Day 1

This trip begins with a scenic float through the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument which will allow your crew to practice paddling as a team before jumping into the action of the rapids. After a delicious riverside lunch prepared by our guides, we will paddle into our most popular stretch, the Racecourse! Don’t forget to look up! The geology radically changes as we pass onto the Embudo fault line, one of the largest intercontinental fault lines in North America. After crashing through the infamous Souse Hole, we will head to our first night’s camp on the river.

Each evening, you will enjoy sleeping under the stars of the New Mexican skies at our riverside camp within the heart of the stunning National Monument. Sit back in one of our camp chairs and take in the vibrant colors of the sunset while the guides pass around appetizers and prepare a delicious dinner and dessert. With views like these, you won’t want to forget your camera. There will be ample fishing opportunities as well as hiking trails directly from camp! In the morning you’ll wake up to a hot cup of coffee and a beautiful breakfast before heading to the river.

Day 2

Day two will bring an expedition-style adventure! Depending on the time of year, we will enjoy inflatable kayaking the remote and seldom explored section of the Middle Taos Box where the wildlife sightings are endless, or the action of New Mexico’s premier class IV stretch, the Taos Box rafting section. Regardless, this day will provide you with one of the single best river adventures in the country.

Day 3

Our final day is the perfect mix of river and rock. We will start at Dead Cholla Wall in the heart of the Rio Grande Gorge. The Dead Cholla Wall is an established New Mexico rock climbing area featuring over two dozen climbing routes for all skill levels. Whether you’re a first-time or experienced climber, your professional guides will provide you with all the tools to ensure a safe, challenging, and memorable experience. After a riverside lunch, it’s time to cool off! This afternoon we will enjoy a combination of stand-up paddleboarding and inflatable kayaking amongst some of the most incredible views of the canyon! Be sure to keep a lookout in the water for river otters, the cliffs for bighorn sheep, and the sky for bald eagles! Once off the river, we will make our way back to our Headquarters where your vehicles will be waiting for you. You will have an opportunity to take a look at your photos from the past couple of days and grab some NMRA merch to commemorate your adventure!

Our Guides For The Rio Grande Multi-Sport 3 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. With experience on rivers all over the country and across the globe, I know you’ll enjoy each one of our guides as much as we do!

This is the perfect combination of SUP and a remarkable self support, multi-day river trip. Very few places offer the beauty of a desert river canyon with the perfect mix of calm waters and a few manageable class 2-3 rapids to challenge stand up paddle boarders of all skill levels. This trip can be designed as a 3-day instructional or a guided trip for the experienced paddler. A great trip for groups looking for the next best thing in the world of SUP. Please join us for the amazing experience in one of the most scenic locations in the Southwest.

We begin the 31 mile river trip outside of the the alpine town of Chama, NM and float down into a stunning and colorful sandstone and limestone canyon finishing up near the renowned artist village of Abiquiu. The upper reaches of the river are well known for gorgeous pine trees lining the banks of the river and spectacular views of the desert cliffs that border this area and that are so famous in many different artists works, such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. Red, yellow and purple color bands are painted across the desert as the river flows past towering sandstone cliffs. This stretch of river hides many treasures within the high reaching walls like hot springs, homesteads, ancient Indian ruins, and dinosaur tracks perfectly preserved in Jurassic era mud to name a few.

We will spend the night at a camp that is right on the river’s edge and backed up by excellent opportunities for hiking and the exploration of numerous side canyons and vistas. Sit back in one of our camp chairs and take in the sunset as the colors of the canyon walls change right before your eyes. Enjoy a cold drink as the guides pass around appetizers and prepare a gorgeous dinner and dessert. This is luxury camping in one of the most beautiful river canyons in the Southwestern United States. Don’t worry if you don’t have your own tent, sleeping pad or sleeping bag. Just let one of our friendly staff know at the time of reservation and we’ll take care of everything.

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. Many with experience on rivers all over the country and across the globe, I know you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do and will certainly help to make your day on the river the best possible.

