Wednesday, October 21, 2026
If you want one storefront that explains Red River in every season, start at 220 East Main Street. Bighorn Sports and Rentals has been locally owned and operated since 2002, and it runs two businesses under one roof: a ski and snowboard shop for winter, and the New Mexico Adventure Company for the warmer months. The staff pitch is simple and very Red River: friendly service, knowledgeable help, and gear or a guide ready when you are.
Right now the shop is in its in-between-season sweet spot. As the New Mexico Adventure Company, it drives three-hour guided mountain tours to Greenie Peak, Goose Lake, Cabresto Lake, and the Old Pass, with time to pan for gold, hear the mining-country stories along the way, and watch for wildlife such as bear and elk. The company's own site lists the tours at 57 dollars for adults, 37 dollars for children ages 4 to 12, and 47 dollars for seniors, with children 3 and under free. If you would rather drive yourself, it also rents UTVs by the half day and full day in two-, four-, and six-seat machines, with helmets and goggles included — and the shop was reminding folks just last week to rent a UTV before the snow starts flying.
When the snow does fly, the same counter turns to winter. Bighorn rents ski and snowboard packages for adults and kids, including demo skis, and handles tuning plus the clothing and accessories that keep a ski day comfortable. It also rents cross-country skis and snowshoes, and it books Fagan's guided fly-fishing trips for anglers who want local water knowledge. The shop is listed as open daily from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, which makes it an easy first stop on arrival day — and a timely one, with Red River Ski and Summer Area's Opening Day set for November 25, according to redriver.org.
The adventure desk reaches well beyond Main Street, too. Through the shop you can book whitewater rafting on the Rio Grande, horseback rides, and the other guided outings that fill a Red River itinerary, so one call to 575-754-2721 can line up most of a trip. That one-stop habit is exactly why locals send visitors here first: whether the plan is a high-country lake in October or first turns in late November, Bighorn has likely outfitted it before.
Today is a good day to stop in and plan. Wednesday starts fair and cold at 33 degrees, warms to the low 60s under mostly cloudy skies, and could see showers late this evening, with sunset at 6:16 PM. Looking ahead, balloon color fills the weekend skies nearby October 24 and 25, and the free Halloween Carnival follows on October 31 from 5 to 7 PM at the Red River Conference Center. However you spend the rest of fall, make Bighorn Sports and the New Mexico Adventure Company one of your first stops in town.