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The Taos Destination is located in the northern area of New Mexico. Taos is the last major city in New Mexico before the Colorado State border.[1] The destination includes many prominent attractions to the state of New Mexico. These include the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Taos Pueblo, and the High Road to Taos.[2] The area is filled with tiny Spanish Land Grant villages, and some of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains fall within the region's borders. The city of Taos is not only the namesake of the destination but also the largest and most populous city within the area and the entire northern area of New Mexico.[1] The land is placed in the Taos Plateau, with many small rivers, mountains, lakes, and reservoirs covering the landscape.[7] The destination has hot summers and chilly winters with around two inches of rain and snow every year.[4]
The Taos Destination is known for being one of America's leading original art colonies. The destination has a world-class ski resort, world heritage sites, classical churches, and unique landscaping.[1] The area includes the Rocky Mountains and the Rio Grande Gorge, with rolling hills, desert plains, and occasional grass-covered fields.[7] Native Indians to the area dwelled in the land for years, harvesting the land and building villages. Many of these small villages are still functioning today. Local tribes still hold meetings and live in the area. Visitors can experiences many of the native's rich spiritual traditions, taste traditional cuisine, and study fine art passed down for generations.[2]
The world heritage site Taos Pueblo is located in the Taos Destination. This distinct attraction is one of the only native villages still occupied by the Taos Puebloan people today. The pueblo is located one mile north of Taos, New Mexico. As a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos, Taos Pueblo is one of the most private and conservative pueblos. The culture is unique for their language has never been written down, yet over 4,500 people speak it today. Visitors can spend time exploring the ancient adobe dwellings that have been home to members of the Pueblo community for thousands of years. The cultural village is also a common stop to learn more about the history of the area's indigenous people.[1]
A portion of the Carson National Forest is located in the Taos Destination and offers a wide variety of recreation options at all times of the year. The highest mountain in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak, is located in the forest. Visitors can bike and hike through miles of tracks and trails. There are many unique rivers and hidden lakes on the mountainside, and snow sports are standard on the maintained trails.[7] The Rio Grande Gorge attracts visitors from all across Northern and Southern America. The Rio Grande river carved a large canyon through volcanic basalt and is now considered to be a geological wonder. Visitors can view ancient petroglyphs and spend time on the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, looking out over the Gorge as the fifth tallest bridge in the United States.[2]
The Taos Ski Valley is one of the region's most prominent attractions because of its size and unique terrain. As one of America's most authentic and uncrowded resorts, the valley has over one hundred trails for snowboarding and skiing. Around sixteen million people visit new Mexico annually, most of them spend time at the Rio Grande Gorge, Taos Pueblo, or Taos Ski Valley.[8] The summer months are most popular for visitors from May to September. During these months, guests can spend time outside visiting local attractions and resorts in the area. The winter months also sustain a profitable amount of visitors who spend time at the Taos Ski Valley Resort.[4] The destination is known for its extensive industry in agriculture, oil, gas, mining, construction, and manufacturing.[3]
The Taos Destination is located in the northernmost land of New Mexico. The northern border is two hundred and forty kilometers long, bordered by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Tusas and the San Juan Mountains to the west.[1] The southernmost area of the region is in a basin with unique terrain known as the Taos Plateau. There are small rivers, lakes, and reservoirs throughout the destination. Most of the land is desert or dry with high grasses, and mountainous areas are covered in thick shrubbery and forest. Taos is the largest and most populous city in the region, but there is Questa to the north, Little Castilla Peak along the Colorado state border, Ute Park to the east, and Cerro Vista to the south. Wheeler Peak and Picuris Peak are prominent mountain ridges throughout the destination.[7]
Summers in the Taos Destination are warm and last from the months of May through September. The average temperature during these months is seventy-five degrees. The hottest month during the summer is July. Winters are relatively cold, with an average temperature of forty-eight degrees. The summers are short-lasting from late November through early February. January is the coldest month of the year. The area receives around two inches of rain annually and three inches of snow each year.[4] Early summer and winter are the most popular for visitors for the warm temperatures, blooming landscapes, and sunny skies. Wildlife throughout the area varies.
