Whitewater kayaking in the Rio River Gorge in New Mexico is a favorite pastime for locals and visitors to the state. However, due to low water levels, the amount of “whitewater” is less each year. Still, it was among the most challenging and scenic kayaking I’ve ever done.

I took a rambling early afternoon drive through the mountains along the Rio Grande Gorge. The 50-mile gorge runs from northwest to southeast of Taos, New Mexico. It is about 800 feet deep at this deepest point near the Rio Gorge Bridge. At the bottom of the massive gorge, the Rio Grand River flows.

As you pass through this picturesque landscape of mountains and desert sagebrush views, you can’t help but fall into an almost meditative, relaxing mindset.

The Rio Grande

I kayaked the Rio Grande River in Big Bend National Park a month before, but it’s a different river in New Mexico. In Big Bend, the river was nearly dry. It flows more rapidly in New Mexico, alongside the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with their melting snow caps.

I met my guide and two other kayakers a few miles from the boat put-in. We drove together down to the deep gorge, skirting past deer and Big Horn Sheep. Here in the heart of the Rio, the colors of the gorge are bright browns and gold and the water is cold enough to keep you fully alert. The holes in the bottom of my inflatable kayak meant that I was instantly wet and my legs enjoyed some natural cryotherapy. They were frozen after about 15 minutes. The river is a chilly 50-ish degrees.

Endurance Kayaking

We started leisurely paddling through the bottom of the gorge, looking up at the lava rock face surrounding us. We were deep in the canyon, the walls surrounding us. The gorge canyon was carved out by erosion, volcanic activity, shifting tectonic plates. Massive lava rocks the size of small homes line the waterway. The gorge and over 225,000 acres of surrounding land were designated as the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, in 2013.

Our four-hour trip down the river, however, was about to get a lot more intense than it started. From seemingly nowhere 23-mile-per-hour gale force winds swept into the canyon, pushing against the flow of the river. The winds were so strong if we did not paddle, they forced us back against the river. When we paddled, we were just strong enough to stay in place. The wind was persistent and intense, giving us a full-body workout. We also had a lot of laughs as we dug our paddles deep and struggled ahead.

Our tour of the river included a few Class II rapids, which were a surprising delight. They were just strong enough to propel us quickly ahead and give us a short break from the exhausting paddling. All the end, what was supposedly an “easy” stretch of river, gave us quite a good workout. Our guide, Rachel, said it was unusual, so we decided to consider ourselves lucky.

Kayaking the Gorge

Despite our weird wind, the water levels and temperature in May make it the best time of year to kayak or raft the Rio Grande in New Mexico. It’s more likely to be windy in the afternoon, so a morning trip woudl be better if you want to avoid the struggles I had.

There are several different tour companies in the area, but I kayaked the Rio River gorge with New Mexico River Adventures.

Read more stories about New Mexico here.

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