Author: taosnews

By Cindy Brown

From alpine meadows to rushing creeks, these Taos-area trails offer something for every kind of hiker. With so many choices near Taos, how do you decide where to hike? Here are three fantastic places that provide jumping-off points for easier family outings, as well as more challenging routes for experienced hikers.

Columbine

Where to find it: North of Taos, east of Questa

Where to start: Hikes begin at Columbine Campground

Family-friendly adventures: Head up Columbine Canyon Trail (Carson National Forest #71) as it follows Columbine Creek. A gradual climb meanders through aspen and alder. The trail crosses the creek several times and leads to a small meadow — a good place to end a short hike. Continue farther to reach a large meadow that makes a popular picnic spot. For added fun, try this hike with llamas; Wild Earth Llama Adventures: llamaadventures.com.

For more experienced hikers: Columbine Canyon Trail connects with Deer Creek, Placer Fork and Willow Fork trails, which head toward Gold Hill. Stay on the main trail as it steepens and climbs a series of switchbacks. In this section, the creek flows across moss-covered boulders, and in the summer, columbine and blue chiming bells bloom nearby. After a third meadow, the trail steepens again and climbs to the ridge at 11,800 feet. Here, the trail connects with Gavilan Canyon Trail, which descends toward Taos Ski Valley. This hike gains 3,800 feet and runs about 12 miles round trip.

Why we love it: Columbine Creek keeps the hike cool, and the overflow creates a perfect environment for wildflowers in July and August.

How to get there: From Taos Plaza, go north on Paseo del Pueblo, which becomes NM 522. Drive 24 miles to Questa and turn right at NM 38. Pass the Questa Ranger Station on the right. Near mile marker 5, turn right at the Columbine Campground entrance. Follow the one-way loop and go 0.5 miles to the trailhead across from the bathrooms.

Santa Barbara

Where to find it: South of Taos, near Peñasco

Where to start: Santa Barbara Campground

Family-friendly adventures: Set off from the campground on Santa Barbara Trail (CNF #24). The trail winds into the Pecos Wilderness, following the Rio Santa Barbara through conifer and aspen forests. It climbs gradually above the river, then drops to meet it again. Small meadows dot the route, and cattle may graze here at times. The trail crosses the river on a bridge, where the path begins to climb — a natural turnaround point for a shorter hike.

For more experienced hikers: The possibilities stretch far beyond the main trail. Watch for the West Fork Trail (CNF #25) sign and turn right. The trail climbs to a large meadow with views of Chimayosos Peak. Wildflowers and mushrooms often appear here in summer, and wildlife sightings may include wild turkeys or even a bobcat. This route connects to the Santa Barbara Divide and Truchas Lakes.

Why we love it: The Santa Barbara area shines in summer with abundant wildflowers and again in fall, when expansive aspen groves turn gold.

How to get there: From Taos Plaza, drive 3 miles south on Paseo del Pueblo and turn left on NM 518. Climb US Hill and continue 16 miles before turning right on NM 75. Follow the road through Vadito and past the Camino Real Ranger District office. Shortly after, turn left on NM 73. Drive 1.5 miles, then turn left onto Santa Barbara Road and continue 5.5 miles to the campground. Depending on the season, a parking fee may apply.

Taos Ski Valley

Where to find it: Northeast of Taos

Where to start: Taos Ski Valley base area

Family-friendly adventures: For a gentle walk along the Rio Hondo, try the JR Ramming Trail. The path begins near the Rio Hondo Children’s Learning Center and follows the river to the ski valley base area, where shops and restaurants await.

For more experienced hikers: A favorite route climbs Long Canyon to Gold Hill. Start east of the parking lot at the Bull-of-the-Woods/Wheeler Peak Trail (CNF #90). Climb about 1 mile to the Long Canyon (CNF #63) turn and go left. Follow the stream through the canyon, then climb toward Gold Hill (CNF #64). The hike starts at 9,400 feet and tops out at 12,700 feet, gaining 3,300 feet over about 9 miles. Start early and leave exposed ridges if afternoon storms build.

Why we love it: Along the Rio Hondo and its East Fork, columbine, wild geranium and other wildflowers bloom in July and August. At 9,400 feet, Taos Ski Valley stays cool in summer.

