Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River

The Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River designates a 68.2-mile corridor in northern New Mexico (Taos and Rio Arriba Counties) where the river flows through an 800-foot-deep gorge within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (Taos Field Office), it was designated on October 2, 1968, as one of the first eight rivers in the National Wild and Scenic River System. The river supports diverse wildlife including bighorn sheep, river otters, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Visitors can enjoy hiking, fishing, whitewater boating, kayaking, wildlife viewing, birding, photography, picnicking, dispersed camping, and stargazing across two developed recreation areas (Wild Rivers and Orilla Verde).