EL PRADO GUIDED TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Learn to Row the Rio: Six Days of Whitewater Instruction from Taos to the Taos Box
A six-day, instructor-led course from Far Flung Adventures that teaches whitewater rowing on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama and culminates in a test run of the Taos Box.
Learn to Row the Rio: Six Days of Whitewater Instruction from Taos to the Taos Box.
Far Flung Adventures’ Whitewater Rowing School runs over six days out of Taos, New Mexico, teaching students—from complete newbies to returning graduates—how to row a single-person center-mount boat on stretches of the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama. The course combines classroom biomechanics and gear instruction with progressive on-water practice, camping, and the opportunity to earn an ACA certificate.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Earn an ACA Certificate
Graduates of the six-day program have the opportunity to earn an ACA certificate, a formal recognition of competency in whitewater rowing.
Practice Across Multiple Rivers
The course covers 2–3 different rivers in the region—principally the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama—giving students a range of flat, riffled, and whitewater conditions for skill progression.
Camping on the Rio Chama
Instruction includes a multi-day camping segment on the Rio Chama, where students live out of camp and practice rowing on predominantly swift flat water and class I–II riffles before encountering class II+ on the final day.
What the day feels like
What Six Days on the River Feels Like
The course begins with fundamentals—gear, biomechanics and mellow floats on the Rio Grande—then ramps up through a two-day Rio Chama excursion and a return to the Lower Gorge and Racecourse sections of the Rio Grande for repeated practice on class II–III rapids. It culminates in a test day on the Taos Box where students take turns rowing its class III–IV drops under instructor supervision.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this course works for — and who should reconsider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The program is a six-day course with arrival in Taos expected the evening before instruction begins.
Bring personal clothing and any personal camping gear you prefer; the operator can provide camping equipment free of charge if requested.
Participants meet at the Far Flung Adventures Boathouse, 15 NM 522, El Prado, NM 87529.
An onsite RV park and campground provides electric hookups, a community kitchen, refrigeration, showers and Wi‑Fi; you may bring an RV, van, or sleep in your vehicle.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
Where do we meet for the course?
Meet at the Far Flung Adventures Boathouse, 15 NM 522, El Prado, NM 87529.
How long is the rowing school?
The course runs for six days, with attendees arriving in Taos the evening before the program begins.
What ages can attend?
The program is open to students 14 and older, and welcomes complete newbies, intermediate rowers, and previous graduates.
Will I be able to earn a certificate?
Graduates have the opportunity to earn an ACA certificate as part of the program.
Are camping facilities available?
Yes. There is an onsite RV park and campground with electric hookups, a community kitchen, refrigeration, showers and Wi‑Fi; the operator can provide camping equipment free of charge if needed.
What if river conditions change?
Itineraries may be adjusted for weather and water conditions; the class IV portion may be run on an alternate river in Colorado if Rio Grande levels require it, and instructors may deem a student unready for the Taos Box and assign an alternate final run.