How to get there: From Taos Plaza, go north on Paseo del Pueblo about 4 miles. Turn right on NM 150, the ski valley road. Drive through Arroyo Seco and bear left at the old school. Continue to Taos Ski Valley. For the JR Ramming Trail, turn right toward the Children’s Center. For Bull-of-the-Woods, stay left to the upper parking lot. The trailhead sits on the left (northeast) side.

Three courses deliver scenery, challenge and a strong finish at the clubhouse

By Jeans Pineda

The most treacherous hole isn’t the par 5 with the dogleg or the bunker-guarded green — it’s the watering hole at the clubhouse, where one strong margarita or an ice-cold Michelob has you retelling how you saved double bogey with a pitching wedge and why your driver might belong in the trash.

Follow the Enchanted Circle and you can chase great golf — then satisfy the hunger and thirst that comes with it.

Start on the southern end at Taos Country Club. In what looks like a sea of sage, the course winds through silver-green brush, rugged arroyos and wide-open mountain views. Carefully maintained greens meet the raw character of Northern New Mexico terrain.

If you tend to shank, think twice before hunting for balls in the sagebrush — this is rattlesnake country. If you’re bold, you might come away with a stash of balls left for dead.

The wide-open vistas impress, but on a cloudless day the course tests even the toughest players. Walkers should feel no shame in renting a cart when the sun bears down.

On the front nine, the eighth hole tests your patience. It’s a 513-yard par 5 from the white tees. The fairway slopes downhill at first, offering distance, before rising toward a sharply banked green that punishes downhill putts. You’ll second-guess every approach.

The Terrace Bar and Grill stands on its own as a destination. Locals gather there for events and meals. Order the oysters Rockefeller while golfers work on their short game or lean into something smoky — an Islay scotch like Laphroaig paired with a cigar from the pro shop.

Between Taos and Angel Fire, Valle Escondido lives up to its name — a hidden valley tucked 12 miles from Taos Plaza along Highway 64.

This nine-hole walking course offers a relaxed pace, ideal for beginners. You can take your time with your swing and even a mulligan or two. Prairie dogs provide the only audience.

The course relies largely on natural rainfall and avoids pesticides, giving it an environmentally conscious edge. The ninth hole has earned its own T-shirt: “I can’t believe I made it up 9.” It’s a 478-yard uphill par 5 with a dogleg and a line of stout trees guarding the midway point.

Make it through and reward yourself with a pastrami Reuben and a local IPA at the clubhouse.

Finish your circuit in Angel Fire, where you tee off at 8,600 feet on a par 72, 6,653-yard course framed by Rocky Mountain peaks.

The front nine stretches through canyons lined with aspen, spruce and pine. The back nine shifts to a links-inspired layout with tighter greens and strategic bunkers.

The greens stay pristine. Deer sometimes wander through the morning dew, though scoring well requires discipline. A reliable 3 wood often becomes your best friend. Take advantage of the driving range and dial in every club.

The signature sixth hole delivers the highlight. Golfers tee off from 200 feet above the green, sending a 239-yard shot into a corridor of aspens and pines. Stick the landing and you’ll feel like a pro.

At Elements, the bar and restaurant match the setting. Try the Buffalo Milk Burrata, served with honey-roasted acorn squash, pumpkin seed dukkah, pomegranate and grilled bread. Even this far from the ocean, the pan-seared sea bass arrives golden, paired with bok choy, market vegetables and an orange-ginger nage.

Taos herbalist Rob Hawley guides visitors and locals on wildcrafting herb walks

By Cindy Brown

Plant medicine is science, says Rob Hawley, co-founder of Taos Herb Company.

The business has a storefront at 710 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Suite J, but Hawley also offers educational wildcrafting tours in nature several times a year.

“Almost all of our modern-day drugs come from plants,” he says. And they also remain embedded in cultural systems of belief and healing.

“Plants are scientific, but they also have a folk use,” Hawley says. “This is the part of plant medicine that is handed down mother to daughter or father to son. This is where we have a lot of really rich belief systems that frequently overlap the scientific.”

Plants can also carry spiritual meaning. Hawley says Native people often use plants both as functional medicine and as spirit medicine in ceremony.

When gathering plants, Hawley follows practices of giving thanks and restoring the earth where the plants were taken. His teachers — both Hispanic Norteño and Native — taught him those traditions. He says he is simply part of a long, continuing tradition of using local plants for food and medicine in Northern New Mexico.

