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    Known World Guide Service

    5.0 (2 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

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    7 years ago

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    Los Rios River Runners

    Los Rios River Runners

    4.8(113 reviews)
    22.8 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Certified professionals

    This was a last minute addition to my recent trip to Taos. I was looking for a short, easier…read moreexcursion on my last day in the area and the half day Orilla Verde raft trip was a perfect choice. This section of the river is calmer so its perfect for a relaxing float where you can spot wildlife and enjoy the grandeur of the gorge. You can opt to paddle a "funyak" on your own rather than go in the group raft. It's basically an inflatable kayak and my boyfriend and I chose that. It worked out well since there was only one other person in our group and they also chose a funyak. Check in is easy at the cafe in Pilar, about 20 minutes south of Taos and then you meet your guide at the gorge's visitor center across the street. Zac was our guide and he was a chill, cool guy but also focused on our safety and helped us navigate some shallow areas and one, small, class two rapids. He shared some stories about the river and its people and plant life. We got to see sheep climbing down the gorge to come drink in the river, a great blue heron and lots of ducks. It was a slow pace but that's what I was looking for. The funyaks were a little more challenging to navigate than regular kayaks (to me anyway.) They were lighter and seemed to spin and meander more. It was still a pleasant journey-just took a bit more concentration to paddle-especially with the two person boat we chose. Safety helmets and life jackets are provided and required. At the end, we shuttled back to the visitor center and our cars and Zac brought some apples, cookies and chips for the group. What a fun and memorable way to end my time in Taos. Los Rios is fun, friendly, easy to work with and I'd absolutely go again! Don't forget to tip your guide and also be ready to get a little wet, even on a more mellow trip. Had an awesome time on the river!

    worst river tubing I have done too shallow hit more rocks than water. no rapids…read more should have closed in August or before will never raft with y'all again !!!

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    Los Rios River Runners
    Los Rios River Runners
    Los Rios River Runners

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    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument - Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

    4.8(4 reviews)
    12.3 mi

    Rio Grande Del Norte is vast-there are many different areas to explore and various corners of this…read morenational monument that range from moderately trafficked to fairly remote. Taos.org has a great summary page of the different areas. https://taos.org/explore/landmarks/rio-grande-del-norte-national-monument/ I had done some further research after this overview and opted to visit the Wild Rivers area in the morning and the Rio Grande Gorge area later in the day after lunch back in Taos. Wild Rivers is about 50 minutes from Taos but a scenic drive. Once you are in the public lands, the scenery gets more and more amazing. In the Wild Rivers area, there's a visitor center (currently only open on weekends), a scenic byway with overlooks, campgrounds and hiking trails that take you down to the river. I opted to do the trail to Big Arsenic Springs. The byway was very well signed and there's day use parking that does have a self paid fee. Since it's a BLM administered park (federal) you can instead display your America the Beautiful National Parks pass. Amazing scenery of the river and surrounding canyons along the petroglyphs towards the end of the Big Arsenic trail. The hike I opted for was short (2.5 miles but with an 800 ft elevation gain on the way back up from the river.) The park does an amazing job maintaining the trails and the well graded switchbacks made it a pleasant hike. On the drive out, after my hike, I stopped at other scenic view points. Later in the day, I visited another section of the park, closer to Taos where you can walk across and take in vistas of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. If you're visiting Taos and love the outdoors, a visit to this park is a must. It's quieter than your typical national parks with fewer amenities but still an awe inspiring outdoor adventure (without the crowds!)

    We took an hour walk on the West Rim Trail that's part of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument…read morewhile visiting the Rio Grande bridge in late May 2023. The trail starts right at the parking lot and it's beautiful. Gorgeous views of the river too. Many bunnies that day.

