Rio Grande Del Norte is vast-there are many different areas to explore and various corners of this…read morenational monument that range from moderately trafficked to fairly remote. Taos.org has a great summary page of the different areas. https://taos.org/explore/landmarks/rio-grande-del-norte-national-monument/ I had done some further research after this overview and opted to visit the Wild Rivers area in the morning and the Rio Grande Gorge area later in the day after lunch back in Taos. Wild Rivers is about 50 minutes from Taos but a scenic drive. Once you are in the public lands, the scenery gets more and more amazing. In the Wild Rivers area, there's a visitor center (currently only open on weekends), a scenic byway with overlooks, campgrounds and hiking trails that take you down to the river. I opted to do the trail to Big Arsenic Springs. The byway was very well signed and there's day use parking that does have a self paid fee. Since it's a BLM administered park (federal) you can instead display your America the Beautiful National Parks pass. Amazing scenery of the river and surrounding canyons along the petroglyphs towards the end of the Big Arsenic trail. The hike I opted for was short (2.5 miles but with an 800 ft elevation gain on the way back up from the river.) The park does an amazing job maintaining the trails and the well graded switchbacks made it a pleasant hike. On the drive out, after my hike, I stopped at other scenic view points. Later in the day, I visited another section of the park, closer to Taos where you can walk across and take in vistas of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. If you're visiting Taos and love the outdoors, a visit to this park is a must. It's quieter than your typical national parks with fewer amenities but still an awe inspiring outdoor adventure (without the crowds!)

We took an hour walk on the West Rim Trail that's part of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument…read morewhile visiting the Rio Grande bridge in late May 2023. The trail starts right at the parking lot and it's beautiful. Gorgeous views of the river too. Many bunnies that day.

A great place to stay with or without horses. Adjacent to the Carson National Forest, a beautiful…read morearea for hiking or horseback riding, Taos Horse Getaways is a jewel compared to most "horse hotels.". The owners have constructed two "casitas" and a cabin which they have appointed tastefully and completely. They are very well stocked with appliances for a short or extended vacation. There is a flat-screen TV in the living room with a large selection of DVDs to view and several shelves of interesting books to read if you wish. That's right beside the wood-burning stove that would be a delight in the winter. Bring your pets as well as each unit has an adjacent large enclosed chainlink fence kennel which is both covered and protected on one side to hold your dogs in comfort while you're out wandering the forest trails. Of course all horse owners will want to know about the equestrian facilities. They're excellent! Large paddocks with electric and water hookups. Each unit has a large run-in shed, gate access is easy, and the paddocks are easily visible from inside the living quarters. Large stock tanks are provided. There is ample space for your trailer and easy turn-around drives. Finally, all of this would be diminished if the facilities were old and in need of updating and repair as so many horse resorts are. But they're not. Everything is well maintained and and in excellent condition. The owners are dedicated to this place and it shows.

Cloud 9 Trails horseback riding was such a wonderful experience. We did the 1/2 day wilderness…read moreride. Colleen was a great guide. She's wonderful to talk to along the way and she took us to some amazing spots. The views were amazing. The horses are extremely well trained and are very friendly, the whole range of calm horses to more energetic horses for all types of riders. The half-day was a perfect amount of time to enjoy the mountain, horse, friends on the ride, and get back in time to relax. Will definitely do again and recommend to friends and family. :)

As a local, we have tried every trail-riding company in our area…read more Cloud 9 is the best in every way. We have tried a few in Santa Fe a couple of times, hoping for a better next experience with them, and we have regretted going elsewhere every time. You may have to book weeks ahead, so don't wait for the last minute to decide. Cloud 9 is the best*

Great guide and nice expedition. They were a little backed up due to road construction and the…read moregroup ahead of us getting there late but they bumped us back to the next available time slot and it all worked out. We've been on horseback tours before as a family and this was definitely the most laid back. The guide got a nice group photo at the end and was able to give us some history of the area along the ride.

This was the best thing about Angel Fire. Skiing was fun and my kids loved this trip. But after…read morehaving done this horseback riding with my 6 and 4 year old, we definitely all agree Dillon and Olivia made our trip so much better than it already was. They even played Ispy with my kids while they rode horses through the snowy beautiful mountain.

Took the 2 hour trail ride with the family today and we all had a blast. Nicole was our trail guide…read moreand she was awesome. She made us feel very comfortable with the horses and knew a ton of stuff about the area and town. So many beautiful post card views from the ride.

Great views on horseback! Great staff that was helpful, experienced and fun! The 2 hour ride was…read moresteep, and ended with a great view of the valley. My friend had not ridden in 30 years, I have horses at home, and we both enjoyed the ride! Saw wild turkey, deer and a mouse.

