Rio Grande
07. Quartzite River Access to County Line River Access(Pilar or Racecourse)
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 4.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 12 fpm |
| Gauge | Rio Grande Blw Taos Junction Bridge Near Taos, Nm |
| Flow Rate as of 31 minutes | 229 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 20, 2024 |
River Description
The Racecourse is far and away New Mexico's most popular whitewater run. Just downstream from the tiny artists village of Pilar the Rio Grande flows more westward after colliding with the Pilar Cliffs on river left. The Cliffs are made of resilient quartzite-schists: ancient stone that in places is 1.7 billion years old, predating the origins of life on Earth. In contrast, on river right, are the relatively more recent basalt lava flows found in the upstream canyons. Just upstream from the Quartzite put-in is the Rio Grande Gorge Visitor's Center providing bathrooms, water, and a giftshop including many books on geology, plants, animals, and folklore. Quartzite River Access provides porta potties and a changing area, roughly marked spaces for parking, and a picnic table. Boaters launch from one of two rocky beaches. County Line River Access has BLM maintained bathrooms, two paved boat ramps, and picnic tables. Permits are not required to boat on the Racecourse.
This section of the Rio Grande is not as isolated as the Lower Taos Box or the Orilla Verde since State Road 68 follows the river closely for the entire run; but the highway runs high-up on the banks in most places, and a boater tends not to notice it while shooting rapids or recovering below them. The road provides opportunities to scout nearly all the rapids on the run. Take care pulling over and getting out of your vehicle because many drivers speed down the highway in this canyon and accidents are unfortunately not that uncommon. In several places trails run steeply down the left bank from highway pullouts to the river, notably at After Five, Sleeping Beauty, and Souse Hole. Sleeping Beauty has an excellent surf wave easily reached by parking in the highway pullout alongside the road just beside the rapid. Kayakers are often seen hauling gear up and down the trail to login surf time in the large curler in the main drop of the rapid. The land along the Racecourse is a mixture of public and private
...River Features
Quartzite River Access
Excepting some busy summer days, two large beaches usually allow for ample room to launch. A moderately sized parking lot is available, as well as pit toilets, a picnic table, and two changing areas. Quartzite is not far from the Rio Grande Gorge Visitors Center just up the road towards Taos. At extremely low flows, the bottom ramp can be difficult to launch large rafts from as the dropping water exposes the shallow beach.
Eye of the Needle
The tricky part of this rapid is usually at the bottom. At moderate to high flows boaters usually run the rapid down the middle and veer left near the left shore to exit. At low flows the left channel exit is too shallow and boaters usually thread their way through the Eye of the Needle: three large spaced-apart boulders. Beware the 'Birth Canal', the middle slot in this rapid at intermediate flows; advanced kayakers can run it but it's one of the worst raft pin spots on the river - tends to dissappear below 300 cfs. Boaters usually opt to cross the river from left to right to pass between the first two boulders located in the center of the river, then turn abruptly downstream to pass between the most downstream of these first two boulders and a third along the right shore. Across from the Eye of the Needle boulders, along the left shore, there is an eddy that provides a great opportunity to setup for the move. At extremely low flows (< 240 cfs), a large boulder appears in the middle of the Eye. Kayakers should be able to navigate to the downstream side of it, but rafters may have to play around with their weight in order to get over. At this flow, this rapid is pretty difficult, but the slow, shallow water makes it rather inconsequential.
Glen Woody Bridge
Old, dilapidated bridge purportedly build by a commune that lived at the site of the Glen Woody mine town on river right. Beware of possible fishing lines with hooks still attached that might have been accidentally snagged and dangling from the bridge. At high water the river rises very close to the bottom of the bridge and the bridge must be portaged on the left bank.
Commerical trips often regroup in the large pools and eddies just below the bridge to prepare for Big Rocks.
Baby Huey
Massive boulder that fell from the canyon rim in 1991, punched a large hole in the highway, shattered a riverside boulder making Baby Huey bounce and land on the otherside of the river.
After Five
A great playspot for kayakers with a nice pool at the bottom. A steep, sagebrush-packed trail winds from the road down to the pool.
Sleeping Beauty
A drop into a big reversal wave. At low water the drop is usually ran down the channel along the right shore; at moderate to high flows preference for how much splash a boater wants determines how the drop is ran; boats without sufficient momentum to punch through the reversal might be in for a surf and a flip! Be mindful of the large boulders at the bottom of the rapid coming off the right shore. This is a favorite surf playspot for kayakers. A trail runs from a pullout alongside the road down the river bank to the rapid. At lower levels Sleeping Beauty becomes a fun surf for rafts. The rapid is easily scouted from the road.
Souse Hole
One of the more famous rapids on the run, as it offers a solid splash at even the lowest river levels. At low to moderate flows Souse is ran usually down the left channel. Rafts can surf the hole at the bottom of the last drop at low flows. At high flows the rapid creates a near river-wide massive hole renowned for flipping boats. Boaters looking to avoid the huge wave can sneak the rapid along the left shore. At all flows be mindful of currents coming off the left shore that may push your boat too far into the center of the river into a large rock or hole, depending on flow. A trail comes down from the road to the pool at the bottom of Souse. The rapid is easily scouted from the road.
This is the photo rapid for the Racecourse's commerical rafting trip due to its omnipresent top hole and easy road access. Be aware of commercial rafts spreading out in the long area of slackwater before this rapid.
County Line River Access
One smaller and another larger boat ramp are available, along with picnic tables, and BLM-maintained outhouses providing ample space for changing. The first ramp is intended to be the takeout for private boaters, while the second is intended for commercial rafts. A shallow riffle (usually ran along the left shore) indicates the river's approach to County Line; a second riffle begins just above the second boat ramp.
Also the put in for the scenic, class II- Bosque run.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportGlen Woody Bridge, about halfway down the Racecourse.
Pilot Rock appears on the right. Make sure to not let the wave train push you left of Thunderdome and into the Toilet Bowl; boats that bounce off of Pilot often end up in this predicament.
Massive boulder that fell from the canyon rim in 1991, punched a large hole in the highway, shattered a riverside boulder making Baby Huey bounce and land on the otherside of the river.
A great playspot for kayakers with a nice pool at the bottom. A steep, sagebrush-packed trail winds from the road down to the pool.
Big Rocks at moderate to low levels. The Ledge is on the far right and the Slot between the Ledge and Thunderdome Rock in the middle. To the left of Thunderdome is the tight pushy drop Toilet Boil (with it's recirculating hole at the bottom). The set-up eddy is bottom left.
Rocks appearing in the middle of a riffle just down stream of Quartzite River Access. Easily missed on the right. When the river is high enough a wave and hole forms providing an initiation splash before continuing downstream.
Follows immediately at the end of the pool below Souse Hole. The typical channel is right of the island. Beware of a potential wrap rock in the run out of the rapid.
Named for the bumpy, shallow channels in the rapid. The rapid is typically run weaving between rocks mostly down the middle of the river.
Beginning of a long stretch of whitewater. At moderate to high flows large standing waves make this a rollercoaster ride. At low flows the river channelizes nicely but the typical line swings from river right to river left and them returns to center leaving some tight weaving between rocks.