Unless you're traversing the Continental Divide Trail, this is the ultimate in New Mexico popular…read morehiking. The 16 mile roundtrip takes you in a looping ascent from Taos Ski Valley to the summit and back. Having spent plenty of time on 14ers, I've crossed paths with my share of marmots. This tip top rock had more than I've ever seen, perhaps 50 along the way. Of course, the views are majestic. While not a 14er, New Mexico does not offer any, at 13,167' it is still an exquisite outing. This state high point is a must for anyone on the 50 state quest. If you're looking for your share of 14ers, dear western traveler, you need not worry. Colorado boasts 58 of the nation's soaring peaks and is just a short trip away. Call it 53 14ers, if you're an alpine purist.

I spent a summer in the New Mexico high country years ago, and while I did my fair share of hiking…read morethat summer, I never took on Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico at just over 13,100 feet. I always figured I'd return to the area at some point, and maybe do the hike. Well, "some point" finally arrived, and I decided that I was going to make a serious effort at hiking this rather daunting-looking rocky, steep mountain. I gave myself permission to fail - while over the years I've probably spent far more time at altitude than 99.9% of South Floridians, the fact remains that I have spent most of my life at oxygen-rich sea level. I didn't practice for this. My existing fitness would either allow me to make it, or fail me. There are two main ways to get up the mountain, a longer, less steep 8 mile trail, and a shorter but steeper trail at just over 4 miles, known as the Williams Lake trail. I chose Williams Lake. The trailhead starts near the famous Bavarian restaurant within the Taos ski area. You basically take the road to the ski area, drive past it and find a dirt road. 2 miles up this dirt road and you'll find the trailhead parking lot. You can't miss it. I started my hike around 7:45AM. It is highly recommended to start early, as the weather above tree line is unpredictable and can change on a dime. You do NOT want to be stuck up there as an afternoon thunderstorm builds up in a matter of minutes. It is an exposed high alpine summit, subject to all the same potential extreme weather conditions of most high exposed summits. To me this hike can be broken down into 3 sections: 1) base at the Bavarian restaurant through the woods up to Williams Lake, about 2 miles, 2) Williams Lake up through ever sparser trees to tree line, about three-quarters of a mile, and 3) tree line to summit, traversing several rocky scree/talus slopes on the way, about a mile and a half. The first section up to Williams Lake is a nice hike in itself, and a popular day hike for families. It is a steady climb and not easy, and will be a challenge to inexperienced hikers, but most should be able to make it if they persevere. The payoff is a pretty high alpine lake situated in a picturesque bowl at about 11,000 feet with higher peaks on all sides. From there, part 2 gets you through sparse trees up to tree line. While not much more difficult than the first part, it was here when it became pretty apparent that every step was taking me to less oxygen. I was still strong at this point, but when you emerge in the meadows above tree line, you can see the peak and it looks way up there. In practical terms, from here you still have to climb a little higher than the Empire State Building, over the course of a mile and a half. At altitude. Above tree line. This is where it gets steeper, and rockier, as you traverse some loose talus slopes. It starts out fairly mild but ramps up fast. At this point, every step was difficult....I felt like Frodo taking the Ring to Mount Doom. It would have been very easy to quit. Some people did. It can be done though. One step at a time, keep drinking your water and you'll eventually make it. Keep an eye out for some fat marmots and bighorn sheep! Eventually you come to a staggeringly high saddle/ridgeline. From here, make a right and continue up the steep rocky slope....the payoff is only a few minutes away. Such amazing views, Wheeler Peak feels like the top of the world. What a feeling, to have walked and earned this view on the strength of your two legs. Now, after the adrenaline rush of reaching the summit, you have to descend. Pay attention. Cardio isn't a problem going down, but everything else is. Thighs burn like crazy. Lots of loose rock to slip on and hurt yourself. This was the most stunning hike I've ever done. If you think you can deal with a tough high altitude hike, I highly recommend it.

Great 4x4 trail that leads up to a Beautiful mountain lake,great views. You can also hike up, its 2…read moremiles each way.If you don't have a 4x4 you can rent a jeep.The town of red river is small and also has a small ski slope for all you Texans..Not to far from anglefire and eaglesnest,taos. Theres a lot of 4x4 trails that will bring you right by old mining sites. About a 5 hour drive from Albuquerque.

Just hiked this trail today and its one of our favorites. The meadows along the way are just…read morebeautiful! You follow a stream most of the way up so it is wet with lots of vegetation so you might want to wear long pants. A few short steep sections but a great trail. The locals sometimes call this old bones trail so plan to be off the trail by 4:00 since there are mountain lions and you will sometimes see bones along the trail. There are a couple of river crossings that are a tad dicey but nothing too terrible. Take an extra pair of socks if you don't like to hike in wet ones in case you fall in.

Carson covers a lot of land. We drove one way round the Enchanted Circle up to Angel Fire and the…read moreother way to Ojo Caliente from our crib in arroyo Seco. We reached 9,000 feet, it was cool and the Aspens had almost turned during early November. Still beautiful and so deserted we had the road to ourself. A bit nippy for hiking for us softies but we saw a few parked cars.

Always beautiful w vast wonders. It's a wonder and as you drive you realize Carson is everywhere…read moreand everything around you. You live within it.

My family and I spent a birthday weekend out there. We rented a cabin and a pontoon from Renita…read more She was very friendly and gave us a warm welcome every time we talked to her. The cabin was very clean with grills. Taking out the pontoon was an adventure that everyone should try at least once. We will be starting a yearly tradition with them:)

These guys are amazing, and we love love loved our adorable single cabins. Renita and her…read morehusband John really came through when all of the other resorts and hotels failed. We had a terrible situation in that we arrived in Angel Fire at 10pm to our booked VRBO rental. We were shocked to find it occupied by another family who had booked it through AirBNB . I loved the original details and hardware in our cozy rooms; it was a blessing to find Eagle Nest Cabins- we will definitely be coming back! Thank you, Renita and John!

