Enchanted Circle Drive
We begin at the Plaza in downtown Taos, heading north on State Route 64/68, driving
past the town park named for frontiersman and guide Kit Carson. The park contains
the graves of Carson and his family. There’s a blinking light 4 miles north
of the Plaza (past the side road to Taos Pueblo), from where you may wish to drive
7 miles to the east on N.M. 64 to see the spectacular views from the Rio Grande
Gorge Bridge. Otherwise, we continue north (straight) taking State Route 522. Continue
on the road for about 40 miles until you reach the small community of Questa.
The longer Valle Vidal Loop takes State Route 522 (straight) while the Enchanted
Circle Loop takes N.M. 38. This road leads past the Carson National Forest ranger
station and the Molycorp molybdenum mine and mill (on hills, north of the highway).
Another 13 miles of driving and you’re arriving in Red River, a rustic ski
and summer resort town. Highway 38 continues in a southeasterly direction for another
18 miles to Eagle Nest, a small recreation-based town that sits at the junction
of Highway 38 and U.S. 64. The lake here is a popular fishing spot. It’s another
31 miles on the return drive to Taos via Highway 64 (turn left at the junction).
Along the Way
Millicent Rogers Museum
Five miles north of Taos, the museum features the art of northern New Mexico. Opened
in 1956, the core of the museum’s collection came from the estate of Millicent
Rogers, a prodigious collector who did much to foster the art and crafts of the
region. She amassed many of these art works during the 1940s. Displays include Native
American textiles, basketry, jewelry, and paintings. The building is built in a
respectful adobe style and is open daily from 9 am to 5 p.m.. If you have time to
visit only one local art museum, this is it!
Taos Ski Valley
This side-trip takes you off the Enchanted Circle, but if you have the time, the
half-hour drive into the valley is worth while.
With Mt. Wheeler looming overhead, this is New Mexico's best downhill ski area.
It also serves as a base for outdoor activity in the summer with hiking trails fanning
out through the Carson National Forest. The vertical drop is 2,612 feet, and the
longest run is a long 5.2 miles. At the base are condo accommodations, restaurants,
and bars. To get there, turn right (east) onto N.M. Route 150. The ski area is 19.5
miles from downtown Taos.
The Wheeler Peak Wilderness is a superb scenic recreation area, accessed mainly
through Taos Ski Valley. As you continue your drive around the Enchanted Circle,
you can see the peak northwest of Eagle Nest. The peak, at 13,161 feet, is the state's
highest mountain.
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
Just north of the little town of Questa, State Route 378 leads west, through the
village of Cerro, to the Rio Grande Wild River Recreation Area -- 8 miles west of
Highway 522. The recreation area includes the Rio Grande Gorge. This area has fine
scenery and striking geological features, in addition to Indian rock pictographs.
The recreation sites managed by the B.L.M., includes a visitor center, campground,
and picnic area. You can look into the gorge from viewpoints or hike down to the
river level.
There's a fine hike available, leading into the Rio Grande Canyon. The hike is a
seven-mile round trip, starting from a trailhead at the Big Arsenic Springs Campground.
To get there, drive from Questa on State Route 522 for about 5.5 miles, to the road
which leads to the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River (a sign is at the turnoff).
Driving west on the paved road, you'll find the campground almost 12 miles from
the turnoff. You may wish to stay at this scenic campground which lies 800 feet
above the river.
Another great view of the river, at the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge, is found
on Highway 64, just west of the junction with Highway 522. Turn at the light located
north of the Taos Pueblo turnoff.
Valle Vidal Route
Settlers, Ranchers and the Colfax County War
This loop, to the north of and longer than the Enchanted Circle, offers superb views
of vast open spaces, high Rocky Mountain peaks, wildlife (including a magnificent
heed of elk and wild birds), and reminders of the early frontier days of Northern
New Mexico -- an era dominated by mining, lumbering, and ranching.