“The difference between Western medicine and herbal medicine is that the Western approach is patriarchal, top-down,” he says, “whereas folk medicine empowers the individual to heal themselves and comes from Mother Earth-based healing.”

Herb walk

On a Saturday last July, a group of 15 people gathered under overcast skies at Taos Herb to join Hawley for an herb walk east of Taos in the flatlands and mountains.

Some participants, like Mitzi Mortensen and Jen Vaughn, are relatively new to the area and hoped to connect with the land by learning about local herbs. A mother and daughter, Angela and Michelle Martinez, came to remember what their ancestors once practiced and to continue that culture and tradition. Others, like Sage Romero, already study plants and herbs and wanted to expand their knowledge to become more self-sufficient.

Those who have joined herb walks before brought their herb journals, which Hawley says are one of the best ways to learn about plants.

“By collecting samples of herbs and saving them in a journal, you can create your own plant press that will allow you to increase your knowledge by looking up the plants in books and on the internet after you collect them,” he says.

Heading out of town on NM 518, the group stopped at a pullout for their first lesson in collecting plants. After covering basic principles of herbal medicine, Hawley cut some willows — a species of the populous family known as jara or jarita in Spanish — and showed the group how to skin the bark from the stem.

The next step, he says, is to dry the bark in shallow bags out of direct sunlight and chop it into small pieces. The bark can be simmered in hot water for about 30 minutes or more to make a tea.

“Willow contains salicin, so it is like aspirin in that it is anti-inflammatory and analgesic, but it is not as strong, so there is almost no potential for toxicity,” he says. “It is useful for headaches or menstrual cramps or any kind of pain you can think of.”

Hawley also points out blue chicory flowers and explains that the most useful part of chicory is the root, which acts as a diuretic used traditionally to treat urinary tract infections. In folk medicine, people believe roots hold their strongest energy in the fall, so gatherers often collect them closer to the end of the year.

Next, Hawley cuts a branch of what locals call sagebrush — chamiso pardo or chamiso hediondo in Spanish — which belongs to the aster family. The bitter plant prepares the body to digest food.

The group then heads toward U.S. Hill, turns onto a forest road and follows the rutted track, still wet from recent monsoons, into the woods.

At the first meadow, Hawley points out the plant mullein.

“Even though it hasn’t been here that long, perhaps 150 years, traditional Spanish midwives used the root as a postpartum sitz bath,” Hawley says.

After stopping for lunch in the shade, the group heads farther up the road. In a wooded area they find osha — osha de la sierra in Spanish — which grows only above 8,500 feet on north-facing slopes in mixed aspen and conifer forests when a particular fungus is present.

Locals prize the plant for what they believe are its many healing properties. Herbalists use it as an expectorant or diaphoretic and sometimes to help relieve menstrual cramping. Because it produces a mild numbing effect, herbalists also use osha in traditional medicine to soothe a sore throat.

“If you have a cold in the wintertime with a cough and sore throat, osha is one of the most soothing things you can use,” Hawley says. “It has a strong smell and tastes like celery amplified by 50 times.”

Along the walk, Hawley points out other healing plants such as arnica, valerian and betony. He also shows the group poisonous plants including mountain larkspur and Indian paintbrush.

After a long day of collecting herbs, participants leave tired but excited to use their new knowledge in their own lives. Angela Martinez says the experience offered a powerful way to reconnect with the traditions of her ancestors.

As the group gathers for a photo, the moment carries a sense of cohesion and shared purpose. Psychologist Dacher Keltner describes this feeling as “collective effervescence” — the sense of connecting to something larger than yourself while participating in a like-minded group.

“This group was remarkable for how excited and stimulated they were by learning about plants,” Hawley says. “It’s a privilege to teach when people are so engaged.”

A long relationship with herbs

Hawley holds extensive knowledge of plants and their many uses. He has led herb walks for 40 years but began his career as a cancer research technician at the University of New Mexico Cancer Research Center.

“I was originally in science,” Hawley says. “My dad was a doctor, and we took an herb walk with well-known plant expert Michael Moore, and I got turned on by plants. Shortly thereafter, I opened Taos Herb with my sister, Tina Hahn, and wife Julie, so I’ve been studying plants for the last 45 years. My basic bent is a science leaning.”

