Fact Sheet

TAOS:
One Destination…Infinite Possibilities

Rio Grande Gorge River Bridge
Location: Approximately 10 miles west of Taos, N.M.
The bridge is located at a point where the Rio Grande Gorge is more than 1,200 feet across from rim to rim. At this location there is lava flow approximately 150 feet below the rim. This flow extends out into the canyon about 300 feet from each side of the canyon wall.
The stream of the Rio Grande is about 650 feet below the bridge deck.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is the second highest bridge in the U.S. Only the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado is higher.

Taos Pueblo
Taos pueblo, home of the Taos-Tiwa Indians, is one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the U.S. Taos Pueblo is the northernmost of New Mexico’s 19 Pueblos; it is two miles north of Taos, and is at an elevation of 7,000 feet.

The Taos Pueblo origins have been traced back over 1,000 years ago. Taos Pueblo has retained its old ways to remarkable degree. The rich cultural heritage of the Pueblo is exemplified not only in the exquisite architecture but also in the annual seasonal dances. Visitors to the Pueblo are welcome to observe the dances, but are not allowed to take photographs of them.

Taos: A Place of Powerful Medicine
The healing arts have long been tied to this land at the foot of Taos Mountain. Beginning in the late 16th Century, the Spanish brought healing traditions and techniques of their own. Concocting los remidios from sage, yerba buena, manzanilla and countless other native plants, these curanderos made compounds and potions to treat the sick and infirm. A belief in God also contributed a palpable sense of the miraculous to this land — a coming together of folk medicine and faith that, to this day, can heal the body and soul.

Western medicine ambled onto the scene in 1890 in the person of Dr. Thomas Paul Martin. Born in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Doc Martin was the town’s first physician and tended to all who crossed his threshold. He lived in Taos for the next 45 years, in the building that is today the Taos Inn. You can still visit and sit on his courtyard bench where he would greet his patients.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, health and wellness acolytes from around the globe were drawn to Taos like a magnet. Eastern philosophies mingled with American Indian and Hispanic traditions. Devotees of the eco-movement and solar energy came to build fanciful and highly functional “earth ships.” Astrologers, aura balancers, crystal therapists, acupuncturists, doctors of Oriental medicine, body workers, and advocates for a natural and organic lifestyle made Taos their home.
Today, Taos continues to attract the best and brightest to practice the healing arts. Traditional western medicine is often practiced side-by-side with naturopathic treatments, achieving harmonious outcomes through a more balanced approach.

Taos Museums
The Millicent Rogers Museum is named for art patron Millicent Rogers who settled in Taos in 1947, this museum contains the core of one of America’s foremost Southwestern arts and design collections. It has grown to include traditional and contemporary Hispanic religious and domestic arts, pottery, paintings, photography and graphics, plus a wide range of arts and crafts from many cultures of northern New Mexico.

La Hacienda de los Martinez is one of the few late Spanish Colonial “Great Houses” in the northern New Mexico style left in the American Southwest. Today the Hacienda’s 21 rooms surrounding two courtyards provide the visitor with a rare glimpse of the rugged frontier life on the early 1800s. Regularly scheduled demonstrations present the traditional arts and crafts of the region.

Jumping forward about forty years, the Kit Carson Home and Museum contains a portion of Carson’s original home. In 1843, he purchased the large adobe house as a wedding gift for his bride, Maria Josefa Jaramillo. Artifacts and exhibits illustrate Carson’s life story and tell about his family and their frontier life. Other historical exhibits depict the Native American and Hispanic cultures in northern New Mexico.

The Blumenschein Home and Museum takes the visitor into the early 20th century. In autumn of 1898, a fortuitous accident resulted in Taos becoming a great American art colony. Two young American artists just returned from studying in Paris and were traveling from Denver to northern Mexico on a sketching trip when their surrey wheel broke on the mountainous road north of Taos. During the ensuing delay, Ernest L. Blumenschein and Bert G. Phillips fell in love with the spectacular landscape and remarkable cultures of Taos. Blumenschein and Phillips were instrumental in establishing the famous Taos Society of Artists. The museum is maintained much as it was when the artist and his family were alive. It beautifully illustrates the lifestyle of Taos artists in the first half of the twentieth century.

Between 1927 and 1933, Russian artist Nicolai Fechin built the Fechin Institute, a museum that’s unique, even for Taos! Fechin filled the home with his own woodcarvings, crafting furniture, doors, windows, and corbels. The Taos Art Museum purchased the Institute to house works from the former Van Vechten-Lineberry Museum. These works include examples from members of the Taos Society of Artists, as well as many other prominent contemporary artists.

The Harwood Museum of Art is the second oldest art museum in the state. It was founded in 1923 and has been operated by the University of New Mexico since 1936. Its many galleries span the spectrum of arts in Taos. They range from the Hispanic cultural traditions Gallery, with its remarkable collection of retablos (paintings on wood), to the works of the Taos Moderns and notable twentieth century artists. Pieces by Larry Bell and Ken Price represent the present. Lectures and docent tours supplement the museums changing exhibits.

Taos in the Movies
2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the film Easy Rider (1969).  Directed by then Taos resident Dennis Hopper, who also played Billy in the film, much of the movie was shot and edited in Taos. Easy Rider then, as now, mirrors not only the beauty of Taos, but its spirit. 