Had a truly enchanting time here while driving through Cerillos on a sightseeing adventure with an…read moreout-of-town friend and car full of children. My city-mouse friend mentioned that she had always dreamed of petting a horse, so when we drove past an eclectic looking stable with gorgeous horses (seriously looks like something out of a movie), I figured it was worth a shot to see if we could meet the animals. I told my friend, "What's the worst they could say? No?" I parked my car and walked up to what looked like the main building, and I was greeted by a sleepy grey cat and outrageously cute little dog. A man that I presume is the owner followed behind the dog and asked me if I needed help. After pitching my request to him, offering money to let my friend just spend some time visiting the horses, he kindly told me that we were welcome to respectfully walk around for free. He told us we could meet any horse that came up to us, but reminded us to not feed the horses. By the looks of the horses, the man I spoke to clearly cares for these animals deeply, and I was really taken by the cleanliness and health of the horses. In the end, my friend was able to meet a horse for the first time, and my kids loved seeing the beautiful animals. They especially loved the sweet grey cat and inquisitive one-eyed horse. We will definitely be back to schedule a ride here, as I was so impressed by the animals and thankful for the kindness we were shown. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Broken Saddle!

I made reservations with the owner over a month ago and when we showed up they said they couldn't…read morelocate my reservation nor did they do anything to try to make it right.

First time snowmobiling for our Family (from Florida) and we couldn't have picked a better tour…read more Big Al was so personable and was all about safety. The ride up and down the mountain was incredibly beautiful. Can't wait to go again! Eric, Lisa and Evan Goeller

Want to enjoy spectacular mountain scenery on a laid back two hour snowmobile tour? Join Big Al as…read morehe guides you through trails in the Carson National Forest to sweeping scenic views. After being met at the Taos Ski Valley parking lot, the souped up school bus "limo" took us up the mountain to the trailhead to start our "private" tour. Fortunately, Big Al took our party of two for a late afternoon run. A quick intro to the snowmobile was followed by a couple of hours exploring the trails. From faces carved into the trees to a hawk that swooped down to pick up a white rabbit that was not camouflaged in the snow, many surprises were around the bends on the snow covered roads. Nice to climb up the mountain to get a couple of panoramic views at over 12,000 feet. Cost was $90 per person for the tour. Cash only. Dress warmly. Bring snow goggles and gloves. Safety is a priority. Masks required. Big Al checks in on you frequently. Great way to spend an afternoon on a sunny winter day.

EXPERIENCE: The cowboys that led our 2 hour ride in Questa…read morewere so friendly and kind! They went through all the safety procedures and made sure each one of us were comfortable with our horses! It was a bit warm outside, but they made sure that we had plenty of stops so we can drink water from our water bottles. The guides did not provide much history or information during the ride, but they were very social and gave us a lot of local recommendations. RESERVATIONS: We made reservations the day before and had 0 issues since it was an off season in Sep! The woman I spoke to on the phone (Montie Mudd) was not very friendly though! I asked if they were taking reservations and she made a rude comment about how reservations are the "only" way to ride. I had my phone on speaker and everyone in the room heard her tone of voice and made a comment about it afterwards. I'm so glad that the guides were nice though since Montie left a bad taste with us.

The staff/guides were excellent! We had a great time and would highly recommend it. Our guide was…read morefantastic and fun.

Ghost Ranch is very cool. It's not just about Georgia O'Keefe, the history of the area is very…read moreinteresting. There are some good hikes and two wonderful museums. We plan to return and stay in the campground soon.

TERRIBLE accommodations. We walked in our room and right back out…read more The staff have no idea what is going on, none of the messaging is aligned and there was no manager onsite. The guests in front of us waiting to cancel our reservation, were also upset with their room. There were also guests behind us in line to complain about their room. I was shocked at how popular Ghost Ranch is and the ZERO attention to any sort of normalcy, let alone detail. Unbelievable conditions. Try Albique Inn instead. It was charming and we enjoyed an amazing lunch and walk around the grounds.

Really good time to get a ride around the September time. The rental UTVs were more than capable on…read morethe trail. The vehicles were really fun to drive. The staff up front was really nice and flexible. I recommend the self guided tour to go in your own pace.

10/10 HIGHLY recommend…read more Mr. Henry might be the sweetest man in all of New Mexico. He was truly a pleasure to talk with each time we spoke on the phone. Everyone was extremely nice & helpful! They fitted us for helmets & told us what to do next. Dallas & Michael were our guides. They were extremely personable & helpful. The snowmobile tour with Bobcat Pass Wilderness Adventure was dollar for dollar our best money spent. The whole family loved it. It's worth every nickel!