We will travel downstream through the majestic canyons of the Rio Chama in the craft of your choice, raft, kayak or stand up paddleboard enjoying the amazing scenery and fun class 2-3 rapids. 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’Keefe and Ansel Adams. The mellow whitewater here affords ample opportunity to take in all of the colors and beauty of the famous canyon. Red, yellow and purple color bands are painted across the desert as the river flows past towering sandstone cliffs. Stopping each day along the way to explore the many interesting side canyons, peaks and trails throughout this special river trip. Each afternoon at camp, enjoy a cold drink as the guides pass around appetizers and prepare a gorgeous dinner and dessert. Afterward, you’ll sit back and enjoy incredible music from Bard and Friends with towering pines and sandstone walls as the stage.

As his name indicates, Bard is first and foremost, a storyteller, with a tie to a timeless tradition of storytelling – winter nights,  dying embers, fortuitous gathering, type storytelling.  A stone mason by day and a songwriter by night, both crafts depend on firm foundations.  That foundation of authentic and emotionally real narratives can be heard in his newest release “Burn You Up”.  Bard Edrington V’s music is inspired by experiences in nature.  His music is made to be listened to on the banks of a river or the red rock canyons.  Bard will be joined by his good friend and drummer Jim Palmer.  Let Bard and Jim be your musical soundtrack to Chama River.

Bard Edrington’s musical roots began when he and Zoe lived in Blowing Rock, NC. The first time he saw Doc Watson play, he was hooked on old time music. Weekly open jams taught him the clawhammer style on the banjo. When exploring Doc Watson’s music, he learned of Mississippi John Hurt and his fingerpicking style of blues. The syncopated rhythms that he held with his thumb, and melodies he played with his fingers, permeated Bard’s mind. From John Hurt, he was introduced to the delta blues players, hill country players, piedmont blues, and on and on

This is truly a one-of-a-kind trip offered only by New Mexico River Adventures. Please call us with any questions at all and don’t hesitate to reserve your spot as space is limited and often times fills up quickly.

Join us for this 3-day adventure with our friends from Santa Fe Brewing Company, one of Southwest’s finest breweries.  The fine folks from SFBC will be with us for this 3-day journey and help to transform your riverside campsite into one of the finest taprooms in the world. The Rio Chama is one of America’s treasured wilderness rivers. This pristine desert river canyon is a true treasure of the southwest and we are extremely lucky to have it so close to home. The Rio Chama is best known for its towering desert canyon walls, fun Class II/III rapids, amazing riverside camps, and plentiful wildlife. It is the perfect river trip and the perfect place to enjoy Upslope’s acclaimed brews. You’ll spend your days running the Rio Chama’s rapids, enjoying the gorgeous views, and spotting the plentiful wildlife as well as plenty of stops for hiking and exploring the many side canyons and vistas along the river. Each afternoon, you’ll arrive at your riverside campsite with plenty of time to relax, hike, read and sample some of SFBC’s flagship and new and exciting brews and hard seltzers while your NMRA guides prepare a special menu to compliment the days carefully chosen beer selections.

Way back before there was such a thing as “craft beer” there was craft beer. In New Mexico of all places. It was then, in 1988, that a cowboy named Mike Levis who had a passion for homebrewing and a desire for something better brewed the first batch of Santa Fe Pale Ale (still brewed today). Fast forward to 2003. Craft beer was growing and Santa Fe’s reputation for making high quality, drinkable beers was spreading.  In 2010, the technology to put beer in cans finally became accessible to small brewers, and we installed a small canning system. It was then that the first ice-cold Happy Camper IPA rolled down the line into Lock’s hand who said, ‘You can shotgun these.’ And he did.  The popularity of Happy Camper IPA (and the acceptance of craft beer in cans) propelled the brewery to new heights. Production increased, and soon, Santa Fe Brewing Company beers were being shipped all over the Southwest.

Just like Santa Fe Brew’s approach to brewing and fun, New Mexico River Adventures works tirelessly to provide their guests with the highest quality river adventures in New Mexico and beyond. With a variety of specialty trips to choose from and daily departures on the world famous Taos Box and Racecourse sections of the Rio Grande, NMRA is leading the way in a fresh and new approach to outdoor adventures in New Mexico. Stop by our headquarters in Rinconada or give us a call to see for yourself what great adventures we have in store for you!

Price includes everything from the time we meet you at Bode’s general store at 8 a.m. until we return on the 3rd day at around 4 p.m. If guests require sleeping bags, pads and tents for camping we can provide at no extra charge. Each night will have a tasting presentation and pairing with appetizers and dinner.

