Indian petroglyphs, and hot springs.
    Day one begins with a hike into the Middle Box, the most remote and rarely visited part of the canyon.  We make wilderness camp below Ski Jump, the first rapid of the Taos Box, at the foot of a side canyon called the Cathedral which you can explore as the guides cook dinner.
    Day two brings the white-knuckle whitewater of the Taos Box, broken by lunch on a small beach beside the river, in the heart of the canyon.  That night we camp in the green meadows of the Orilla Verde Recreation Area, near developed campgrounds with running water and flush toilets.
    On day three we catch our breath with a serene float through Orilla Verde before cranking up again for the thrilling rapids of the Racecourse.
Class 4+     Recommended minimum age: 12

Wild Rio Grande

The Middle Box and the Taos Box.  We hike into the canyon before spending two days in the heart of the Wild and Scenic River, with almost no sign of human civilization except for ancient Indian petroglyphs and a picturesque ruin near the hot springs.  The roar of the river lulls you to sleep as the constellations wheel overhead
in the narrow strip of sky visible between the high canyon walls.
Class 4+     Recommended minimum age:  12

Whitewater Rio Grande

The Taos Box, Orilla Verde, and the Racecourse.  This trip
packs the maximum amount of whitewater into two days,
with eighteen rapids rated Class 3 or higher. After the demanding rapids of the Taos Box, a night spent in the green meadows of Orilla Verde and the morning's gentle float will recharge your batteries before you face the nonstop excitement of the Racecourse in the afternoon. We'll deliver you back to your car exhausted, exhilarated, and ready to
take on the world!
Class 4+      Recommended minimum age:  12

Middle Box Funyak Overnight

When the lower water of summer arrives in the Gorge, it's funyak time.  After a moderate hike down into the spectacular Middle Box (further upstream from where the day trip starts), you will receive a comprehensive lesson by a professional teaching guide. For two days you will maneuver your own personal boat through Class 2 and Class 3 rapids - you can walk around the bigger rapids if you like.  We camp in a remote spot on the rim of the Gorge, where your overnight gear will meet you. Sleep under a vast dome of stars, and awaken to dawn over the awe-inspiring Sangre de Cristo mountains and the Gorge stretching away beneath you.
Class 3      Recommended minimum age:  12 to paddle funyak; younger kids can ride with an experienced adult or a guide

Whiterock Canyon

Whiterock Canyon is breathtakingly beautiful and remote, with basalt canyon walls towering over 1500 feet above the river.  We float approximately 25 miles through Bandelier National Monument and the lands of San Ildefonso and Cochiti Pueblos, surrounded by unique geology dotted with numerous ancient petroglyphs and Anasazi Indian ruins.  A three-day trip allows more time for soaking in Pajarito springs and exploring the Anasazi ruins - some are easily reached, while others require challenging hikes.  At the end of the trip, you can choose to hike out of the canyon to the headquarters of Bandelier National Monument on one of three trails - about two and a half miles, four miles, or ten miles - or you can ride in the boat as it is towed across Cochiti Lake.
    Whiterock is an excellent family trip, with several rapids providing plenty of excitement.  It's an unmatchable way to explore the wilderness and the history of this ancient region.
Class 3      Recommended minimum age:  6

       

The Mystery Tour

Because of the unpredictability of water levels on the Rio Grande, we book all trips through the Taos Box - day trips and overnight trips - as a "mystery tour."  Due to irrigation, precipitation, and litigation, the level of the Rio Grande can change dramatically, often with little or no notice.  The Mystery Tour guarantees you a full-day or overnight whitewater adventure in the beautiful river canyons of northern New Mexico; the mystery is which section of river we run.  If water levels in the Taos Box are high enough we run that; if the Box is unrunnable or unsuitable for your group, you choose one of our other adventures. Day trips are usually run on a different stretch of the Rio Grande; overnight trips may move to the Chama.  We make the decision with you the day before the trip.

       

Major Rapids of the Rio Grande

The Middle Box
La Junta Garrapata Horse Thief Shorty (plus many unnamed Class 2 rapids)	Class 4 Class 3 Class 3
The Taos Box
Ski Jump Trash Yellowbank Upchuck Lemonade Dead Car Power Line Falls The Rock Garden Boat Reamer Screaming Left Turn The Boulder Field     inc. the Gut and Corkscrew Enema Sunset	Class 3 Class 3 Class 3 (4 in low water) Class 3- Class 3 Class 3 (4 in low water) Class 3+ Class 4+ Class 3+ (4 in high water) Class 3+ Class 3 (4 in very high and    very low water) Class 3+ Class 3 (4 in high water)
The Racecourse
The Maze Albert Falls Eye of the Needle The Narrows Dead Foot Falls No Name Rapid Big Rock Sleeping Beauty Souse Hole	Class 3 Class 3 Class 3 (2 in high water) Class 3 (3+ in high water) Class 2+ Class 2+ Class 3+ Class 3 Class 3 (4 in high water)