Common animals include elk, deer, antelope, white-tailed rabbits, gray squirrels, gray foxes, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats. The state animal is the black bear.[6] The plants throughout the area include common yarrow, saskatoon berry, desert marigold, big sagebrush, and true mountain mahogany.[5] The destination produces meat, eggs, dairy, honey, wine, beer, chicken, oil, and gas.
The Taos Destination started out as an Indian pueblo village for almost an entire millennium. The pueblo was built around 1450 AD. Taos Puebloans have occupied the area for as long as the area has been known. The Taos Puebloans still live in the area to this day. Spanish travelers brought their culture to the area when passing through to trade and visit other states in the United States, including Colorado, Utah, California, and Arizona.
The original settlers in the Taos Destination were artists and missionaries from South America. Upon their arrival in the area, they built some of the oldest churches and dwellings still standing in the United States today. The name Taos means place of red willows from the native Taos language. The city Taos was founded by Nuevo Mexico Governor Fernando Chacon in 1795. It functioned as a fortified plaza and trading outpost for neighboring Native American Taos Pueblo and Hispano communities in the area.
The town was incorporated in 1834 and is the county seat of Taos County. The area around the city of Taos is covered in memorials, historical sites, and there are many cave drawings and dwellings still standing in the area. Locals have built businesses off of creating art, clothing, and other artifacts passed down through generations. The Taos Destination is filled with art, culture, traditional foods, recreational activities, historical monuments, and thousands of miles of untouched natural habitat.[1]
The Alpine Lodge is located in Red River, New Mexico, on about 4 acres of land. The property offers 46 different rooms for guests to choose from during their stay. The rooms are mainly either hotel-style rooms or condo-style rooms, but there is also a stand-alone cabin that can be rented out. The area that Alpine Lodge is on consists of many trees and large amounts of grass. There is a river on the property that visitors to the property are free to sit by and/or fish in if they have their fishing license with them. The owners of the property strive to talk to their guests as often as they can and hope that they will be able to enjoy their time there.
...Read More4K River Ranch is located in Red River, New Mexico, a resort town in Taos County. The property is surrounded by mountains, including access to the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. The Red River runs through the ranch, acting as a unique feature to the property. There is an abundance of RV sites on the property, many of which are in very close range of the trout pond. The trout pond on the property is available for use by guests who would like to go fishing. Many amenities are provided by the ranch, but if visitors need some other accessories, they may be able to find them at the ranch's small store on the property.
...Read MoreThe Questa Lodge is located in Questa, New Mexico. The surrounding area is mainly covered with dense forests and rocky mountains, with several noteworthy mountains to the northwest of the property. The Questa Lodge is a family-owned business with over 50 camping slots across their 6 acres of land for visitors to set up camp. The lodge is found just over ten miles to the west of Red River, New Mexico, which is known for being a famous resort town. There are a wide variety of outdoor activities and sights to see in the area that many guests in the past have found enjoyment in.
...Read MoreCamp Eagle Nest
Camp Eagle Nest is an RV park that is located in Eagle Nest, New Mexico, which is a city found between various mountains and is centrally located to Red River, Angel Fire, and Cimarron Canyon State Park. The business is open from May 1st to October 15th, closing during the winter months. There are a total of 45 RV sites that can be reserved during that time, all of which are equipped with full hookups. Amenities found on the property include a laundry room, showers, a clubhouse, and Eagle Nest Lake. The manager of Camp Eagle Nest would like visitors to be “relaxed” while they are staying at the property. On occasion, the business may host musicians at the outdoor patio on the weekends. The RV park is pet-friendly and allows visitors to bring their dogs with them, as long as they are properly cleaned up after and supervised. The owners have a number of plans for the future and anticipate having a variety of updates and renovations to the grounds, including the addition of a store.
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