Taos Box Rafting Full Day

This is possibly the greatest full day rafting trip in the country. Nowhere else can you find the same quality whitewater in such a remote and pristine canyon with incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. The “Box” flows through the heart of the Rio Grande Gorge some 800 feet deep.

The Float

The layout of this run is absolutely perfect as the beginning is relatively calm with plenty of opportunities to work on your paddling techniques and feel comfortable working together as a team to negotiate the many rapids ahead. In the final five miles of this Taos box rafting trip, the gradient increases and the rapids become more intense and come in much quicker succession. Brace yourself in and paddle hard through these steep and visually stunning rapids! You are almost guaranteed to spot Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep leaping across boulders below the cliffs or enjoying a drink from the river as well as river otter and a large variety of birds of prey as you float through this spectacular canyon.

Taos Box

Explore the inner gorge and experience quality Class IV whitewater rapids like Power Line Falls, the Rock Garden, the mile-long Rio Bravo section and the grand finale Sunset. This is fast-paced whitewater action sure to thrill and soak you.

About halfway through the Taos Box Gorge, your trip will stop and take a break on one of the beautiful riverside beaches in the heart of this amazing canyon. Here, a superb riverside lunch is served prepared fresh by our guides right in front of your eyes. Our guides are the best in the business, focusing on safety and guest service as a top priority. All are extremely knowledgeable about the area’s geology, ecology and history and just love being on the river. Many with experience on rivers all over the country and across the globe, I know you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do and will certainly help to make your day on the river the best possible.

What To Expect

Boats are typically run as paddle boats where you participate by paddling as a team with a guide sitting in the back steering and calling out paddle commands. In addition to Exceptional Guides you will be outfitted with our high-quality self-bailing boats, Farmer John style wetsuits, nylon “splash jackets”, Type 5 PFDs, and adjustable whitewater helmets. The Taos Box rafting trip meets at our headquarters at 8:00 a.m. and usually returns to our headquarters at 3:30 p.m. Come prepared and join us for this amazing journey and certainly one of the best single days of rafting in the country.

The minimum age for Taos Box rafting is 13 and should weigh at least 90 pounds.

**This trip is water level dependent and may not be available on the date you reserve.  If so, we will reach out before your trip to discuss all options, including but not limited to alternate trips.  Please note that it is possible that we will not know until the day before the trip, whether or not the river levels will be adequate.  Often times, the flows linger at  runnable levels for long periods of time, as well as our monsoon season affecting the river levels unexpectedly. No matter what, we always have options and a great day on the river for you!