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Taos is a small high-desert town in northern New Mexico, set on a broad sagebrush plain beneath the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Three cultures shape it: the Taos Pueblo people, whose community here dates back roughly a thousand years, Hispanic settlers who arrived in the Spanish colonial era, and the artists and writers who began settling in the early twentieth century. Adobe buildings, chile ristras and gallery-lined lanes give the town its distinct look.
Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a living community whose multistory adobe dwellings are still home to tribal members, and visitors are welcome at set times with respect for local rules. In town, Taos Plaza and the historic district hold shops, galleries and cafes. The Harwood Museum of Art traces the local art colony, and the Millicent Rogers Museum focuses on Native American and Hispanic crafts. La Hacienda de los Martinez is a restored Spanish colonial home, and the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos is famous for its massive adobe buttresses.
West of town, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge spans a dramatic chasm within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, and the Earthship community nearby showcases off-grid building. Taos suits art lovers, hikers and skiers, with Taos Ski Valley and Wheeler Peak, the state's highest summit, in the mountains above.
WiserMap travel guideTaos New Mexico Taos Pueblo Gorge Bridge and Ski ValleySee the best of Taos: Taos Pueblo, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Ranchos church, art museums, the Enchanted Circle and Taos Ski Valley, plus food tips.Read the guide
Multi-story adobe village continuously lived in for about a thousand years, a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the foot of Taos Mountain. Visitors walk among the North and South houses, the San Geronimo Chapel and craft shops run by residents. It closes for ceremonies, so check the schedule, and ask before taking photos.
Restored Spanish colonial hacienda from 1804 on the west side of town, a fortress-like adobe home with about 21 rooms around two courtyards. Rooms show daily life on the frontier along the Camino Real, with weaving and blacksmith demonstrations at times. It is run by the Taos Historic Museums.
Historic heart of Taos, a plaza ringed by adobe buildings with galleries, shops and cafes, close to the Kit Carson Home and Museum and the Governor Bent House. Nearby Ledoux Street and Bent Street hold more galleries. Park in a public lot and explore on foot, especially on summer evenings with music.
Off-grid community west of the gorge bridge, known for homes built from recycled tires, bottles and cans that collect their own water and power. The visitor center offers self-guided tours of a model home, and some Earthships can be rented overnight. It is a striking sight on the open sagebrush mesa.
Museum in a 1920s adobe compound just off Ledoux Street, showing art made in Taos from the Taos Society of Artists to modernists, plus Hispanic religious art. Highlights include a gallery of serene paintings by Agnes Martin. It is a short walk from the plaza, and it is closed on some weekdays in winter.
Museum north of town founded around the collection of heiress Millicent Rogers, showing Native American jewelry, Pueblo pottery including the works of Maria Martinez, Navajo textiles and Hispanic folk art. It is housed in an adobe home with mountain views. Allow about an hour and visit the gift shop.
Massive adobe church in Ranchos de Taos, built in the late 1700s and famous for its sculpted rear buttresses painted by Georgia O'Keeffe and photographed by Ansel Adams. The community re-plasters it with mud each June. Visit respectfully, as it is an active parish, and note the photo rules inside.
Steel bridge on US 64 about ten miles northwest of Taos, spanning the Rio Grande Gorge some 650 feet above the river. Sidewalks let visitors walk out and look straight down into the canyon. There is a rest area with parking on the west side. It is windy, so hold on to hats and phones over the railing.
Large protected area of volcanic plateaus and deep river canyons north of Taos. At the Wild Rivers area near Cerro, trails drop into the gorge to the confluence of the Red River and the Rio Grande. Look for bighorn sheep and raptors. Roads are unpaved in places, so check conditions and carry water.
Taos Ski Valley is a ski resort known for steep terrain in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In summer it is the start of the trail up Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet the highest point in New Mexico, via Williams Lake. The hike is long and high, so start at dawn and turn back if storms build.
Scenic loop of about 84 miles linking Taos, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire around Wheeler Peak, through forests, valleys and old mining towns. Stops include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park near Angel Fire. Plan a full day, fill up the tank, and expect snow on the passes in winter.
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