It’s finally time for your family vacation to Red River, New Mexico and you’re looking for outdoor activities for the kids. Lucky for you, Red River offers many different outdoor activities for kids of all ages. Give your kids the options listed below and let them explore the wilderness and enjoy the scenery and wildlife they may come across while being outside.
Red River Ski and Summer Area
Schedule a day and time to take your children to the Ski Area for outdoor activities such as the ropes course and summer mountain tubing. The ropes course is three stories ranging in difficulty from easy to hard on each level. The experience your children will have as they scale the course is one they will remember forever. Once you scale the levels, head over to the 3rd level and take the zip line to the other side of the course where you will then propel down. Once you have propelled down to the ground you can make your way back to the start of the ropes course and continue to go through the ropes course or zipline! Summer mountain tubing is another great activity for the whole family. Tube down Gold Rush Hill and enjoy the cool mountain breeze as you make your way to the bottom.
Hiking Trails in Red River
Take a walk through Red River’s Nature Trail. This one-mile trail runs along the base of the mountain of Red River Ski Area. This trail is great for beginners who are adjusting to the altitude and children looking to run around outside. Along the trail are markings that explain the trail, history about plants, animals, and the geology of the area.
Mallette Park Nature Trail is another small trail that is perfect for children. This ¼ mile loop begins by the tennis courts and follows the stream. Along the Mallette Park Nature Trail you will find a cave that you can duck into for a quick cool down. After your short walk, enjoy some time at the playground before you head back to town for lunch.
Fishing in Red River
Grab your fishing pole, tackle box, and your fishing license, and head to the town ponds or the river to fish for dinner. Fishing licenses are not required for children under the age of 11. There are junior fishing licenses for those between the ages of 12-17. Check out New Mexico Wildlife website for fishing requirements and fees.
Horseback Riding in Red River
Bobcat Pass Wilderness Adventures offers horseback rides with breathtaking views of Red River Valley for the whole family. Small children must ride with an adult, but the experience and views you will see is worth the ride. Bobcat Pass Wilderness Adventures offers rides as short as one hour, which is just enough riding time for little ones.
Family games at the Community House
The Red River Community House has activities for children throughout the whole summer. Don’t miss out on all the different activities they have to offer such as boat building where they spend time building boats and then walk down to the river to race them. Another activity that is great for children is the games on the lawn which includes games such as kickball and volleyball. The Red River Community House also hosts Nature Discovery Camps for children ages 6 through 13. This four-day camp will give kids the experience of nature that surrounds Red River. You must register your children in advance as spots are limited. Camp participants will receive a t-shirt, water bottle, a notebook, and other goodies.
Geocaching in Red River
Hiking may not be your kids favorite activity, but if they love to be outdoors and go on adventures, then check out geocaching. Geocaching is a mix of exploring, treasure hunting, and hiking. It is like going on a scavenger hunt to look for an item that someone has left at a location. You can go to www.geocaching.com to find locations of geocaches, or download the free app on your smartphone or ipad. Once you have found a geocache you want to look for, head out to explore. Be sure to take a small item with you to replace the item you found. Some popular items left as a geocache are marbles, stickers, hot wheels, and even bookmarks.
These are just some ideas to keep the kids outdoors while you’re here in Red River. Having plans for your children when you get here will have them excited and ready to explore rather than sitting inside watching tv or playing on their tablets.
