Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River

From the NPS: The Río Grande Wild and Scenic River, located within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, includes 74 miles of the river as it passes through the 800-foot deep Río Grande Gorge. Flowing out of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in Colorado, the river journeys 1,900 miles to the Gulf of America. Here the river flows in a rugged and scenic part of northern New Mexico. The river was made a part of the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1968; among the first eight rivers Congress designated as Wild and Scenic. The river gorge is home to numerous species of wildlife, including big horn sheep, river otter, and the Río Grande cutthroat trout. The Río Grande Wild and Scenic River provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities, luring anglers, hikers, artists, and whitewater boating enthusiasts. Two developed recreation areas are located along the river: Wild Rivers on the north and Orilla Verde in the south. In addition to these scenic recreation areas, a spectacular vista of the gorge can be viewed from the High Bridge Overlook where highway 64 crosses.

On documented breadth and access, Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River ranks 13th of 21 National Park Service units we score in New Mexico.