The Rio Chama is located in the area of New Mexico made famous in the paintings of Georgia O’Keefe.
This is a very scenic full-day trip through the canyon of the lower Rio Chama is in the Santa Fe National Forest. The rafting trip is from the Christ of the Desert Monastery to the Big Eddy take-out, with Class 2 to 3 (easy to moderate) whitewater. This is the area of New Mexico characterized by multi-colored sandstone cliffs and cottonwood groves along the river. Funyaks are perfect for this trip.
When to Raft
The weekends in late June, July, August and the beginning of September are guaranteed release weekends. The water is released from El Vado dam starting on Friday at noon and shut down on the following Sunday. Therefore the assured days for rafting are Saturday and Sunday.
Who Should Raft the Rio Chama
This full day trip of the Rio Chama is perfect for the entire family. The minimum age is 5.
Family Funyaks
Single-person Funyaks, as seen in the photo below, are a great addition to the rafting adventure.
Visit New Wave Rafting for more information.