The herb walks grew from that interest. Hawley usually leads a couple of them each year with groups of up to 30 people and has explored areas from the Rio Grande Gorge to Taos Ski Valley and along the Rio Chiquito.

Hawley, along with his wife and sister, sold Taos Herb to longtime employee Chelsea Crawford last year. The herb walks continue as a way to preserve and share knowledge with the community.

Visitors can stop by the shop to find some of Hawley’s favorite reference guides, including “Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West” by Michael Moore and “Healing Herbs of the Upper Rio Grande,” by L.S.M. Curtain, revised and edited by Moore. He also recommends the hard-to-find “Flowering Plants of New Mexico,” which includes hand-drawn illustrations by Robert DeWitt Ivey.

Taos Herb Company | 710 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Suite J, Taos (Albertson’s Cruz Alta Shopping Center) | 575-758-1991 | taosherb.com

Taos Trail Runners build community, one trail at a time

By Ellen Miller-Goins

On any given Wednesday evening in Taos, a small group gathers at a trailhead — sometimes near the Rio Grande Gorge, sometimes in the foothills above town, sometimes farther afield in the mountains. There’s no starting gun, no sign-in sheet and no formal membership.

Just people showing up to run.

Some are seasoned endurance athletes training for long-distance races. Others are new to trail running altogether with a preference for a more manageable walk-run. Most fall somewhere in between.

They call themselves the Taos Trail Runners.

“It’s whoever shows up,” said Cameron Little, who helps coordinate the group’s weekly runs. “We post where we’re going, and people come run together. That’s kind of it.”

What began roughly three years ago as an informal meet-up has grown into a consistent community get-together — a reflection of both Taos’ outdoor culture and the accessibility of trail running as a sport.

The Taos Trail Runners are not a formal club. There are no dues, no board and no official structure.

Still, they meet every week.

“We’ve had at least one group run every week for over three years straight now,” said Aisha Little, Cameron’s wife.

The main run takes place Wednesdays at 6 p.m., typically drawing around 15 participants, with a larger pool of regulars who join when they can. Routes rotate across public lands in and around Taos — from well-known trails like the Rift Valley system to forest roads and lesser-known routes nearby. Distances vary, usually offering both shorter and longer options so runners of different abilities can participate.

Runs are designed to be social and inclusive.

For some participants, the weekly run is part of a training routine. For others, it’s a way to meet people and spend time outside.

“There’s a big range,” Aisha Little said. “There are people who are doing 50- or 100-mile races … and then there are people who just come because this is their one social activity for the week.”

The variety of terrain around Taos is part of what keeps the group moving. Favorite routes include Devisadero, the Rift Valley trails and higher-elevation runs like Palo Flechado Canyon. Other outings venture to places like the D.H. Lawrence Ranch area or Columbine Canyon, depending on the season and conditions.

“We try to rotate where we’re going,” Cameron Little said. “There’s a bunch of different trails.”

In addition to weekly runs, the group organizes occasional outings to trails outside the immediate Taos area. Each run typically includes a shorter route of about three miles and a longer option closer to six, with runners regrouping at intersections or at the finish.

Over time, the Taos Trail Runners have expanded beyond weekly meet ups. Full moon runs bring the group together for evening outings followed by potlucks.

A smaller Friday morning run for women (“Women, enby, trans, gender expansive folks of all paces please come!”) meets for some fun, easy loops on the walking trail at UNM-Taos.

The group has also taken on a stewardship role. Through a partnership with the Enchanted Circle Trail Association, members volunteer on trail maintenance projects, including work on the San Cristobal Canyon Trail.

“We’re one of their adopted trail partners,” Cameron Little said, adding in 2025, the group logged the most volunteer hours of any partner organization.

For many runners, the group serves as a starting point. Some arrive with no racing ambitions at all. Others gradually build toward larger goals.

“There are people whose big goal is to do the Up & Over,” Aisha Little said.

Up & Over celebrates 20 years in 2026

Held each August at Taos Ski Valley, the Up & Over Trail Run has become one of the region’s most recognizable trail races. This year the race marks its 20th anniversary. The signature 10K course climbs more than 2,600 feet from the base of Taos Ski Valley to nearly 11,800 feet before descending through technical alpine terrain. To mark the anniversary, organizers are adding a new 20K race, increasing the elevation gain to roughly 4,700 feet.