What is now called the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest was once the
huge Maxwell Land Grant -- two million acres -- deeded by the Mexican Government
in 1841 to Charles Beaubien and Guadalupe Miranda. When the Mexican-American War
broke out in 1846, Miranda returned to Mexico while Beaubien, loyal to the United
States, stayed in New Mexico. Beaubien's daughter Luz married Illinois fur trapper
Lucien Maxwell and the couple settled here, establishing a ranch. Maxwell began
buying adjacent properties in 1864, following his father-in-law's death, and wound
up owning the whole grant -- the size of Rhode Island.
Then, in 1870, Maxwell sold the land to an English syndicate. It was later sold
to a Dutch firm. A local war then broke out, fueled by the owners' demand that the
ranchers and other settlers who lived on the land leave. They had built homes with
Maxwell's assent, and were not prepared to leave. The Colfax County war ensued,
pitting the remaining settlers against the Dutch company which was victorious in
1887, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the company. By the turn of
the century, the land was subdivided. New ranches were opened, loggers came to topple
trees, and a private organization established a private retreat. 200,000 acres of
the original land grant was used by members of the Vermejo Park Club, including
Hollywood celebrities the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and Cecil B.
DeMille, and others including Herbert Hoover, Andrew Mellon and Harvey Firestone.
The Depression saw the closing of the club and the property reverted to ranching
uses.
The Vermejo Park property and other lands -- totaling almost one million acres --
were eventually bought by Texas magnate W.J. Gourley. Wanting to expand the small
existing elk herd, he purchased several hundred elk from Yellowstone National Park
(at $5 per head). He also bred and raised wild turkeys, in order to increase the
wild bird population. Gourley died in 1970; the land was then sold to the Pennzoil
Company, which donated 100,000 acres to the Forest Service in 1982.
The prime job for the Forest Service now is wildlife preservation, although the
land grant area is also used for ranching. There are two developed campgrounds along
the route. Because of the elk calving season, some of the western part of the Valle
Vidal unit is closed to traffic from May 1 until early-to-mid July. Motorized campers
are restricted to the two campgrounds, although backcountry camping is permitted
in the unit.
D.H. Lawrence Shrine
Kiowa Ranch, once owned by Mabel Dodge Luhan (a woman with a fascinating story of
her own), was the home of novelist D. H. Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, in 1924
and 1925 -- given to them by Mrs. Luhan. Frieda continued to live at the ranch after
the author’s death. She later married Angelo Ravagli. In 1934, they built
a shrine for Lawrence’s ashes. Aldous Huxley was one of the many literary
and other artistic visitors to the ranch, which is now owned by the University of
New Mexico. The shrine on San Cristobal Road is open daily. Red River Fish Hatchery
Two miles north of Questa on N.M. 515, the hatchery rears trout and is open daily.
The visitor center features a display on the fish-rearing process, with a free self-guiding
tour.
Red River Resort
Set in the forests of the Red River Valley, this rustic and informal town provides
a getaway for those who eschew the sophistication of the ritzier ski and summer
resorts. This popular summer and winter playground offers excellent stream and lake
fishing, guest ranches, hotels and tourist courts. The ski area is right in town.
Wheeler Peak is to the southeast. Restaurants run to steak and barbecue cuisine,
and there are several small cafes serving “down-home food.” This is
a great place to stay for a thorough exploration of the region.
Eagle Nest Lake
Eagle Nest Lake: This popular fishing lake is leased for public fishing by the New
Mexico Department of Game and Fish. The lake is also a mecca for windsurfers. If
you wish to wander farther, the Wild West town of Cimmaron is located east of Eagle
Nest, via Highway 64.
Angel Fire
Angel Fire, another noted ski area, is located 26 miles east of Taos -- via N.M.
Route 68 and then south for 4 miles on N.M. Route 75. With a vertical drop of 2,180
feet, runs up to 3.5 miles, and a cross-country ski center, Angel Fire offers just
about everything (including golf when the snow has disappeared).
Angel Fire is a very scenic resort town. Summer activities include golfing, hiking,
and mountain biking. The ski area is a popular alternative to Taos Ski Valley, and
you'll find good accommodations (motels, condo units) in the little town.