An Afternoon Well Spent !!…read more It has been many years since I've been to the Raton area and typically whenever I was in the area it was just a quick to use the bathroom or get gas. On this visit, it was on a Friday afternoon and I had a few hours to kill and wanted to actually see some of the area. I remembered from years past that there were some lakes up in the mountains that I had always wanted to see and now was my chance. The Park is only about 20 miles from Raton and the roads were not that busy. The drive up is really nice as you see mountains, hills ranches, and some great scenery. On the way to Lake Maloya I stopped at one of the smaller lakes, Lake Alice and spent about half an hour checking it out. There really isn't access to that lake but you can tell its frequented by anglers. It is a nice small scenic lake. I then made my way up to Lake Maloya which is a reservoir for the area and right on the Colorado border. The lake is magnificent!! On a nice warm summer day, there was a nice breeze and no bugs. There were boaters on the lake, some people canoeing and some campers but it was not that busy at all. I spent a good two hours stopping and driving farther up the lake until I came to the gate that takes you to Dorothy Lake ( for another time). The views are just amazing, I suggest bringing a canoe or kayak and spending a good day there. I'm not sure if there is swimming since I didn't see anyone swimming in the water. Next up was Sugarite Canyon, and when you stop at the main entrance they use the honour system where you pay, so please pay!!! I made my way to the visitors center and got a map of the trails. The canyon is a great place to hike and I saw no one else on the trail and felt like I had the place to myself. I can't describe how nice it was walking through the canyon, and all there is to see. I highly recommend hiking with a buddy since it is in a remote area and I saw a few different animal tracks as I made my way through the trails. In short, this area is worth a visit, you can spend a few hours there or a few days, its truly part of the magnificence that is New Mexico.

Google know all about this place but not yelp? We are fixing…read morethat right now. As the parks service says "The nature enthusiast will appreciate the abundance of wildlife, birds, butterflies, and wildflowers among the lakes, creeks, forests, and meadows. Nearly all outdoor recreation activities are possible: Fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, and camping." All true. This is a huge park. Full of lakes, trails & wildlife. We took a 6 mile loop trail starting at the dam yesterday and saw NO ONE else. Lots of scat indicate there lots of moose and bear around, so be aware. There are numerous other trails as well add the aforementioned activities. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

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.

This place has everything you need for a great fishing expedition. The gentleman working the day…read morewe were there was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They also offer discounts on return trips so it makes sense that we WILL be back! We had so much fun fishing the rivers in the area. Life experience.

I am giving this lodge aka motel near the lake and off hwy 64 for the basic accommodations it's…read moreadvertises and are completely accurate. We came off season and all was done over phone which I recommend. Unit we had was 2 rooms and a long "vintage" bathroom with green turquoise sink shower and toilet which as been updated a bit. Note October is way off season so a lot of places were closed. But room had excellent WiFi and a big tv in living room. If I was staying a week might do Airbnb but this was perfect for a few nights. The fly shop was closed but were other spots. Definitely recommend

This was a last minute addition to my recent trip to Taos. I was looking for a short, easier…read moreexcursion on my last day in the area and the half day Orilla Verde raft trip was a perfect choice. This section of the river is calmer so its perfect for a relaxing float where you can spot wildlife and enjoy the grandeur of the gorge. You can opt to paddle a "funyak" on your own rather than go in the group raft. It's basically an inflatable kayak and my boyfriend and I chose that. It worked out well since there was only one other person in our group and they also chose a funyak. Check in is easy at the cafe in Pilar, about 20 minutes south of Taos and then you meet your guide at the gorge's visitor center across the street. Zac was our guide and he was a chill, cool guy but also focused on our safety and helped us navigate some shallow areas and one, small, class two rapids. He shared some stories about the river and its people and plant life. We got to see sheep climbing down the gorge to come drink in the river, a great blue heron and lots of ducks. It was a slow pace but that's what I was looking for. The funyaks were a little more challenging to navigate than regular kayaks (to me anyway.) They were lighter and seemed to spin and meander more. It was still a pleasant journey-just took a bit more concentration to paddle-especially with the two person boat we chose. Safety helmets and life jackets are provided and required. At the end, we shuttled back to the visitor center and our cars and Zac brought some apples, cookies and chips for the group. What a fun and memorable way to end my time in Taos. Los Rios is fun, friendly, easy to work with and I'd absolutely go again! Don't forget to tip your guide and also be ready to get a little wet, even on a more mellow trip. Had an awesome time on the river!

worst river tubing I have done too shallow hit more rocks than water. no rapids…read more should have closed in August or before will never raft with y'all again !!!

Did the Rio Grande Gorge West Rim Trail (off Rest Area Rd) with a giant group of friends and found…read morethe hike/stroll to be rather boring. Left the comfort of our Airbnb to check out the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and would have preferred visiting the actual bridge instead of taking pictures from so far away. This particular trail is out and back. Great if you love peering into gorges but there's otherwise nothing interesting to experience.

Spectacular views beyond just looking off the gorge bridge…read more Park west of the bridge by the bathroom/rest area of the state park and then head out to hike the rim. The trail is flat (but a big rocky). It' offers not only a glorious view of the Rio Grande Canyon, but if you're lucky, you'll see a few tarantulas, lizards and it's almost a given you will see some bighorn sheep (either on the rim or in the canyon). The trail is easily marked and stretches on for 9 miles. Turn around whenever you want. When you get back to the trail head, check out the vendors of native crafts and other artisinal wares. (If you're brave enough, carefully look over the edge!)