Along the Enchanted Circle Drive
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 Northern Loop (optional extended 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
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.
Fraser Bridges
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Destinations --Taos