Minimum age for the three day stand up paddle boarding trip on the Rio Chama is 12 y/o; children should be adventurous and have some previous outdoor experiences.  Please note that at most water levels, we switch from paddleboards to rafts/kayaks before the most difficult rapids on the final day. Groups of 4 or more may request Custom dates, subject to availability.  This trip may have participants in other crafts like rafts and inflatable kayaks.

Whether a family, beginner lesson or a more advanced skills class you will not be disappointed. Our instructors will make you feel like you’re an individual and address each individual’s skill progression whether you’re in a group or private lesson. This is especially evident through our low student to instructor ratio in all our courses. All of our courses meet at our Whitewater Headquarters in the heart of the Rio Grande Gorge.

Our boards are selected for their stability and ease of use. Each trip will include a nice stop on the banks of the river for a hearty snack and refreshment before continuing downstream. We supply all the gear necessary for this amazing experience. Oh and did we mention warm water? Yes, in the later summer months the combination of water levels and warm water temperatures make the Rio Grande the perfect river to learn to SUP. Lessons meet daily at our headquarters at 8:30 and 12:30 and are about 3 hours long.

Contact us if you have questions or to make a reservation. We take our half day SUP trips down the very scenic and calm Orilla Verde section of the Rio Grande or one of our area lakes. Our New Mexico stand up paddle boarding lessons start on land to give an overview of the SUP board and how to correctly Stand Up Paddle. In the water our SUP instructors will go over the basic paddle stroke and helping you work on gaining stability on your paddle board. We will also spend a few minutes talking about differences in SUP board shapes and sizes. All equipment provided.

Grab a paddle and let’s hit the river! Team-building takes on a new form as you work with your crew to crash through rapids, route each other on while rock climbing as well as learning new paddling skills in kayaks and paddleboards. Keep your eyes peeled in between the action of the rapids for Ancient Puebloan petroglyphs, freshwater springs and incredible breathtaking geological features.

Day 1

This trip begins with a scenic float through the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument which will allow your crew to practice paddling as a team before jumping into the action of the rapids. After a delicious riverside lunch prepared by our guides, we will paddle into our most popular stretch, the Racecourse! Don’t forget to look up! The geology radically changes as we pass onto the Embudo fault line, one of the largest intercontinental fault lines in North America. After crashing through the infamous Souse Hole, we will head to our first night’s camp on the river.

Each evening, you will enjoy sleeping under the stars of the New Mexican skies at our riverside camp within the heart of the stunning National Monument. Sit back in one of our camp chairs and take in the vibrant colors of the sunset while the guides pass around appetizers and prepare a delicious dinner and dessert. With views like these, you won’t want to forget your camera. There will be ample fishing opportunities as well as hiking trails directly from camp! In the morning you’ll wake up to a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate and a beautiful breakfast before heading to the river.

Day 2

Depending on the time of year, water levels and average age of the Scouts, we have two options for this day’s adventure.  one option is a multi-sport day in which we will rock climb in the morning and inflatable kayak through the Monument in the afternoon.  The second option is rafting the Taos Box section of the Rio Grande.  Both options can be discussed at the time of booking in consideration of your particular trip dates river conditions.

Day 3

This morning, after breakfast, we will enjoy a yet another new adventure, stand-up paddleboarding, amongst some of the most incredible views of the canyon! Be sure to keep a lookout in the water for river otters, the cliffs for bighorn sheep, and the sky for golden eagles! We will finish just before lunch (not included). Once off the river, we will make our way back to our Headquarters where your vehicles will be waiting for you. You will have an opportunity to take a look at your photos from the past couple of days and grab some NMRA merch to commemorate your adventure!

Our Guides For The Rio Grande Multi-Sport 3 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. With experience on rivers all over the country and across the globe, I know you’ll enjoy each one of our guides as much as we do!

Our Guides For The Ultimate Scouting Adventure

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. With experience on rivers all over the country and across the globe, I know you’ll enjoy each one of our guides as much as we do!

For our Scouting Groups, it is possible to cover the skills required for the Whitewater Merit Badge. Please call our friendly reservation staff to discuss the details.

This trip is available on a specific group basis. Call for available dates and river conditions.