This waterfall blew my mind! I didn't know that such a large waterfall existed in NM! I'm so glad…read morewe hiked it, and I'll be back! The water was pretty frigid, but still fun!

Stupid ranger Lady got mad because we drove over the speed bump at 10mph and would let us in. We…read moredrove 3 hours just to have this stupid bitch turn us away because she was on a power trip, i also think it had something to do with my caucasian ethnicity! She treated me less than because of my ethnicity! someone need to take this ladies job immediately!

Beautiful heritage center and home base of the Rio Grande del Norte National Heritage Area, which…read moreactually comprises a large swath of Northern New Mexico, including areas settled by the the Jicarilla Apache, 8 Tewa and Tiwa Pueblos, and communities established by Spanish colonists who settled in the area beginning in 1598. The renovation, which is ongoing, of the Onate Monument Visitors Center is already superb and will be much more so as they address the challenging history of the namesake of the site they rehabilitated. The heritage area is a great place to explore, and the staff, who will help guide your trip, are stellar.

From the owner: Our Heritage Center is a fully equipped conference & meeting space. We have a large outdoor stage…read morefor musical performances, poetry readings, and cantantes. Indoors, our Art Gallery showcases artists from the Tri-County area that is our Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area. Computer work-stations available. We are a visitor's center, and all are welcome!

Nice to walk along the frozen Santa Fe River and see so many unique art installations. The earthy…read morecarved wooden images of an oversized fish and Native Americans make a sharp contrast with the very modern Brickface HOPE linking past and present together.

Take a walk, y'all! What a joy to take this easy stroll across the primo Santa Fe pedestrian…read moredistrict. A sweet little path abuts the sweet little canal, with lovely trees and seating areas, and seamless transition to Plaza window-shopping. Parking opportunities line the walk (at least where we were), some by the plaza, metered, but others farther off are free. Honestly, it was a delightful way to spend 4 miles and a leisurely Tuesday afternoon in Santa Fe. You should take a walk too!

Visiting is a little more complicated than some other parks/monuments, but if you just read the…read morewebsite you'll get it figured out! The key is that reservations are required, both from the NPS and from the Cochiti Pueblo. Get the NPS reservation first, and only then get the Cochiti Pueblo one (link to that is on the NPS site!). Don't drive to the trailhead, drive to the Cochiti Pueblo visitor center first, check in there, then follow the guide car (runs pretty much continuously all day) to the NPS entrance. The trailhead has multiple pit toilets, all of which were well maintained. The hike through the slot canyon and up onto the ridge is absolutely stunning. There really aren't words to do justice, nor do the pictures really convey things either. The hike into and through the slot canyon isn't steep, although there are some pretty big steps required to clamber over some rocks here and there, and it can be narrow and is often sandy. There's not a lot of elevation change though until you get through the slot canyon, then you just switchback straight up a couple hundred feet onto the ridge. That section isn't terribly long though, and the views from the top are well worth it. The first third of the hike and the last third are pretty exposed to the sun, so make sure you apply that sunscreen and bring plenty of water!

Incredible. Reservation was easy. Gov Rec Ticket and Cochiti Tribal Pass, so two tickets. Worth…read moreevery penny. We got our tickets about 5 days out from visit. Check in at Visitor Center on arrival to check off your name on the list. Visitor centre has good restrooms, snacks and a few gifts and some very pleasant staff. Next Line up behind the white pilot vehicle and he will guide you in for a few miles where they will check your pass. After that its another few miles to a small carpark with restrooms and then off your go. We did slot canyon. Half a mile walk through amazing scenery/narrow passages through the stone and some climbing over rocks. I found it quite easy but do go before the sun comes out. We started at 9.30 am. After this section, which took us about 40 minutes due to lots of photo ops you will see another sign saying 1 mile to overlook. We almost gave up as the first climb looked hard - its not, just go on. We are in our 60's with dicky knees and it was not issue, just use your bottom when you have to. A light pair of garden gloves would be handy for when your hands scrape the boulders. All practical stuff here, the views speak for themselves. it's stunning and because of the limited access you meet few people along the way. As always with State Parks, check the website for any passes required or closures.

