Rio Grande River - TX

America Outdoors outfitters offer canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, nature tours and bird watching on the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River in Big Bend National Park.  Jeep and ATV tours are also available outside the park.

 The Rio Grande flows from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado for 1,865 miles to the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, Texas. For 1,250 miles, the Rio Grande is the boundary between the United States and Mexico. In a remote stretch in west Texas, the river makes a curve to the northeast to form the “big bend.” It is here that the wild character of the river lives on.

There are three areas that water recreation enthusiasts typically flock to: Mariscal Canyon, Boquillas Canyon, and the Lower Cayons. 

For visitors with less experience, a relaxing two to four day river trip through Boqillas Canyon is a great choice. The rapids in this 33-mile journey only rate up to Class II. Camping a couple of nights by the soothing sounds of the river, and marveling at the 1,200 foot canyon walls, will allow yourself time to forget about the daily distractions of life. As you travel down the canyon, notice the remains of candellia wax mining camps on the Mexican side.

Since you need a high clearance vehicle to reach Mariscal Canyon, it is a wonderfully remote day or overnight river trip. It is the shortest canyon in the park, 10 miles long, with varied scenery and stunning limestone cliffs rising up to 1,400 feet. A few Class II-III rapids (depending on water levels) give this excursion some excitement.

A five to ten day float trip, the journey through the Lower Canyons offers a true wilderness experience. The trip begins at La Linda and ends at either Dryden Crossing (83 miles) or Foster’s Ranch (119 miles), which is at the end of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River.