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.

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.

Took me 3.5 hrs to hike this 4 mile RT trail. Hey, I stop to take pictures, mkay? But if I can do…read moreit, well, it can't be too hard, but I've done much tougher. Drive up through unpaved road to nice parking area walk past a Bavarian restaurant (I will return there for lunch) and past a ski lift. Your on your way to Nirvana. Bring someone special with you!

We hiked Williams Lake for two reasons:…read more 1. To check out the turn off to the Wheeler Peak trail 2. To enjoy a leisurely couple's hike before tackling the big stuff And both we did! The journey to the lake from Alpine Village Suites to Williams lake trail (even amongst the construction) is refreshing. We drove to the trailhead, but if you're looking for a more strenuous hike, you can certain add a few extra miles (and a lot of elevation) by hiking amongst the residential mountain homes to the trailhead. If you're from out of town, be mindful of the weather, and make sure you have the adequate mods/the appropriate vehicle for driving to the trailhead. It almost goes without saying, but, speaking of weather, dress appropriately for three hike. At that altitude, we caught first snow of the season, so although the ski lifts were not running, we still needed our gloves and such towards the middle and end of the hike (even though there was no snow to be found further down the mountain). The hike itself is alright, not the most picturesque, and there aren't a ton of switchbacks if that's your thing, but it's very accessible and full of fresh air as well as moments to enjoy. The lake is a lake, but it's pretty expansive, and there's a good amount to explore. The vibe is forest adventure, and the trail is well maintained. While out, we saw a handful of doggos on the trail with their owners, couples, and small groups. So why am I hating on nature? Why give nature 4-stars?! Because this is a man made trail, and the current abundance of construction completely breaks the illusion. I'm sure it'll be back to 5 stars once the construction/selective tree demolition etc is complete. If you're in the area, no matter your skill level, highly recommend this quickie of a hike! Bonus points: when you complete your hike (if you choose to hike during season), you're rewarded with a Bavarian restaurant near the trailhead.

Nice to hike the trails along the Rio Grande. Signage, security on site, some art vendors, overall…read morenice views of the river and mountains.

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.

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.

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.

We had a wonderful experience trekking with Wild Earth Llama Adventures! The llamas were gentle…read moreand fun to be with. We love Cuzco, Denali and Loki! Stuart was a wealth of knowledge and so personable! We felt comfortable with him immediately. We can't say enough good things about our experience. It made for a great birthday celebration.

Great attention to the guests while teaching all of us some little things about llamas. We are now…read morebest friends. The pace was perfect, the views were tremendous and the educational aspect was really appreciated!! We need to figure out our dates to book for next year!

You just can't imagine how fantastic this place. The setting is in the Vermejo valley in Northern…read moreNew Mexico surrounded by mountains many which are still snow capped in June! After sitting on the veranda in the cool evening crisp clean mountain air we enjoyed the majestic view while having a few cocktails and reviewing the days adventures. This evenings menu had gourmet entrees that are first class. Our group had: Piñon Crusted Trout Pan seared Bison Tenderloin Grilled Ranchero Beef Ribeye Country Fried Quail Knots Seared Sea Scallops Friends listen this food was unbelievable. The chef knows his business. Any if nothing on the menu feels right, then ask the Chef for an off the menu item....like a gourmet cheese burger. They aim to please. The wait staff couldn't have been more accommodating or friendly. They had no problem with substitutions or asking for extra. They know how to make customers happy. Put a visit to Vermejo Park Ranch on your bucket list. Truly you will not be disappointed.

Vermejo Park Ranch has a history that has been sustained in its current usage. In 1841, it was a…read moreland grant from Mexico, and has been used for cattle ranching but recently it has been a sheltered tract reserved for hunting and fishing. Under current ownership, significant effort goes into maintenance of stable healthy populations of elk, deer, antelope, bear, turkey and bison. The guest buildings remain as they must have been 70 years ago and the 920 sq. miles continue to host several different ecosystems from wetlands to tundra above timberline. This site doesn't aim at 5 star modern luxury but rather maintaining that level of luxury consistent with reduced degradation of the land by the visitors and staff. No human effort is spared to make this a top flight experience. Everyone we met went out of their way to ensure our comfort, satisfaction and safety. "Fracking" is going on and is evident from the many gas wells one sees dotting the landscape. The gas company is responsible for many of the graded roads on the ranch. The most frequent use of the site is for guided hunting and fishing. We went for a guided nature photography experience. One finds this place with some difficulty. State Highway 555 turns into a gravel road a few miles from the minimally marked turnoff to the ranch. An electric gate blocks the entrance and is opened remotely if the telephone systems are working. While we were there the entire area had been blacked out by Centurylink. No fault of theirs but still an inconvenience. Check in was quick and simple. Rooms are situated around the main lodge which was rebuilt after a fire in a modern rendition of the prior structure. We stayed in an annex to the main lodge called Casa Minor. Our bedroom was large, 30 x 40 feet, with bay windows facing the front lawn. The bathroom was wheelchair accessible as was the shower. Two queen beds were comfortable and heating and cooling effective with a ceiling fan. Other rooms we saw with a single queen bed were smaller. Meals were gourmet, frequently featuring either a bison, elk, wild turkey or antelope meat option and tours of the working kitchen were encouraged. Usually hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail party with a full bar began as the first group returned to the lodge and continued until all groups are back and ready for dinner. Since different groups are returning from various distances, dinner can be late. A cooking class for preparation of game is planned and should be wonderful. Days here begin early so that one can be in place at sunup and frequently end with a drive back to the lodge after sunset, whether one is hunting with gun, bow, rod, or camera. All of the guides have a patina of experience but some more than others. We drew Gene Coon and he made the experience a gem. He used his ample experience to craft an exposure to the things we wanted to shoot photographically. He carefully judged our abilities and kept us safely within them.

Its a bridge. People were selling things in the parking lot that looked nice. The view was cool…read more There was construction in the area that made it a pain to get in but once in it was a nice view.

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!