Other movies that were shot in Taos include:
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid,
Pow Wow Highway, Road
Scholar, Off the Map
Terminator
No Country for Old Men
All the Pretty Horses
and The Milagro Beanfield War…to name a few

Some other suggestions on what to see and do!
San Francisco De Asis Mission – Located four miles south of Taos Historic Plaza, the mission was built approximately between 1710 and 1801, is one of the most painted and photographed adobe churches in the southwest (think Georgia O’Keefe and Ansel Adams). Several galleries surround the mission in the Ranchos Plaza.

The Historic District – With over 65 galleries, shops, and restaurants. Five of our seven museums are within a five block walking area. The Historic Taos Plaza was the site of the original Spanish settlement and is the center of the downtown area.

Rafting – See why so many people rave about white water rafting!  Trips start and end at several spots along the river; in August and September the most popular areas are the Pilar Racecourse or County Line. Experienced guides know every stretch of the river and as the trip progresses, you’ll be regaled with stories out of Taos’ past and present – fact and fiction!

Hiking – Taos has archaeological sites, petroglyphs, and old cabins and ruins dotting the landscape. The unique geography gives hikers an assortment of possibilities when choosing terrain, vegetation, altitude or climate.

Hot Air Ballooning – Fly with one of our many hot air ballooning companies and find limitless panoramic views. Taos also hosts the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, the third week of October.

D. H. Lawrence at the La Fonda Hotel – D.H. Lawrence was a renowned author and artist. His collection can be viewed at the La Fonda Hotel on the Taos Plaza. Go 15 miles north of Taos in San Cristobal; you’ll see the UNM sign, turn right and go about 6 miles to the end. You can climb the crooked path to the Shrine, which Frieda Lawrence had built where D.H.’s ashes were interned in a novel way in 1935.

Stage Coach Hot Springs – Located in Arroyo Hondo, you make a left at Herb’s Lounge, go down a path to a bridge and make a left. Keep going about 5 miles until you are in a canyon at the John Dunn Bridge, make a left after the bridge and continue up to the hillside. There you park and hike about a half-mile down to the hot springs. (double check the directions with Far Flung Adventures 575-758-2628)

Taos Ski Valley – Taos Ski Valley is consistently ranked one of the nation’s top Ski and Snowboard areas. The Ski Valley boasts over 300 inches of snow per year and 300 days of sunshine per year as well.  With nearly 1,300 ski-able acres and 15,000 skier/snowboarder capacity per hour, there are rarely lift lines nor crowds. Credit goes to Taos Ski Valley Founder Ernie Blake for creating this traditional paradise. Credit goes to his family and friends for keeping it real.
Summer is a Whole Other World, but Every
Bit as Wonderful

Snowmelt brings more than wildflowers and balmy evenings. For 45 years, summer visitors have come to Taos Ski Valley to explore the phenomenal wilderness of northern New Mexico. They come to hike the Carson National Forest, and some even walk up 13,161 foot Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico.

They come to mountain-bike the regions legendary single track, including the South Boundary trail, a butterfly-smooth 19-mile decent. They ride horseback, fly-fish for trout, raft the Rio Grande, and enjoy chairlift rides that soar over brilliant aspen leaves. At night, people congregate in their favorite pubs and restaurants, catching up, comparing notes, and maybe making plans for attending a Village festival or going to the Taos Music School.

Drive the Enchanted Circle:
The Heart of New Mexico
The 86-mile trip through the Enchanted Circle will dispel any thoughts of New Mexico being a desert state. The circle is anchored by Wheeler Peak, which at 13,161 feet is the highest crest in New Mexico. Taos is the hub of the circle.

Along the drive, you will visit:
•    Angel Fire: One of the fastest growing towns in New Mexico, the Village of Angel Fire and Angel Fire offers downhill skiing, snow-boarding, cross-country skiing, and 18-hole golf course, hiking, biking, fishing and much more.
•    Vietnam: Veterans Memorial: Dr. Victor Westfall and his family built the chapel in 1971 to honor his son David, who lost his life in Vietnam in 1968. A 6,000-square-foot Visitor Center has been added, along with many artifacts and photos.
•    Eagle Nest: Eagle Nest Lake and the Village of Eagle Nest lie just a few miles beyond the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial. The lake, a favorite fishing spot for many years, was recently acquired by the state of New Mexico.
•    Elizabethtown: Traveling through the Moreno Valley from Eagle Nest, the next stop is a visit with the ghosts in Elizabethtown. Established as the first incorporated city in New Mexico in the late 1860’s, Elizabethtown displayed all the lawlessness of the better-known mining towns of the era. With the help of a little imagination and the Elizabethtown Museum, one can almost visualize those rowdy days in the Wild West.
•    Bobcat Pass and the Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area: High in the mountains east of Red River, Bobcat Pass offers snowmobile trips, chuck wagon dinners, and the allure of life in the mountains in the Old West. Just down the road, the Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area has groomed trails and many unique events aimed at ski enthusiasts.
•    Red River: Founded in 1892, and once owned by the notorious gambler Long John Dunn, Red River now consists of Swiss style chalets, rustic log cabins, and a family-friendly ski area, with lots of Old West ambience. This year-round resort offers mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, fishing, and off-road vehicle trails.
•    Questa and the Wild Rivers Recreation Area: The Questa area is loaded with outdoor recreation opportunities and art. Questa’s early charm is evident in its atmosphere and its eateries. The Wild Rivers Recreation Area, just a few miles to the north, is well known to hikers and mountain bikers alike.