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.

Brandenburg Park lies in the heart of Red River, New Mexico…read more My dog and I got to explore the area back on August 1, 2026. It was packed by the time we got done with lunch so I didn't snap more photos. The park features a playground with swings, slides, and climbing structures. There is plenty of lush green spaces. Benches. Picnic tables. Winding walking paths. Mountain backdrops. The nice sturdy wildlife proof trash cans that I think all parks should encompass. The park also has a permanent stage for all of its annual festivals, including the 8750 BBQ & Music Festival and Oktoberfest. Car shows. Art and wine festivals. Public restrooms were near the stage. Free parking is scattered all around. Nearby are plenty of shops and restaurants. The city of Red River decided a few years ago to become a Keep America Beautiful affiliate. Therefore, the park's reputation to stay clean and reduce environmental impact are withheld. https://kab.org/

I visited this park while on a family road trip. A local fair with lots of antiques that were sold…read moretook place while I was here.

Carson National Forest - while in desperate need of more rainfall - is still such beautiful wild…read moreland. This part of the forest is nearest Taos, NM. If there was a more "New Mexico" town than Santa Fe that I could recommend to newcomers of the Land of Enchantment, it would be Taos. And you would be virtually engulfed by the Carson NF. You'll see deer and elk. Maybe - just maybe - you'll see the lone moose that I have heard in this area, affectionately referred to as Marty. Actually I haven't heard of him in a while. He was quite the craze in recent years. I hope he is king of the mountains and not in downtown Espanola or something. Aside from those more prominent larger herbivores, let's not forget the pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, all the smaller critters, and cougars too. I have yet to see a cougar and do not want to. I was more recently disheartened and disgusted by news that I learned on August 20, 2026, about "Suspected destructive devices recovered in New Mexico forest, reward offered" (ABC News). https://abcnews.com/US/suspected-destructive-devices-recovered-new-mexico-forest-reward/story?id=135812837 What? Why? Like some Ted Kaczynski wannabe? Talk about a bored begrudging ineffective citizen of the world, though, man. Pack it in, pack it out please. This forest is very special.

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.

Taos is a great area for hiking and Orilla Verde is no exception. Hiking along the Rio Grande…read moregorge offers spectacular views of the geology, flora and fauna of the area. Be sure to park in the appropriate area and lock your car when you head out, and BRING WATER. We passed two groups that asked for a sip of our water, which we gave them, but we were shocked how unprepared they were.

Cimarron Canyon State Park is just a bit east of Eagle Nest, NM…read more Wow, was this beautiful, cooler weather country on August 1, 2026. My old man was driving so of course we didn't stick around long. Lol. I could definitely see myself spending time camping, hiking, and fishing in this area in the future. The river that flows through is the Cimarron. So I did some research... This is mostly dry camping country. I found nothing for RV hookups in this area. There were... + 4 campgrounds (including 94 sites) + reservations accepted + day use areas + angler parking sites + trailheads and canyon trails (hopefully clearly marked) + wildlife management areas + special trout waters + vault toilets + modern restrooms + picnic tables and grills + water hydrants This truly is the Land of Enchantment. Pack it in, pack it out - don't let your friends be litterbugs. I highly recommend you call 575-377-6271 or navigate their website for park alerts before heading there. https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/cimarron-canyon-state-park/

So it's a dry camp. No water. No showers. Gray water dump by hand only. No black water dump. No…read moreelectrical. It's still way better than most RV campgrounds with full hookups. This is why I go camping. Scenery, ample space between the campsites, nice cool weather. It would be a bargain for 5 times the nightly rate. Just don't tell the state of New Mexico.

This was a cool free spot for the group to check out after a 2 hour horseback riding trip nearby…read more I've never seen a fish hatchery before so I thought it was pretty neat! They had a mini exhibit in a couple of buildings to show how fish eggs are laid, hatched, and fish are grown.

Love the kids fishing pond. Not only is this place educational and cool to see all the fish but the…read morechildren/over 65 pond was such a blast to fish with my four-year-old. It was never super busy and it was great experience so much so that we came back a few times on our vacation. Highly recommend

Beautiful, small sparkling lake with folks fishing, walkers walking 3 short paths around the lake…read more Tranquil.

I had a little time to kill while waiting to check in at the Questa Lodge and RV park so I stopped…read moreby this lake to chill a bit. This is a nice little place that seems to be popular with the locals. Quite a few people fishing, mostly families with kids. Didn't see anyone actually catching any fish but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. It's a well-worn park and the vault toilets were pretty disgusting. Some trash along the banks but for the most part it looks like there is at least the attempt to keep the park clean. A nice walk around the lake only takes about 15 minutes at a slow pace. There are picnic tables and a number of places to hang out in the shade. Worth stopping by.

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.