Keep paddling: MST Adventures, Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures offer kayak experiences on the Rio Grande

One of the most appealing aspects of kayaking in the greater Albuquerque area is how secluded one can feel while out on the water.

MST Adventures co-owner Corey Spoores likes to call it “the wild urban interface.” Kayaking is one of the several outdoor experiences offered at MST — which stands for “Mountain, Stream, and Trail” — as it allows paddlers to enjoy nature while floating on the Rio Grande. Tours can be 4 or 8 miles depending on water levels and group preference.

Keep paddling: MST Adventures, Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures offers kayak experiences on the Rio Grande

“The bosque is a really great thing for Albuquerque,” Spoores said. “A lot of the other rivers I’ve lived around or paddled on, there’s a lot of building that takes place along the riverfronts. While that’s really nice, especially in an urban area, I think what we have here is really scenic, nature escape … It’s a great way to get out and go explore the river for a day.”

Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures president/CEO Michael Hayes seconds that sentiment, while adding that these types of experiences tend to fly under the radar for many Duke City natives.

“I’m of the opinion that because the riverfront has been protected from development, you have one of the premiere Class 1 river experiences in the entire country — certainly in the West — that most of the Albuquerque people who have lived here their entire life have no idea it even exists,” Hayes said. “It’s been very strange to me to see how few people in the Albuquerque area are even aware of, let alone appreciative of, the quality of the experience that’s available right there. (It) has been (there) their whole life. And they don’t know it.”

Hayes’ company offers guided and self-guided trips in an approximately 18-mile area of the middle Rio Grande, ranging from Algodones to Alameda Bridge at the northern city limits of Albuquerque. This includes launch options in Algodones, Bernalillo and north Corrales. A kayaking tour through the Rio Grande Valley State Park is also usually available in the spring when runoff makes for ideal water conditions; by the summer, however, the levels are typically too shallow to continue those outings.

“Then as flows drop, we change our focus to north of town because you’ve got a narrower, deeper river channel north of Albuquerque,” Hayes said. “The river’s completely different from Algodones to the north end of Corrales. Actually, most of the way through Corrales proper is a much narrower river channel than what you have in the city. Consequently, you can do the Algodones to north Corrales, you can pretty much do that section year-round.”

With relatively calm waters compared to the northern part of the state, these types of kayaking tours are accessible to a wide range of skill sets. It doesn’t hurt that the guides will help fill in the blanks for novices.

“When we meet our guests, we will give them a jumpstart lesson: The parts of the kayak, how to set yourself up for success and use your feet and your paddle to increase connection to the vessel and to get you going down the river,” Spoores said. “We talk about paddling forward, paddling back, turning, stopping — just a variety of those things. As the day goes on, I offer some tune-up tips along the way … I want your day to be successful. If you’re smiling and having fun, you’re going to come back and do it again, and that’s the goal.”

MST Adventures also offers two-hour kayaking lessons as a separate option. These cover paddling strokes, reading the river, safety and more.

At Quiet Waters, Hayes and his team will modify tours to fit the needs and skills of various kayakers. The outfit has seen many repeat customers since its launch in 2010, and as a result, many regulars opt for the self-guided trips.

Both MST Adventures and Quiet Waters utilize sit-on top kayaks, which are usually more stable and fun for less experienced users.

“If you do manage to capsize, you just get dumped into the water,” Hayes said. “(Just) gather your stuff together, get up on the boat, get back and on your way.”

The beauty of kayaking in the greater Albuquerque area is the simplicity and relative ease of access.

“You can color this any way you want, but you don’t need all those things that Outside Magazine and REI are trying to sell you,” Spoores said. “You need sunglasses, sunscreen, a bottle of water, your favorite snack — and you can go outside and experience any kind of adventure. Really, our mindset is if you want to go, I’m going to get you down the river.”