Outdoor adventures wild to mild

From trail riding to ziplining, adventures abound

River rafting with Far Flung Adventures

Taos-based, 575-758-2628, farflung.com

The Río Grande has a monolithic place in New Mexicans’ minds, but the Río Chama holds its own when it comes to water adventures — as an outing with Far Flung Adventures will quickly show. The paddling outfitter has more than a 40-year history in New Mexico and guides multifaceted water adventures, from classic whitewater through the Taos Box along the Río Grande to a full-day float on the Río Chama with soaking at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa. There are few better ways to spend a hot summer afternoon than catching a little air off the inflatable sides of a raft and feeling the cool spray of water as the raft’s prow dips into rapids. Multiday outings include the company’s River Music series, a tradition since 1982, that combine days rafting on the river with nightly campfire serenades from acts such as Brent Berry, Butch Hancock and Greg Harkins.

Taking a wild walk with Dryland Wilds

575-770-4766, drylandwilds.com

Dryland Wilds, which makes wild-crafted perfume and botanical soaps, leads a handful of local plant identification and foraging classes. The walks amble through Northern New Mexico locales as guides and business partners Robin Moore and Cebastien Rose point out dozens of edible and useful local plants, with recommendations on how to harvest and process them. Destinations are both wild and urban as the duo teaches about piñon and wild berries, as well as supergreens growing like weeds in abandoned lots. The duo currently offers private sessions in and around Santa Fe for groups or individuals. They plan to offer public wild walks this summer, pending the developments with COVID-19. For more indoorsy folks, Dryland Wilds also offers botanical perfumery classes during which participants explore bioregional fragrances and learn about balancing scents using a fragrance palette drawn from New Mexico plants. Check the website for details on current and scheduled offerings.

Stand-up paddleboarding with New Mexico River Adventures

Embudo-based, 800-983-7756, newmexicoriveradventures.com

The Outdoor Industry Association reports that since the mid-2010s, stand-up paddleboarding has grown more than any other sport. The craze, which started in Hawaii, has coasted into the Land of Enchantment via New Mexico River Adventures. The Embudo-based outfitter guides trips along easy sections of the Río Grande, where beginners can get their footing on the wide, hard-to-topple paddleboards. Paddlers dip their oars into shallow waters as they navigate the river beneath the towering cliffs of the Río Grande Gorge. Multiday outings paddle the Río Chama.

Trail riding with Tamaya Horse Rehab

The Stables at Tamaya, Hyatt Regency Tamaya, 1300 Tuyuna Trail (near Bernalillo), 505-554-5938, tamayahorserehab.com

Casual trail rides turn into a cause at Tamaya Horse Rehab. The nonprofit rehabilitates and retrains neglected, abused, unwanted and abandoned horses. The Unwanted Horse Coalition estimates that there are hundreds of thousands of unwanted horses across the U.S. Since its founding in

2012, Tamaya Horse Rehab has rescued more than 150 of them with 85 currently in their possession. Thirty have become working horses at The Stables at Tamaya. (Others have been re-homed to caretakers.) The working trusty steeds help raise funds to support horses that are unable to work or are retired. Group rides begin at the stables, set at the foot of Tuyuna Mesa on Santa Ana Pueblo, then wind through the sagebrush desertscape and along the Río Grande Bosque. Most trail rides are slow and gentle, but advanced riders can book private trips that move at a faster clip. Prior reservations required. Trail rides are open to both hotel guests and the public.

Ziplining in Angel Fire

Angel Fire Resort, 10 Miller Lane, Angel Fire, 575-377-4383, angelfireresort.com

For an adrenaline rush, travelers head to Angel Fire Resort, home to one of the highest-elevation ziplines in North America. There, four ziplines — measuring from 700 to 1,600 feet in length — soar above the Moreno Valley. The height and spans deliver high-flying fun as riders accelerate among the trees and sometimes far above them. Short walks through the pine forests on well-maintained paths ground riders between lines. The entire Zipline Adventure Tour takes two hours, but the memories last far longer. For groups with small children, the Family Flyer offers a similar experience at a slower pace a bit closer to the ground. Four tours (at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon) are available on a reservation basis; a tour at 1 p.m. is available first-come, first-served. All tours are accompanied by qualified guides. Tickets are $150 per person. Tours run Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Touring Georgia O’keeffe country on horseback

Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center, Abiquiú, 505-685-1000, ghostranch.org

Head into the Ghost Ranch landscape that inspired Georgia O’keeffe on horseback. Small-group rides are available to suit all skill levels. The easy trail rides enter restricted areas of the ranch, where travelers can see the exact locations depicted in O’keeffe’s paintings.