The weekend also includes the VerticAL’s VertK and a youth fun run.

For Taos Trail Runners, the event is both a challenge and a gathering point.

“A lot of folks from our group participate,” Aisha Little said, noting that others volunteer if they’re not racing.

Despite Taos Trail Runners’ growth, the group has remained intentionally simple. There’s no formal membership, no required commitment and no cost to participate.

“It’s a social group more than anything else,” Cameron Little said.

For visitors to Taos, the group offers a way to experience the landscape firsthand.

Whether someone arrives looking for a training group, a social outlet or simply a reason to explore, the Taos Trail Runners offer an open invitation.

“People come for different reasons,” Cameron Little said.

And whatever their reasons, they keep coming back.

Check out @taostrailrunners on Instagram to connect with the trail runners.

Taos Trail Runners’ website features lists of trails with maps and elevation profiles, a calendar with weekly scheduled runs, plus the group’s work days on the San Cristobal Trail, taostrailrunners.com.

Climbing, mountain biking reveal a different side of famed mountain.

By Haven Lindsey

Many people think of Taos Ski Valley as a winter-only playground. Powder days, chairlifts and après-ski come to mind long before summer adventures. But once the snow melts, the mountain reveals an entirely different personality filled with cliffside climbs, quiet forest trails and a few surprises that many locals haven’t yet discovered.

It starts with two words: “via ferrata.”

Via ferrata, Italian for “iron way,” refers to climbing routes constructed of steel cables, metal rungs and suspension bridges permanently fixed into rock. These routes originated in the Italian Dolomites during World War I and have long been popular throughout Europe. In the United States, they remain relatively rare, making TSV’s route particularly notable: it ranks among the few routes in the southern Rockies and among the highest in North America.

The routes combine rock climbing and high-mountain hiking, letting beginners safely experience the thrill of moving across steep alpine cliffs while experts find plenty to challenge themselves. Nicole Ponte, a via ferrata guide, calls it a “challenge by choice.” Climbers of all abilities tackle the route at their own pace.

My climbing partner, Greyson, uses advanced techniques while I — a mere beginner whose climbing résumé tops out at ladders and hiking trails — move carefully from rung to rung. Yet we climb together and both experience a sense of accomplishment.

The adrenaline feels real. Step by step, I learn to trust the equipment, from grippy climbing shoes to carabiners and elasticized lanyards that act like shock absorbers. Standing on suspension bridges high above the valley delivers a mix of nerves and awe I hadn’t anticipated. Having skied these slopes before, I see the landscape in a new way — literally at my fingertips and beneath newly learned toeholds.

Most people travel out of state, or even out of the country, to try a via ferrata. In Taos, the adventure sits just a short drive up the mountain. A celebratory lunch (don’t skip the pretzel appetizer) at The Bavarian afterward marks the perfect conclusion to a morning of climbing.

But still the mountain offers more: mountain biking. While many riders head to nearby Angel Fire, TSV quietly offers green, blue and black trails. We start in the ski valley’s free skills park, testing our balance and technique on teeter-totters, elevated tracks and small jumps before heading out on full-suspension bikes, padded helmets in place.

Our guide, James Holmes, helps us warm up before we load our bikes onto the chairlift. Riding a bike where I normally ski feels unexpectedly mischievous. We zigzag through spruce and aspen, lean into berms, feel gravity’s pull and take in the stunning scenery. TSV’s one-way trail system allows us to gather speed and play without worrying about riders coming from the opposite direction. This rare yet intentional luxury makes the rides feel even more liberating.

After a morning of biking, we slow the pace with lunch in the village courtyard, as local legend Jimmy Stadler performs. Later, a massage at the Spa & Wellness Center at The Blake and a dip in the heated pool offer a perfect reset after two days of adventure.

Travelers can also end the day with dinner at 192 at The Blake, where new executive chef Claudio Cavalleri serves a thoughtfully curated menu in the hotel’s open-kitchen restaurant.

Whether you’re a local or a visitor, summertime in the ski valley offers the opportunity to experience a familiar place with fresh eyes and discover that the adventure doesn’t end when winter does. In many ways, it’s just beginning.

For information on pricing and hours for the via ferrata, mountain bike rentals, spa, live music schedules and more, visit skitaos.com.