1. Heron Lake State Park

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Albuquerque, NM

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Heron Lake State Park

4.3 (4 reviews)

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Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures

Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures

4.7(32 reviews)
12.8 mi

This is one of the only local Albuquerque outfits to offer rentals for use on the Rio Grande…read more Without much competition it's still a first class operation. The owner, Mike, was fantastic on every level. He provided us with great service, info on river conditions and put in and and out points on the river (also on the website), was friendly and even helped us when we discovered we needed crossbars for our rooftop luggage rack to transport the kayaks. We found some some universal crossbars at a nearby auto store. He even helped us install them and provided the necessary tools we needed and did it with a smile. Since we got a very late start, we finished in the late afternoon/ early evening. He knew of our desire to return the kayaks the same day even though it was a 24 hour rental. So we called when him when we finished our expedition and he had no problem with us dropping the off the kayaks after hours (he was still there working). We rented sit-on-top kayaks which came w/ life vests and the paddles. As new comers to the sport, he provided some excellent tips which came in handy & helped us enjoy our adventure even more. We happened to go out on a day when the river flow was less than ideal ( just under 200 f/s. iIdeal is about 300/f/s) but we still had a good time and experience ( check out his river conditions info on the website, very helpful!). Occasionally we would have to get out and pull the kayaks over rocky rapids areas or sandbars ( I had to do it more than my girlfriend since I weighed more which is to be expected). But on a hot day "touching" the water felt good. Expect that your gear will get wet getting in & out on the river. We weren't experts but it's not hard for water to find your packs strapped in on the back of the kayak or in the cockpit with you. The most difficult part of the adventure had nothing to do with Mike or The Quiet waters operation. It had to do with Covid restrictions and accessibility to in points and out points on the river. Since he is restricted from dropping people off and picking them up due to current government regs, we had to transport the kayaks ourselves. It requires at least two vehicles, one of which needs to be able to carry the kayaks. There is a lot of extra driving to and from start and endpoints, but regardless we found it worth it. Additionally, the put-in and take-out points are difficult to find but Mike/Quiet Waters made it easier by giving us some tips and providing GPS coordinate info of where the dirt roads are that lead to the put-n and take-out points (online you can choose which adventure you want to take and which put-in point you want to start at and which take-out point you want to stop at. GPS coordinates are on the website) We chose the Algodones location as the put-in point and Corrales as our take-out point. About 10 mile river trip. Took us about 4 hours without stops (made a little longer than the estimated time of 3 to 3.5 hours because of the shallows mentioned earlier). The Algodones location requires a 1/4 mile hike with equipment to put in. It's not easy especially with two kayaks. No signage about what direction to take to get to the water. I walked ahead and scouted before we started carrying all of the gear in the wrong direction. That took some extra time. Entering the water has its difficulties as you have to get the kayak and gear down some short, steep embankments at the dam. Not the cleanest area. There was a lot of rubbish from day use folks around. But we finally found a good entry point and were off. It was easier place to carry the kayaks to the car at the Corrales exit point, but it still requires a short jaunt up a hill on a narrow path to the parking lot. The river at the Corrales point is VERY ROCKY AND SHALLOW. As you approach the location, you need to stay to the far left of the river to navigate the deeper water. Go right--though it's the wider side--and you'll end up having to drag your kayak. We went right and it made the ending to our trip not as enjoyable. For the most part we didn't run into many people on the river. We saw about 5-6 groups floating in rubber rafts. Everyone was so nice and we would chat as we went by. There were also several fishing groups near our start point in Algodones where you had to make sure to navigate their lines but they were all friendly. There was some fishing going on in various locations beyond Algodones (catching catfish). The shameful part of using the river is how the local and state governments and interests groups like the Sierra Club do everything they can to NOT allow for easier access to and from the river. It's such a great resource that could help to further the tourist economy ( I don't need to tell anyone who lives here that economic infusions are badly needed). Shame on all the local and state politicians who stand in the way of making this adventure more tourist friendly and usable and who cater to special interest groups!!

State number 23=NM in my quest to paddle the lower 48. Thank you Mike at Quiet Waters for hooking…read moreus up with 2 Kayaks + equipment. Great communication and knowledge. We had a great time at the Lake. Would highly recommend.

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Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures - Fun activity for friends and family.

Fun activity for friends and family.

Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures
Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures - Smooth waters, relaxing

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Smooth waters, relaxing

MST Adventures

MST Adventures

5.0(28 reviews)
8.5 mi•Eastside

I had been wanting to do a Balloon Fiesta kayak/SUP trip for awhile now. Cody, and his wife Karen,…read morewere really knowledgeable throughout this SUP trip about anything paddleboarding, about the river, how the company came to be and its name (it's "just Mountain Standard Time"), etc. He has tours almost year round from snowshoeing/ brewery, mountain biking, birding, and photography tours. Because of traffic, we left the parking lot about 6:15 am and returned just after 11. The water levels were low, but the SUP's did just fine in most areas. The cost of the trip was definitely worth it. We had about 14 in our group. And since the tour was only running the first week of balloon fiesta, it sold out less than a week after being advertised and I didn't get a chance to ask others if they wanted to go as well (but it was totally fine solo and everyone was friendly and welcoming). I didn't want to get wet, so I didn't try standing up for a first timer, but I feel like this trip gave me more courage to try standing next time and trying something new. The highlight of the trip was being able to see a few balloons splash n'dash. Also, Cody and Karen arranged a nice little setup with a paddleboard balanced on two buckets with a tablecloth over for a little breakfast of mimosas, a fire for s'mores, assorted granola bars, and hot water in a thermos for hot chocolate and coffee while we waited and watched for the balloons. I'd definitely go again (and wake up at 4 am). 2022 #41

The booking experience was easy, and instructions to meet the day of super easy. The owner is an…read moreamazing human being. This tour is so well worth it! Not to mention seeing beautiful Albuquerque from a different perspective.

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MST Adventures
MST Adventures - Just beautiful

Just beautiful

MST Adventures - Kayaking down the river

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Kayaking down the river

Sandia Peak Tramway

Sandia Peak Tramway

4.1(598 reviews)
9.6 mi•Eastside

I don't know how many times I've been to the top now. Six? Maybe more. Every time I come to…read moreAlbuquerque for work, I try to find time to go up to the peak. I've hiked, driven my car, and taking the tram several times. The tram way is by far the quickest and easiest. Lol. As a woman who was afraid of heights, I put myself in many high places. Yet even for me, the tram was not scary. It certainly is high. Somehow though, I've always felt secure. Moving at 15 miles an hour, you're at the top before you know it. This time we went to dinner and watched the sunset. Coming down after dark was an interesting experience. There is plenty of parking at the bottom, and plenty of space to spread out at the top. This is a phenomenal piece of engineering holds up to 50 people at one time!

This was an awesome experience to ride the 2nd longest tram in the world up to the top!…read more First of all, the day we rode was the 60th annual celebration of the tram. Thus, our tickets were all 50% off. We found out we'd be riding the third generation. It's been so long since I last visited the tram that I probably rode the second generation. It's roomy! Even with the 60th celebration, our wait wasn't extremely long. I believe there are about 30 people on each ride, but I didn't count. I was hoping I didn't feel crammed and it wasn't too bad. Once you're up there, it's amazing to be so far above the ground. On the way up, our 'captain' gave us a bit of trivia about the area, the tram, and our trip up. At some point, you'll pass the other tram coming down, which gives you an idea of how fast you're really going! Wow. Once at the top, it's about 10 degrees cooler. Bring a light jacket or sweatshirt. You can choose to hike a trail that begins on the back side of the restaurant. You'll see the ski lifts and options for different hikes. OR, you can grab a drink from the Ten 3 restaurant and check out the views. We put our name on the list to eat and sipped on cocktails during the wait. It was nice and relaxing up there at the top! We ate at Ten 3 (our wait was 30 minutes) then made our way down. Our guide on the way down didn't say a word, but I suppose it's the same as the way up. There's only one bench on the tram so if you have trouble standing make sure you let it be known. My mom sat going and coming. When you're back at the bottom there's another restaurant if you'd like to eat there instead. They also have a gift shop with some Sandia Tramway, and Albuquerque memorabilia. It's a cute shop. I bought a few items. It's a nice trip. I've ridden before, but it's been so long I don't even remember. Check it out.

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Sandia Peak Tramway
Sandia Peak Tramway - Nice looking couple

Nice looking couple

Sandia Peak Tramway - What goes up must come down....

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What goes up must come down....

Heron Lake State Park - parks - Updated October 2026

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