Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

NEW MEXICO LEGENDS

Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

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Enchanted Circle Logo

The most popular day trip in Northern New Mexico is the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. Circling Wheeler Peak, this 84-mile trip connects Eagle Nest, Angel Fire, Taos, and Red River. Mt. Wheeler is the tallest mountain in New Mexico, rising to an altitude of 13,161 feet. The drive offers spectacular scenery, rugged back country, mountain trails, camping facilities, streams, lakes and a peek at New Mexico's history.

From Eagle Nest, take US 64 southwest through the Moreno Valley where you are very likely to see vast herds of Elk peacefully grazing on the plains. To the west, just before you get to the road to Angel Fire, you will see Vietnam Veterans Memorial Chapel overlooking the southern end of the valley.

Enchanted Circle Map

Above Enchanted Circle Map courtesy Travel Books USA

Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Angel Fire, New Mexico

South of the chapel is the former town of Agua Fria, which was once home to a serial killer by the name of Charles Kennedy. His home, at the base of the Palo Flechado Pass was a rest stop where he enticed travelers into his home, stole their valuables, then murdered and buried them under his house. When he was discovered, Kennedy was killed by a lynch mob led by Clay Allison.

Just past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway 434 travels south from Highway 64 to the Village of Angel Fire. and the Angel Fire Four Seasons Resort. A busy ski resort during the winter, it also offers an 18-hole golf course for summer guests as well as continuing to operate it's chairlift for hikers, mountain bikers and sightseers during the summer.

After returning to US 64 you will travel over the high 9,101 foot Palo Flechado Pass and down into the Canyon of the Rio Fernando de Taos. There are picnic areas, campsites and many trails through the canyon. Taos Canyon is home to many artist studios which are open to visitors much of the summer and fall season. As you begin the descend the mountain into the valley the canyon provides a spectacular view of the sage covered mesa and the distant San Juan at the southern end of Taos.

You can spend at least a whole day just in Taos, which provides visitors a world of varied experiences. Visit Taos Pueblo, an ancient living Indian village that has stood unchanged for centuries. Or, explore historic Taos Plaza and its side streets. Many of the old adobe buildings that now house shops and galleries were once the homes of some of Taos' leading citizens - Kit Carson, among them.

You can set off on a mountain trail on skis, horseback, bike or your own two feet. Or ride the bucking Rio Grande in a raft or kayak. With four seasons and five life zones, your recreational options are wide open. The Native American, Spanish, and Anglo cultures are proudly preserved through art and architecture, music and dance, and food and festivals for all to enjoy throughout the year.

Traveling north from Taos the highway crosses the great alluvial apron at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which rise 5,600 feet above the volcanic plateau. Stretching north into Colorado the Sangre de Cristos, Spanish for the blood of Christ, are one of the youngest mountain ranges in America.

The Taos Pueblo in 1936.

This image available for photographic prints

and downloads HERE!

Rio Grande Gorge

The Río Grande Gorge is a short drive west on U.S. 64 but well worth the side trip. The Río Grande passes some 650 feet below the highway. Pedestrian walkways on either side of the bridge allow you to look directly down into the yawning chasm.

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