Taos - American Southwest - page 228

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Exploring the Enchanted Circle

Moments

Longing for a little road trip? Few places offer more white-stripe adventure
than the 90-mile loop around northern New Mexico's Enchanted Circle. The
road leads through old Hispanic villages such as Arroyo Hondo and Questa.
About 3 miles north of the latter, you can turn west of NM 522 onto NM 378 and
travel 8 miles on a paved road to Wild Rivers Recreation Area ( & 575/770-
1600 ), a great place to begin a hike into the Rio Grande Gorge. Next, the
Enchanted Circle heads into a pass the Plains Indians once used, to the Wild
West mining town of Red River, along the base of some of New Mexico's tallest
peaks, to the resort village of Angel Fire, and back to Taos along the meander-
ing Rio Fernando de Taos. Although you can drive the entire loop in 2 hours
from Taos, most folks prefer to take a full day, and some take several days. If you
get hungry along the way, stop for lunch at Mountain Treasures (212 W. Main
St., Red River, NM 87558; & 575/754-2700 ), a gallery, bistro, and espresso cof-
fee bar that offers excellent sandwiches. To drive the loop, travel north on NM
522 10 miles to Arroyo Hondo. Then drive another 13 miles to Questa. Turn
right on NM 38, traveling 12 miles to Red River. Stay on NM 38 and drive 16
miles to Eagle Nest. From there you come to US 64, which goes west for 12
miles to Angel Fire. The final leg is a lovely 21-mile jaunt on US 64 back to Taos.
See “The Taos Area (Including Enchanted Circle)” map, on p. 227.

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championship golf course designed for all levels of play. It has open fairways and no hid-
den greens. The club also features a driving range, practice putting and chipping greens,
and instruction by PGA professionals. Greens fees are seasonal and start at $49; cart and
club rentals are available.
The par-72, 18-hole course at the Angel Fire Resort Golf Course ( & 800/633-7463
or 575/377-3055) is PGA endorsed. Surrounded by stands of ponderosa pine, spruce,
and aspen, at 8,500 feet, it's one of the highest regulation golf courses in the world. It
also has a driving range and putting green. Carts and clubs can be rented at the course,
and the club pro provides instruction. Greens fees range from $47 to $99.

HIKING
There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails in Taos County's mountain and high-mesa
country. The trails are especially well traveled in the summer and fall, although nights
turn chilly and mountain weather may be fickle by September.
Free materials and advice on all Carson National Forest trails and recreation areas can
be obtained from the Forest Service Building, 208 Cruz Alta Rd. ( & 575/758-6200 ),
open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm. Detailed USGS topographical maps of back-
country areas can be purchased from Taos Mountain Outfitters, South Plaza ( & 575/
758-9292 ).
One of the easiest hikes to access is the West Rim Trail, aptly named because it runs
along the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. Access this 9-mile-long trail by driving west from
Taos on US 64, crossing the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and turning left into the picnic
area. The 19,663-acre Wheeler Peak Wilderness is a wonderland of alpine tundra,