Rio Chama Full Day

The Rio Chama day stretch is one of northern New Mexico’s most popular family friendly river section. This trip is great for families and groups looking for a scenic wilderness day float in one of the most beautiful and iconic areas in the Southwest. This 8-mile stretch begins beneath a secluded Benedictine monastery and ends just above Abiquiu Reservoir, where this silty desert river rolls to a halt among the rainbow cliffs of this remote four-corners location.Trips meet at 9:00 AM at Bode’s General Store in Abiquiu, NM. After a scenic drive along the multi-hued sandstone cliffs of what we like to call “Georgia O’Keeffe country”, we will launch near the Christ in the Desert Monastery in a wide high-desert valley. Guests can expect fantastic scenery, fun and splashy class II whitewater and a delicious riverside lunch. After a great day on the water,we will take out at Big Eddy river access point at the head of Abiquiu Reservoir and plan to have you back to your vehicles around 4pm.

Paddle boat, oar boat, individual or two-man inflatable kayak, and Stand Up Paddleboard are all options.

We welcome first-time rafters 6 years of age and older. You should be in normal, good health and prepared for the mild exertions of paddling, camping and possible swimming.

Group of 4 or $600 minimum required. This is a fantastic stretch of river that we love, but unfortunately this trip is 200 miles round trip of driving for us, so our minimum requirements are firm. We encourage groups of 3 or less who don’t wish to pay the minimum amount to call our office at 575-758-2628 and it is likely that we can combine your group with another in order to reach the required number of participants.