Rafting the Taos Box

Rafting the Taos Box

The lower Taos Box contains the best whitewater in New Mexico and is perhaps the premier one-day wilderness trip in the U.S. The Box is a 17-mile long trip and requires everybody to participate by paddling. Participants should be in good physical condition and ready for the rigors of paddeling and the posibility of a unintentional whitewater swim in cold water.

After a shuttle from the Rio Grande Visitor's Center, the excitement begins just northwest of Taos, New Mexico. Next, Kokopelli Rafting guides will talk you through a thorough safety briefing before we float through relatively calm water for a few miles. We'll practice our teamwork and paddling for the demanding whitewater including Ski Jump, Dead Car, Powerline Falls, and the Class IV Rock Garden downstream.

The Rio Grande Gorge is filled with wildlife, geology, and history. As of late, reintroduced bighorn sheep populations have been spoted on almost all trips. You'll have the opportunity to view the Mamby Hot Springs, as well as the plant life and geology of the gorge. As the gorge deepens and the whitewater increases, we'll still take time to look around and enjoy the beauty of northern New Mexico.