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 husband and I came here to look at the Kit Carson grave because we had extra time on our hands…read more Plus, I have a thing for old cemeteries. First off, it was very confusing as to how to get into the cemetery. We had to pass through the park, which is under construction and just looked very rundown. We had to use the porta potty and it was horrible. Urine covered the floor. The small cemetery, itself was pretty rundown. The only thing that made my visit worthwhile was that there was some vandalism that reminded people that heroes did not rest here but rather thieves against indigenous people. It was obvious that Kit Carson's grave had been restored after many years of vandalism.

Muddy walkway's, dilapidated tennis courts, poorly landscaped cemetery, couple of baseball fields…read more An eyesore in the middle of Taos "Arts" culture was a surprise.

This was such a cool hidden gem to see on the way to Santa Fe. The staff was welcoming with our…read morelast minute stop one hour before it closed. We were able to see the Pueblo site, informative displays and view the gift shop before they closed. It did rain while we were there but that didn't stop us from enjoying the beautiful view around here. They have informative displays inside the park so you'll learn a lot about the area. We enjoyed our time here.

One of our favorite national historic parks since it is so beautiful and a nice walk around its…read moretrail. Dogs are allowed which is a plus and the gift store and staff great. There is so much history that is within this park to include Native American dwelling and Spanish church remnants, and even an area where the Santa Fe trail passed by. The 2 kivas you can climb down inside are a bonus, fun and interesting. Not too far away is also Glorieta Pass, the site of a American Civil War skirmish which has a monument. There is plenty of easy parking here as well as an overflow area. Definitely worth the stop if you are passing by and no park entrance fee.

Quiet. Wild. Magnificent. Bring sunscreen, hat, walking…read morepole and water. It will capture you. I didn't want to leave, but explore each new bend.

Perfect for scrambling and hiking through the rocks. It's beautiful, a little gem. just 10…read moreminutes from the car park and then we walked along the dry river bed and climbed up for photos ops. Just a few people around, a beautiful sunny day in December - perfect. To get there go through the Dar Al Islam wood archway, no permit needed to cross.

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.

I hate that we couldn't access the sidewalk to be on the bridge. The area next to it does have…read moreparking but it is limited. They have a nice trail you can walk on and different areas to take cool photos. The best part is that it is free. They also have vendors selling goods in the parking lot.

Located about 10 miles from Taos, NM stands this majestic bridge!…read more While on vacation, we decided to come see the gorge, the Rio Grande River, and the bridge that spans it. And what a sight it was to behold! We parked in the Rio Grande Gorge Rest Area. The bridge & gorge are viewable from here. There are sheltered picnic tables and restrooms here. In 1963 the bridge was started and was completed in 1965. It is part of the US Highway 64. There are three spans connected to create one bridge 1,280 feet long (two 300-foot-long approach spans with a 600-foot-long main center span). September of 2012, the bridge underwent a $2.4 restoration which included structural steelwork, a new concrete deck surface, new sidewalks, ramps, curbs, and gutters. We were unable to walk out onto the bridge, but we did walk out to the rim. The dirt path was easy to navigate. Once near the rim, it becomes rocky and there is no barrier to keep you safe from falling off the edge, so watch your step! Since I am not very steady of my feet, I didn't go out as far as I would have liked to. A few more steps and I would have had a better view, but I stopped. Sadly, the bridge was closed to pedestrians in Sept. 2025 due to suicides. I feel that by not getting to walk across the bridge, my experience was hindered. I would have loved to get a full head on view of the gorge! For me, having the view from here would have been safer and more ideal! You've probably seen this bridge since it has appeared in a few movies including Natural Born Killers, Twins, White Sands, She's Having a Baby, The Signal, Paul, Vacation, Wild Hogs, and Terminator Salvation. Locals call this bridge the "High Bridge" or the "Gorge Bridge". It is the seventh highest bridge in the U.S. It is located in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. If we make it back here in the future, I hope we will be able to walk to the center of the bridge!