Río Grande del Norte National Monument

Beautiful views, always see big horn sheep here. A great place to hike and camp also just a great place to drive through and stop at the viewpoints. Gift shop is cute too. Beware if you're afraid of heights!

What an incredible view- from the side, from the bridge and trail. Absolutely breathtaking.

Small hike to the hot spring. Not an easy hike you must be agile. Good for a morning or afternoon visit.

Beautiful place to hang out with the family. Good place to fish, BBQ or just hang out in the water.

Absolutely beautiful place. We stayed at the El Aguaje campground. There's a trail that is about 3/4 miles. Some parts are steep, and the trail isn't as well maintained as some of the others. But it is an awesome trail. Didn't get a chance to check out the other trails, but I can't wait to go back. The Volunteers and Rangers were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Somewhere on the cliffs. There is a simple pile of sticks. Looked like they were blown there by a breezy uplift . In those simple piles of sticks will arise a ravenously, beautiful raptor. The sight will always pass the meter on the spectacular. Eagles,hawks, and falcons are always so amazing to see. But always remember to let them be..... As the beauty of Mother Nature is so easily succumbed & surrendered by the never-ending delema of human penatration.

A must stop location if your are traveling through. Great parking, easy walk to the bridge. The views are stunning. It is a perfect place to stop for 30 minutes and take it all in. Plus, every time you go there is a different look and feel to the canyon.

Beautiful canyon, gorgeous sunsets, ample space for dispersed camping (several spaces with firepits). If you're going to camp, you may need a 4wd vehicle to access some of the best sites. Oh, and pay attention to signage, there are several places you're not allowed Near where I camped there was a (probably decades-old) vehicle over the cliff-edge. Fun to find and take a look at, but don't be the next unfortunate soul to go over the edge

Rio Grande Del Norte is vast-there are many different areas to explore and various corners of this national monument that range from moderately trafficked to fairly remote. Taos.org has a great summary page of the different areas. https://taos.org/explore/landmarks/rio-grande-del-norte-national-monument/ I had done some further research after this overview and opted to visit the Wild Rivers area in the morning and the Rio Grande Gorge area later in the day after lunch back in Taos. Wild Rivers is about 50 minutes from Taos but a scenic drive. Once you are in the public lands, the scenery gets more and more amazing. In the Wild Rivers area, there's a visitor center (currently only open on weekends), a scenic byway with overlooks, campgrounds and hiking trails that take you down to the river. I opted to do the trail to Big Arsenic Springs. The byway was very well signed and there's day use parking that does have a self paid fee. Since it's a BLM administered park (federal) you can instead display your America the Beautiful National Parks pass. Amazing scenery of the river and surrounding canyons along the petroglyphs towards the end of the Big Arsenic trail. The hike I opted for was short (2.5 miles but with an 800 ft elevation gain on the way back up from the river.) The park does an amazing job maintaining the trails and the well graded switchbacks made it a pleasant hike. On the drive out, after my hike, I stopped at other scenic view points. Later in the day, I visited another section of the park, closer to Taos where you can walk across and take in vistas of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. If you're visiting Taos and love the outdoors, a visit to this park is a must. It's quieter than your typical national parks with fewer amenities but still an awe inspiring outdoor adventure (without the crowds!)

We took an hour walk on the West Rim Trail that's part of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument while visiting the Rio Grande bridge in late May 2023. The trail starts right at the parking lot and it's beautiful. Gorgeous views of the river too. Many bunnies that day.

First you gotta ask yourself: can I hike the 3.6 mile round trip to see one of the most spectacular vistas in a state known for spectacular vistas? If so, park and walk straight on the Traders's trail route to the park bench and soak it all in. Very easy trail with almost no elevation. If your really prepared you'll have your trail bike! Wish I did!

Río Grande del Norte National Monument-While I was in Amarillo at a hotel in the back parking lot.  I said hello to a Latino indigenous looking person.  We both had a cup of coffee in our hands and He said he was on a coffee break and I said I was getting ready to travel. He noticed my Iowa plates  and asked me where I was headed. I told him I was gonna go to Albuquerque but I had an extra day and I was thinking about going going to Santa Fe. And he said that at this time of year I should take an extra day and go up into Red River New Mexico. He said the foliage was probably just starting to peak. Also said that the mountain town probably wasn't crowded and I should visit the national monument while I was there. He told me he was originally from that area. I told him I would check it out and thanked him.   A good reminder that there's always good people out there. So I stayed at Red River, a wonderful mountain town.  Enjoyed a the wonderful meal that night at bistro and then breakfast at an old school diner. So I made my way to Río Grande del Norte National Monument.        I traveled through the Wild River entrance of the park And went as far as I could go. To see beautiful views from LA junta point...(junction in Spanish?) It's the convergence of the Red River and the real Grand River.    I wouldn't If have made it to the end without the kindness of a construction staff member because the visitor center was closed. He noticed my Iowa plates and said he'd been to Iowa. He actually escorted me to the unmarked Junction it was all dirt roads that there were reconditioning and Is called a pilot car to take me to the end of the road to La Junta point. Another decent kind person worth mentioning. It was bitterly cold so I didn't spend a lot of tit's a lot of time just made some photographs and tyeast and then went on my way. In summer and warmer weather  there is Whitewater rafting. The whole area is a premier fly fishing spot.  All along the Red River and a  section of the Rio grande is a   a designated protected wild river. Supposedly some petroglyphs down to the but the trails down into river valley were closed.  I also didn't have any information on any other petrographs that were more accessible. But the views were outstanding.  Finishing that I'm decided to I'm decided to do some leaf peeping and go the long way around on on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway.    So met some good kind people out there,  And as a result of their kindnesses saw some really cool things. This is a hidden gem and worth the visit