PADDLE

Runnable sections line the Río Grande, including classic whitewater lines well-suited to rafting and kayaking like the Race Course and the Box; day-float sections like the one through the Orilla Verde Recreation Area, south of Taos; and the mellower reaches through Albuquerque amenable to stand-up paddleboarding or canoeing. Book a Río Grande paddleboard or kayak tour or rent a board (or bike) for a DIY outing through MST Adventures. Rent a kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or canoe for a self-guided adventure on the Río Grande Valley State Park in Albuquerque through Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures.

The mellower sections of the Río Grande through Albuquerque are perfect for stand-up paddleboarding, offering a more relaxed experience on the water. Photograph courtesy of MST Adventures.

FISH

In the state’s southernmost reservoir at Brantley Lake State Park, staff and volunteers recently installed a new floating fishing dock, which is just one new way to cast into New Mexico State Parks’ generally well-stocked fishing options.

Warmer water bodies hold bass, walleye, and catfish. Rainbow, brown, Gila, and cutthroat trout roam the coldwater lakes, rivers, and streams. “People who are a little more fired up to put in some legwork can hike down into the [Río Grande] Gorge and get some really good fishing,” says Cody McKeever, manager of Land of Enchantment Guides and the Fly Fishing Outpost in Santa Fe. The Río Chama doesn’t get the credit it’s due, he says, particularly the fly-fishing-only stretch below El Vado Reservoir that’s prone to yielding big, wild brown trout.

Head to Costilla Creek for gorgeous camping and a chance to reel in (and release) the byproduct of a massive and years-long effort to restore native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. “You’re catching them in a watershed that they’ve been in for tens of thousands of years or longer,” he says.

The Wibit Water Park at Grindstone Lake in Ruidoso features a variety of inflatable play structures and offers activities like bouncing, sliding, and climbing. Photograph courtesy of Discover Ruidoso.

SWIM

Consider the Wibit Water Park at Grindstone Lake, in Ruidoso, which is also a destination for flatwater paddleboarding and kayaking. An inflatable obstacle course is designed as a slippery race for two floats in Santa Rosa’s Park Lake. Pedal boat or paddleboard the four-mile lake between laps. Strings and loops of ramps and steps fill the city of Deming’s Inflatable Water Park, complete with sandy beach for lounging between swims.

Walk the trails at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. Photograph by Andrew Kornylak.

WATCH THE FLOOD

In spring, the river often overtops its banks, a crucial feature for many species living along it. “Some might see a flooded river and think, Oh this is annoying, or I can’t mountain bike on this path because it’s wet,” says Anjali Bean, a senior policy advisor on rivers for Western Resource Advocates. “But try being able to enjoy the floodwaters for what they represent.” Walk along some occasionally splashy trails through the bosque at the Río Grande Nature Center in Albuquerque.

Read more: A paddleboard trip along the Río Grande offers a different perspective on its vital role.