Top Weekend Getaways
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| Red River and Angel Fire, along northern New Mexico's Enchanted Circle, offer fresh air delights like hiking and mountain biking. |
Fresh Air Escape
Destination: The Enchanted Circle
What to bring: bike-tire pump, Keen hiking sandals, organic gel for dreadlocks
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.
In New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle, you’ll feel you can truly breathe more deeply—even if many of the towns along this route are perched at an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet. The sparsely populated and scenically stunning Enchanted Circle wends from Taos up N.M. 522 to Questa, around to Red River along N.M. 38, through Eagle Nest, to Angel Fire along U.S. 64. The route encircles the Taos Mountains, whose apex is snowcapped 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak—New Mexico’s tallest. Even driving this route is a delight—the road clings to each canyon curve and steals through the Moreno Valley, with its sweeping views of grassy meadows and mountain passes. But with these wide-open spaces calling, you won’t want to stay in the car for long.
Begin in Red River, a mountain town with a proud frontier temperament. With your CamelBak pack full, you can hit a number of trails in the area perfect for day hikes or multiday excursions. If the whole family is in tow, try Goose Lake Trail, along which wildflower-filled meadows regularly turn up, providing the perfect setting for a picnic lunch. If your agenda includes bagging a summit, take an epic hike up Wheeler Peak. Following the East Fork Trail, you’ll have a slow, steady climb that gains 3,961 feet. It’s possible to complete the eight-mile round trip in a day, but if you prefer a more leisurely pace, camp overnight on the shores of Horseshoe Lake.
You can also pitch a tent in the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, outside Taos. Choose from developed campsites along the Río Grande Gorge, or primitive river campsites in the canyon. Here, as you sip your cup of Joe in morning’s gentle light, you’ll be able to stand at the confluence of two nationally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Red River and the Río Grande.
Next, head to Angel Fire, an outdoor-sports mecca and a small town known for its sophistication, to mountain-bike some gonzo (i.e., awesomely treacherous) terrain. Angel Fire Resort’s trails gained recognition when it hosted the 2005 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, and since then the resort has only continued its reign—thanks to the Chile Challenge Mountain Bike Festival, which hit the dirt there in June. When you visit, the Chile Express chairlift will cart you and your bike up the plus-2,000-foot hill, from the top of which you can careen down drops, jumps, and obstacles along one of their seven downhill trails—just be careful not to involuntarily dismount. For a tamer descent, try the Combi trail—or, for an extreme ride, try the World Cup Downhill trail. And, for the more endurance-minded, the Resort maintains four cross-country trails.
There are opportunities for fishing, horseback riding, and jeep excursions in each community, as well as in others in the area. No matter where you are in the Enchanted Circle, there’s truth in its advertising—it truly is an enchanting place. So go ahead—breathe in.
If You Go: Red River, www.redriver.org; Wild Rivers Recreation Area, off N.M. 378, www.blm.gov; Angel Fire Resort, off N.M. 434, www.angelfireresort.com—Ashley M. Biggers