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Join us for 3-days and 2-nights rafting the Rio Chama with Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell to learn and appreciate the significance to her Tewa people of water and the land it flows through. Join Roxanne on the river to share stories and reflect as we listen to the voices within the landscape. Roxanne, is a renowned Tewa clay sculptor but also teaches permaculture from a Native American perspective and is Author, The Pueblo Food Experience Cookbook: Whole Food of Our Ancestors. We follow the Rio Chama for a 33-mile mellow rafting adventure from Tierra Amarilla while floating through stunningly colorful sandstone and limestone walls and hidden canyons.  Our trip ends near Christ in the Desert Monastery. Marvel at pectacular red, yellow, and purple cliffs captured by artists Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams.

ROXANNE SWENTZELL is renowned for her figurative expressions in clay and bronze. Her character studies mirror her own life and struggles within a multi-cultural family upbringing yet deeply rooted in indigenous history but exposed to Western thought. Her Santa Clara Pueblo community practices traditions which have contributed to continuance over many centuries yet is surrounded by outside cultural influences which have had major impacts on the lives of its native inhabitants. She is known as an indigenous seed saver and she helped pioneer a change in diet for those wanting to go back to pre-European foods and native sources of diet to strengthen the health of her family and community. Her sculpture reflects the impacts of outside dominant society on tribal mothers, youth, and children with humor, sensitivity, and respect for the Earth which is the mother of us all. Found in public and private collections her art has received many awards.

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Join us for 3-days and 2-nights rafting the Rio Chama led by Geologist/Volcanologist Dr. Kirt Kempter exploring rocks of the Mesozoic Era as we descend into geologic time.  Our trip begins just below El Vado reservoir, where sandstone deposits from the coastal plains of the Cretaceous Sea border the river.  As we float down river we drop into older layers of the Colorado Plateau, giving us intimate views of Jurassic and Triassic deposits.  Geologic formations you will recognize from the Ghost Ranch area include the Morrison, Todilto, Entrada, and Chinle.  Short side hikes will allow us to appreciate these rock layers in person, including some fossil tracks of the famous Jurassic predator, Allosaurus!  We will follow the Rio Chama for a 33-mile mellow rafting adventure from Tierra Amarilla and float through stunningly colorful sandstone and limestone walls and hidden canyons. The trip ends near Christ in the Desert Monastery. Appreciate the spectacular red, yellow, and purple multi-hued cliffs captured by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams.

DR KIRT KEMPTER is a Fulbright Fellow and holds his doctorate from University of Texas-Austin. He is a popular world-traveling vulcanologist and independent field geologist. He is much in demand as a study leader for organizations such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Journeys and Southwest Seminars. He worked for the New Mexico STATEMAP program studying the geologic history of Northern New Mexico and was an instructor for the NASA astronaut-training program. Kirt is the author of numerous maps/articles on geology of the Southwest.

The Trip

We will follow the Rio Chama for a 33-mile mellow whitewater rafting adventure from Tierra Amarilla and float through stunningly colorful sandstone and limestone walls and hidden canyons. The trip ends near Christ in the Desert Monastery and includes a visit to a nearby grid garden. We will view the spectacular red, yellow, and purple multi-hued cliffs captured by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. For more information about this trip, please contact Southwest Seminars.

Join us on the Rio Chama for the most scenic multiple day river trip in New Mexico. The Rio Chama, a major tributary of the Rio Grande, in Northern New Mexico, flows through a multi-colored sandstone canyon whose walls grow to 1,500 feet. This trip is a unique and amazing way to experience the world famous Rio Chama, experience remarkable artisan meals featuring food and wine from the Northern New Mexico region, and support local farming. The river runs through areas that are designated as wilderness or as wilderness study areas.

We begin the 33 mile river trip outside of 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 the fantastic trout fishing and gorgeous pine trees lining the banks of the river. This stretch of river hides many treasures within the high reaching walls from hot springs to homesteads to ancient dinosaur tracks. We will spend two nights at camps that are right on the river’s edge and backed up by excellent opportunities for hiking and the exploration of numerous side canyons and vistas.

