Taos - American Southwest - page 229

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encompassing New Mexico's highest peak (13,161 ft.). A favorite (though rigorous) hike
to Wheeler Peak's summit (15 miles round-trip with a 3,700-ft. elevation gain) makes for
a long but fun day. The trail head is at Taos Ski Valley. For year-round hiking, head to
the Wild Rivers Recreation Area ( & 575/770-1600 ), near Questa (see “Exploring

the Enchanted Circle” box, below).
The sage meadows and pine-covered mountains around Taos make it one of the West's
most romantic places to ride. Taos Indian Horse Ranch , on Pueblo land off Ski
Valley Road, just before Arroyo Seco ( & 575/758-3212; www.taosindianhorseranch.
com), offers a variety of guided rides. Open by appointment, the ranch provides horses
for all types of riders (English, Western, Australian, and bareback) and ability levels. Call
ahead to reserve and for prices, which will likely run about $100 for a 2-hour trail ride.
Horseback riding is also offered by Rio Grande Stables, P.O. Box 2122, El Prado
( & 575/776-5913; www.lajitasstables.com/taos.htm), with rides taking place during the
summer months at Taos Ski Valley. Most riding outfitters offer lunch trips and overnight
trips. Call for prices and further details.
HUNTING
Hunters in Carson National Forest bag deer, turkey, grouse, band-tailed pigeons, and
elk by special permit. Hunting seasons vary year to year, so it's important to inquire ahead
with the New Mexico Game and Fish Department in Santa Fe ( & 575/476-8000;
www.wildlife.state.nm.us).
JOGGING
The paved paths and grass of Kit Carson Park (see “More Attractions,” earlier in this
chapter) provide a quiet place to stretch your legs.
LLAMA TREKKING
For a taste of the unusual, you might want to try letting a llama carry your gear and food
while you walk and explore, free of any heavy burdens. They're friendly, gentle animals
that have keen senses of sight and smell. Often, other animals, such as elk, deer, and
mountain sheep, are attracted to the scent of the llamas and will venture closer to hikers
if the llamas are present.
Wild Earth Llama Adventures ( & 800/758-LAMA [5262] or 575/586-0174;
www.llamaadventures.com) offers a “Take a Llama to Llunch” day hike—a full day of
hiking into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, complete with a gourmet lunch for $89.
Wild Earth also offers a variety of custom multiday wilderness adventures tailored to
trekkers' needs and fitness levels for $125 per person per day. Children under 12 receive
discounts. El Paseo Llama Expeditions ( & 800/455-2627 or 575/758-3111; www.
elpaseollama.com) utilizes U.S. Forest Service-maintained trails that wind through can-
yons and over mountain ridges. The llama expeditions are scheduled March to Novem-
ber, and day hikes are scheduled year-round. The rides are for all ages and kids can ride,
too. Gourmet meals are provided. Half-day hikes cost $74 and $84, day hikes $94, and
2- to 8-day hikes run $299 to $1,199.
RIVER RAFTING
Half- or full-day white-water rafting trips down the Rio Grande and Rio Chama origi-
nate in Taos and can be booked through a variety of outfitters in the area. The wild Taos
Box , a steep-sided canyon south of the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, offers a
series of Class IV rapids that rarely let up for some 17 miles. The water drops up to 90

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