Best Family Whitewater Rafting Trips In New Mexico

Let us lead your family into adventure and lifetime memories!

New Mexico River Adventures is a family-run business that understands and values how important it is to expose children to new experiences while keeping your most precious cargo safe. The best and most popular time of year for any of these family whitewater rafting trips is during the summer break from school when the weather in the high desert is right around perfect every single day! Our impeccable safety record and highly trained guides speak for themselves, but let us fill you in on a few of the family-friendly trips we offer. We believe these are the three best family whitewater rafting trips in New Mexico!

1. Half-Day Orilla Verde

The perfect family whitewater rafting trip in New Mexico that suits most ages is the half-day Orilla Verde, with the minimum age being 3. The launch point is in the lower section of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument which offers gorgeous scenery and ample wildlife sightings. The calm stretch of river is punctuated with few very mild rapids to give the kiddos something to get excited for. As with all of our trips, we will stop midway down to have a snack and give your family a chance to stretch your legs and go for a dip in the river.

2. Half-Day Racecourse

If your children are a bit older and looking for more adventure, then our class 3 half-day Racecourse rafting trip will be perfect for your family. Our most popular trip on the Rio Grande dishes out super fun rapids with great opportunities between to take in the gorgeous canyon and to hop in the river for a swim. The teamwork required to maneuver through the whitewater will find your family feeling accomplished while giving paddle high fives for a job well done. The minimum age for this trip is 5, but can go up in higher water scenarios.

3. Rio Chama 3 – Day

Want even more time on the river together? Then look no further than our 3 Day Rio Chama rafting trip. Nothing will bond you all closer than spending two nights camping under the stars and 3 days soaking in the amazing Rio Chama river canyon. The whitewater on this trip is mild and suitable for kids as young as 5. We often suggest that the older kids in the groups (adults, too!) opt to run the trip in one of our inflatable kayaks as they add more adventure to the experience. There are great options for family hikes to check out the famous dinosaur tracks and side canyons behind each camp for sunset or sunrise hikes, the possibilities are endless!

We hope you’ll join us for these family white water rafting trips near you!