Each night we will experience a gourmet 4-course meal prepared by the one and only, Chef Jerry Dakan of Santa Fe .  Chef Dakan is an acclaimed chef with experience in some of the most well known culinary destinations in the country.  He now calls Santa Fe his home where is the lead faculty at the Santa Fe Community College Culinary School. The dinners will be paired with the wines of Vivac Winery. In November of 1998 Jesse and Chris embarked on a new mission “to make the best wine possible and have a good time doing it!” This meant professionally crafted, world-ranked, dry red wines, a first for New Mexico and are now the Highest Rated Reds in New Mexico’s History (Wine Enthusiast Magazine ratings)! Focused on complex reds, the Professional at Vivac Winery have a commitment to excellence. Using only French oak barriques and state of the art stainless steel tanks, brothers Chris and Jesse Padberg lovingly create their wines. Fresh and Young, edgy and sophisticated, Vivac offers you something out of the ordinary!

The trip includes:

• World-Class guides leading trips around the globe
• All river equipment
• All camping gear (including ultra-comfortable, inflatable sleeping pads)
• A rare peak into the beautiful canyon’s Georgia O’Keefe made famous years ago
• All meals beginning with lunch on day one and ending with lunch on day 3, including gourmet 4-course Farm to Fork dinners prepared by Chef Jerry Dakan
• Wine pairings from Northern New Mexico’s award winning Vivac Winery

Join us for this 3-day adventure with our friends from Bosque Brewing Company, one of New Mexico’s finest breweries. The crafty folks at Bosque will join us for three spectacular days on the river capped off each night with their most delicious offerings. The Rio Chama is one of America’s treasured wilderness rivers. This pristine desert river canyon is a true treasure of the southwest and we are extremely lucky to have it so close to home. The Rio Chama is best known for its towering desert canyon walls, fun Class II/III rapids, amazing riverside camps, and plentiful wildlife. It is the perfect river trip and the perfect place to enjoy Bosque’s acclaimed brews. You’ll spend your days running the Rio Chama’s rapids, enjoying the gorgeous views, and spotting the plentiful wildlife as well as plenty of stops for hiking and exploring the many side canyons and vistas along the river. Once you arrive at camp, you will have the opportunity to unwind riverside with one of New Mexico’s most delicious beers in your hand.

Here is a quick description of the brewery in their own words:
‘At Bosque Brewing Company, we craft beers that can be enjoyed, debated and discussed at length by everyone from Master Cicerones to burgeoning craft drinkers, and we look to create an inclusive community space that brings individuals together through the power of great beer and great conversation. We take pride in pushing the boundaries and norms of craft beer while remaining true to our values and sense of community. We partner with local businesses, growers and charities to deepen our commitment to New Mexico and stay true to the area that has supported our growth for over five years. We look forward to continuing to create revolutionary products while curating spaces where people feel that they are an integral part of our story.’ Sounds good to us!!

New Mexico River Adventures works tirelessly to provide their guests with the highest quality river adventures in New Mexico and beyond. With a variety of specialty trips to choose from and daily departures on the world famous Taos Box and Racecourse sections of the Rio Grande, NMRA is leading the way in a fresh and new approach to outdoor adventures in New Mexico. Stop by our headquarters in Embudo or give us a call to see for yourself what great adventures we have in store for you!

“Let the fish drink the water.
I want a beer!”
― Anthony T. Hincks

Price includes everything from the time we meet you at Bode’s general store at 8 a.m. until we return on the 3rd day at around 4 p.m. If guests require sleeping bags, pads and tents for camping we can provide at no extra charge. Each night will have a tasting presentation and pairing with appetizers and dinner.

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Learn about the history of the Early Paleo and Folsom people traveling the Chama River Valley thousands of years ago and their high-quality chert for stone tools was found on the prominent Pedernal Peak. Learn about nomadic residents living 3,000 years heavily used the region as evidenced by obsidian spear points and ancient living sites. After the depopulation of Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, new people entered the area and created communities along the river and its tributaries. By the mid-1300’s they built some of the largest prehistoric pueblos in the ancient southwest by using a rock and gravel mulch grid gardens. Learn about the settlement by Spanish colonists, Native hostilities and the floods of the raging Chama River and the dams that finally tamed the river. Visit a grid garden on the last day of the trip.

Narration

Dr. Maxwell will share knowledge of the native peoples, history, and the agricultural field systems of the Rio Chama. He is Director Emeritus, New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies and conducted extensive mapping of Chama River cultural sites and the agricultural field systems of the Rio Chama.

The Trip

We will follow the Rio Chama for a 33-mile mellow whitewater rafting adventure from Tierra Amarilla and float through stunningly colorful sandstone and limestone walls and hidden canyons. The trip ends near Christ in the Desert Monastery and includes a visit to a nearby grid garden. We will view the spectacular red, yellow, and purple multi-hued cliffs captured by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. For more information about this trip, please contact Southwest Seminars.