Kokopelli Rafting Adventures

Went down the Rio Grande on a full day trip (on 8÷22÷2015) and had an awesome time. Our guide was fantastic. She was funny, energetic, athletic, and very knowledgeable. Even though the river was at its expected low point due to lateness in the season, raft was fun and had some fast rapids. Highly recommended.

Took the Taos Box trip yesterday, with Justin as our guide.
The river was running at ~600 cfs. We had 6 people on one raft. The rapids were up to Class IV. The geology is basalt. The weather was mostly sunny and warm. There were 3 rapids, in particular, that provided some very memorable thrills.
The trip was easy to book. The gear was in shape. The drive to the put-​it location takes about 90 mins.
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the region and the river. He covered all aspects of river safety and got us working together as a team on the water.
Lunch was fresh and tasty. They store a big umbrella, hidden in the rocks along the shore, to provide a nice shade at the food table.
A completely enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Highest recommendation.

B

The owner took care of me and gave good customer service

An awesome adventure that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Our guide was great. He was full of information and put us at ease with his
friendly personality and five years of experience. Be sure to ask for Richie.

I rafted with these guys two weeks in a row – once with my 60 year old parents, and again with my 25 year old friends. I did the full-​day trip and the half day trip, and both were fantastic. These guys were totally professional but also laid back and easy-​going. They answered any questions we had on the phone and made the entire experience fool-​proof. Our guide was Billy, who was full of amazing bad jokes and knowledge about the flora and fauna of our area. He was great at putting people at ease and made the trip lots of fun. The snacks and lunch weren’t gourmet, but after a few hours of paddling on the river, even a cold-​cut sandwich with chips and salsa is delicious. Go with Kokopelli! You won’t be disappointed!

Kokopelli’s overnight on the Rio Chama will forever be one of my best memories. The surroundings are gorgeous and Kokopelli’s staff is terrific. I have taken this trip twice and plan to do it again next year. The staff is knowledgable, professional, flexible and fun. Our guide, Tori, deftly steered our raft even as we goofed off, while providing interesting insights into the geography and history of the area. They let us stop and hike even though their day was much longer than they planned. They cooked us some great meals while one of the rafters entertained us with his guitar by the fire. My sister came along even though she was afraid of nature’s dangers. Tori and the rest of the staff made her feel so safe and comfortable, she wants to go again.

«It’s clean up here. Down by Albuquerque? I wouldn’t swim in it.»
That was an assessment of the quality of the Rio Grande waters by our rafting instructor as I swam away from the raft, letting the late summer current carry me downstream. In late summer this river is a breeze, most points don’t qualify for stage 3 rapids and few compete beyond total amateur. Not a problem for us, as the family was looking for an especially safe adventure. We found it, and the instructors at Kokopelli made the day a breeze. Rule number one about a rafting trip with these people: If you want a challenge, go during the spring and if you want to relax, aim for mid to late-​summer.
Kokopelli rafting will generally handle all of the basics: they have the rafts, vests and paddles. You should arrive sun-​screened with a trusty pair of shoes that won’t fall off in the water, and a water bottle or two might help. If you honestly put effort into the maneuvering of the craft over the three or so hours of your adventure, you’ll be shot in the end, and this is where I choose to impart my critique.
First off, and most importantly, good ride. Informational. Fun. Scenic, even.
Second: At the end, feed me! I know, okay, I get it that some of the crew won’t work very during the trip, but I did and by the end of the ride I was famished. As we rounded the final stretch we were told there would be a «snack»; it turned out to be tortilla chips, salsa, apple slices and Oreo cookies. Seriously? That’s it?
Essentially, my review hinges on the professionalism of the staff, which made the grade, and the sustenance provided when we finished – totally disappointed. So hey, Kokopelli, howbout a better lunch?

We love river rafting… actually anything water related. We can’t fault them for the river being a little low. Our first impression went down the tube fast as they were about 45 minutes late than our scheduled meeting time. They kindly explained why they were late, so it wasn’t so bad. The ride from the parking lot to the top of the river was really hot and bumpy. Not so easy to sign a waiver in a bumpy van. We had a really good guide (Elisha) and had a nice, enjoyable experience. Got kinda interesting when we had to rescue a duckie paddler, but everyone came out ok.

When in Santa Fe, it’s a pretty good bet to spend as much time in nature as you possibly can. And when you get to the point where you want to see the Rio Grande, take a ride with the folks at Kokopelli. You’ll have a really great time.
We met the group and got completely equipped with helmets, life vests and paddles. Our guide was just a little shy but very knowledgeable about the area and the river. We got a brief description of what to expect, how to navigate and some safety tips and then we were off. Halfway down the river, we got out and took a quick swim, all the time slightly in awe that we were just swimming in the Rio Grande.
They’ve got an awesome, friendly and informed staff who will show you a wonderful time. I can’t recommend this experience enough!

had a great full day trip with Justin down the Rio Grande. he is very capable, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. met at the shop in Santa Fe and took the van to the beginning of our trip. mellow to start, a wonderful lunch sandwich buffet set out by Justin. then on to a swimming spot and finished up the trip with a long series of rapids called the racetrack. my mom, 80, and my daughter 15 and we ALL had a great time. highly recommend though i think the season is soon over.

Took my 5 and 7 year olds on a float down the Rio Grande in a mellow part of the river. We had a good time. They were a bit scared, and my eldest freaked out when he jumped in and the water was so cold. The water was cold. My youngest enjoyed being the captain for a while. When we were done we had a snack of an apple, salsa and chips and Oreos. Andrea was a pleasant and tolerant guide. Beautiful setting. I want to know more about the river spirits.

Well, the reviews from almost two full years ago still hold up. We went on the Taos Box trip yesterday and it was a blast. Obviously the rapids are fun, but more importantly, the guides are knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and incredibly capable of both guiding a novice team who may never have met before through class IV rapids, AND of handling potentially dangerous situations. One of the boats in front of us did get pinned to a rock, but with no hesitation, Ian, our guide, and Justin who was in the lead boat, got the worried rafters to safety and pulled the stuck raft off of the rock. They both showed incredible poise, and we were back on our way very quickly, and everyone got to the end safely, with smiles on their faces.
They told me on the way out, that if you ask for a particular guide on the next trip, you save 10%! Ask for Ian, he was awesome.

I always find it so overwhelming to decide on a rafting guide company with so many options. Each of the companies operated on various portions of the Taos River so I ended up basically drawing from a hat. I was really pleased that I chose Kokopelli Rafting. The team was very professional and accommodating. They kept the whole group entertained with a good sense of humor, a vault of good stories and tons of energy to motivate the group. The lower Taos Box trip provided a really great adventure — a solid portion at the end was consistent rapids, which is hard to come across. I would definitely book another trip with this company.

We did the Taos Box trip with Kokopelli and were extremely happy with our overall experience. The guides were super friendly and knowledgable, the trip overall was very organized and the rapids exceeded my expectations (primarily class IV with a fair ammount of floating at the beginning but pretty much non-​stop rapid action for the last 30 minutes). We hit the water in the end of May– and it was still cold enough that they provided us will full wet-​suits and splash gear (which I was thankful for since we were definitly not prepared for the cold weather). I also really liked that they were flexible about the pick up and drop off point– since we were headed to Taos they picked us up halfway between Taos and Santa Fe. Totally professional from start to finish– from the tasty lunch to their huge number of combined years of experience on the river and the pictures we were able to order online when we got home.