They can spot the cinnamon-colored cliffs of the Piedra Lumbre, black streaks that waterfalls have painted on canyon walls and the distant butte of Pedernal, all of which O’keeffe made famous in her works. Sunset rides show off these landscapes during the golden hour. Ambling along on horseback allows guests to take in the landscape and perhaps find their own muse here. O’keeffe explored this area with her artistic eye for more than 50 years, and it’s easy to see why. Every vista is picturesque and every turn in the trail more enchanting than the next. For the non-horseback-riding set, walking tours and bus tours are also available, as are seasonal archaeology and paleontology tours.

Nature walking at Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve

From Santa Fe, take I-25 south. At Exit 271, turn right on the west frontage road and drive north about 1.5 miles. 505-471-9103, santafebotanicalgarden.org/visit-leonora-curtinwetland-preserve

Open May through October on weekends, Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve offers a beautiful place to escape the city. The 35-acre nature preserve protects a rare natural cienega (marsh) created by runoff from the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. The area, which is adjacent to El Rancho de las Golondrinas, boasts a wide variety of plants and wildlife, from hundreds-year-old cottonwoods to chamisa bushes, from dragonflies to hummingbirds. Early summer brings wildflower blooms, including fiery Mexican hat and scarlet gaura. The wildflowers frame walking paths, most of which are ADA accessible. Volunteers from the Santa Fe Botanical Garden Society maintain the grounds, which ethnobiologist Leonora Curtin left to the society.

Outdoor yoga at Ojo Santa Fe Spa Resort

242 Los Pinos Road, 877-977-8212, ojosantafe.ojospa.com

’Tis the season for yogis and yoginis to take their practice outdoors, and there are few more beautiful locations than the waterside deck at Ojo Santa Fe.

The resort’s location on Santa Fe’s southside was once a resting place on the Santa Fe Trail, where weary travelers could soak their bones in the cool waters that naturally burble to the surface there or take respite along the shores of a natural pool shaded by cottonwoods. Today’s travelers and public guests can find restoration in daily, 50-minute yoga sessions at 9 a.m. overlooking the pond. Yoga classes focus on postures, breathwork, and body and mind awareness. They are complimentary to overnight guests, but members of the public can attend for $18 per class. Advance reservations are required to attend due to limited class sizes.

Fly fishing with The Reel Life

De Vargas Mall, 526 N. Guadalupe St., 505-995-8114, thereellife.com

Nick Streit, who also owns the Taos Fly Shop and is often cited as one of New Mexico’s top fishing guides, co-owns The Reel Life with Ivan Valdez. They and their team lead both beginner- and expert-friendly outings on the Río Chama, the Río Grande, the Pecos River and in Jemez Mountain streams, all in the greater Santa Fe area. The expert guides also offer classes in tying flies and fly-fishing techniques for those looking to get out on the water on their own. The Reel Life teams with paddling outfitter Far Flung Adventures for combination fly-fishing/rafting outings. No matter which outings travelers choose, they’re rewarded with quiet days wading into cool river depths in the scenic surrounds of Northern New Mexico.

Hiking the Cave Creek Trail

From Pecos, follow NM 63 to Cowles. Turn left at Cowles Ponds and cross the Pecos River. Follow the signs to Panchuela Campground. 505-757-6121, fs.usda.gov/detail/santafe

Totaling more than 220,000 acres, the Pecos Wilderness is the emerald jewel in the crown of the state’s public lands. The lush area within Santa Fe National Forest is dotted with high alpine lakes and carved with rivers and streams. It’s known to locals simply as The Pecos and ranks as one of Santa Feans’ favorite summer escapes. The 5.5-mile (round-trip) Cave Creek Trail is among the notable hikes here. The route goes through wildflower meadows along the Panchuela and Cave Creeks to a trio of caves on the left bank of Cave Creek. Between the moss-covered rocks and the depths within, the scene feels like something straight out of The Goonies. Hikers can step inside the caves, but further explorations call for a helmet and a light source.