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!

Our rock climbing trips near Taos NM take place in the heart of the Rio Grande Gorge just above the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande. The Dead Cholla Wall is an established rock climbing area featuring over two-dozen climbing routes just below the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. We will enjoy the famous route, aptly named “Fun” with the stunning southwest backdrop of the Rio Grande Gorge and the Sangre de Christo Mountains. There is a short and well maintained trail to this remote and pristine climbing location. No experience is necessary for this trip and is available to all ages, abilities, and levels of fitness.

Your guides will provide the safety equipment and instruction in rappelling and climbing technique to help you safely challenge yourself on this 50 foot vertical cliff overlooking the river. Depending on your fitness level, we will choose from the routes available to find the right amount of challenge to help you get the most out of your experience in this “slab” climb. This style of climbing requires thoughtful footwork instead of powerful upper body movements. Through the help of a detailed orientation at the climbing site, your guides will provide you with a solid foundation to tackle your first route with just the right amount of difficulty for three to four hours in the morning.

New Mexico River Adventures’ professional guides are the best in the business and have introduced rock climbing in New Mexico to countless outdoor enthusiasts. Minimum age for Rock Climbing trips is 12 years old.

Lunch and Float

After the morning of climbing it’s time to head for the river. Your Guides will prepare a famous Chicken Fajita lunch on the banks of the river while we prepare the rafts or kayaks for a beautiful float through the latter part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. You will have a choice to raft or kayak.  Your river kayaking trip begins with a placid 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 Orilla Verde Kayaking Trip also affords us time to practice paddling techniques, swimming and simply enjoying the Rio Grande. Toward the end of the trip, we will float through the historic village of Pilar before continuing through some fun class II rapids and on to our take-out. Or you may choose to raft the famous class 3 rapids of the Rio Grande Racecourse section.  This is a great option for those looking for a more adventurous river portion of the trip. After the river trip, we will return to our Headquarters where there are changing rooms, restrooms, and our shaded patio to enjoy at the end of the day.

Our rock climbing trips near Taos NM take place in the heart of the Rio Grande Gorge just above the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande. The Dead Cholla Wall is an established rock climbing area featuring over two-dozen climbing routes just below the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. We will enjoy the famous route, aptly named “Fun” with the stunning southwest backdrop of the Rio Grande Gorge and the Sangre de Christo Mountains. There is a short and well maintained trail to this remote and pristine climbing location. No experience is necessary for this trip and is available to ages 12 and up and all, abilities, and levels of fitness.

Your guides will provide the safety equipment and instruction in rappelling and climbing technique to help you safely challenge yourself on this 50 foot vertical cliff overlooking the river. Depending on your fitness level, we will choose from the routes available to find the right amount of challenge to help you get the most out of your experience in this “slab” climb. This style of climbing requires thoughtful footwork instead of powerful upper body movements. Through the help of a detailed orientation at the climbing site, your guides will provide you with a solid foundation to tackle your first route with just the right amount of difficulty for three to four hours in the morning.

New Mexico River Adventures’ professional guides are the best in the business and have introduced rock climbing in New Mexico to countless outdoor enthusiasts. Minnimum age for Rock Climbing trips is 12 years old.

Upgrade to Fajitas and a Float

If you’d like to make it a full day adventure, try combining our rock climbing course in New Mexico with our amazing Orilla Verde half day float, your guides will serve our amazing fajita lunch after your climbing adventure.