    Photos
    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument - Wild Rivers hike down to Big Arsenic Springs

    Wild Rivers hike down to Big Arsenic Springs

    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument - Start of the trail down to Big Arscenic Springs

    Start of the trail down to Big Arscenic Springs

    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument - Scenic views along the Wild Rivers byway

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    Scenic views along the Wild Rivers byway

    Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures

    Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures

    4.7(31 reviews)
    66.5 mi

    This is one of the only local Albuquerque outfits to offer rentals for use on the Rio Grande…read more Without much competition it's still a first class operation. The owner, Mike, was fantastic on every level. He provided us with great service, info on river conditions and put in and and out points on the river (also on the website), was friendly and even helped us when we discovered we needed crossbars for our rooftop luggage rack to transport the kayaks. We found some some universal crossbars at a nearby auto store. He even helped us install them and provided the necessary tools we needed and did it with a smile. Since we got a very late start, we finished in the late afternoon/ early evening. He knew of our desire to return the kayaks the same day even though it was a 24 hour rental. So we called when him when we finished our expedition and he had no problem with us dropping the off the kayaks after hours (he was still there working). We rented sit-on-top kayaks which came w/ life vests and the paddles. As new comers to the sport, he provided some excellent tips which came in handy & helped us enjoy our adventure even more. We happened to go out on a day when the river flow was less than ideal ( just under 200 f/s. iIdeal is about 300/f/s) but we still had a good time and experience ( check out his river conditions info on the website, very helpful!). Occasionally we would have to get out and pull the kayaks over rocky rapids areas or sandbars ( I had to do it more than my girlfriend since I weighed more which is to be expected). But on a hot day "touching" the water felt good. Expect that your gear will get wet getting in & out on the river. We weren't experts but it's not hard for water to find your packs strapped in on the back of the kayak or in the cockpit with you. The most difficult part of the adventure had nothing to do with Mike or The Quiet waters operation. It had to do with Covid restrictions and accessibility to in points and out points on the river. Since he is restricted from dropping people off and picking them up due to current government regs, we had to transport the kayaks ourselves. It requires at least two vehicles, one of which needs to be able to carry the kayaks. There is a lot of extra driving to and from start and endpoints, but regardless we found it worth it. Additionally, the put-in and take-out points are difficult to find but Mike/Quiet Waters made it easier by giving us some tips and providing GPS coordinate info of where the dirt roads are that lead to the put-n and take-out points (online you can choose which adventure you want to take and which put-in point you want to start at and which take-out point you want to stop at. GPS coordinates are on the website) We chose the Algodones location as the put-in point and Corrales as our take-out point. About 10 mile river trip. Took us about 4 hours without stops (made a little longer than the estimated time of 3 to 3.5 hours because of the shallows mentioned earlier). The Algodones location requires a 1/4 mile hike with equipment to put in. It's not easy especially with two kayaks. No signage about what direction to take to get to the water. I walked ahead and scouted before we started carrying all of the gear in the wrong direction. That took some extra time. Entering the water has its difficulties as you have to get the kayak and gear down some short, steep embankments at the dam. Not the cleanest area. There was a lot of rubbish from day use folks around. But we finally found a good entry point and were off. It was easier place to carry the kayaks to the car at the Corrales exit point, but it still requires a short jaunt up a hill on a narrow path to the parking lot. The river at the Corrales point is VERY ROCKY AND SHALLOW. As you approach the location, you need to stay to the far left of the river to navigate the deeper water. Go right--though it's the wider side--and you'll end up having to drag your kayak. We went right and it made the ending to our trip not as enjoyable. For the most part we didn't run into many people on the river. We saw about 5-6 groups floating in rubber rafts. Everyone was so nice and we would chat as we went by. There were also several fishing groups near our start point in Algodones where you had to make sure to navigate their lines but they were all friendly. There was some fishing going on in various locations beyond Algodones (catching catfish). The shameful part of using the river is how the local and state governments and interests groups like the Sierra Club do everything they can to NOT allow for easier access to and from the river. It's such a great resource that could help to further the tourist economy ( I don't need to tell anyone who lives here that economic infusions are badly needed). Shame on all the local and state politicians who stand in the way of making this adventure more tourist friendly and usable and who cater to special interest groups!!

    State number 23=NM in my quest to paddle the lower 48. Thank you Mike at Quiet Waters for hooking…read moreus up with 2 Kayaks + equipment. Great communication and knowledge. We had a great time at the Lake. Would highly recommend.

    Photos
    Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures - Fun activity for friends and family.

    Fun activity for friends and family.

    Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures
    Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures - Smooth waters, relaxing

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    Smooth waters, relaxing

    Known World Guide Service - rafting - Updated June 2026

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