Along your drive, you'll find lots of places for a nice picnic, but pick up your meal (or snacks) before you leave Taos, especially if you're visiting during spring or fall shoulder seasons, when many places along the drive may be closed.
Leave Taos going north on US 64/NM 68. This 80-mile drive takes about 2 hours with no stops.
On the north edge of Taos is the Taos Pueblo. Here you'll find a community continuously inabited for over 1,000 years, built in a distinctive multi-storied style.
About four miles north of Taos, US 64 turns west. If you have time, make a short side trip to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, seven miles west of the intersection of US 64 and NM 522. At 650 feet above the river below, it's one of America's highest bridges. Stop at the small parking area just before you get to the bridge and walk out onto it, or park on the opposite side near the rest area. Gather your courage at mid-span, look down and wave at the rafters floating below, and take advantage of the rest area facilities before you get back on the road.
Return on US 64 to NM 522 and head north where a range of high mountains rises parallel to the road. The tallest of these often-snow-capped peaks is Wheeler Peak.
At San Cristobal Road is the D. H. Lawrence Shrine, where the English author wrote in the 1920s. Lawrence's ashes were returned here when he died, and the shrine is open daily.
The dark scar on the mountains to the east was caused by the Hondo Fire of 1996, which destroyed almost 8,000 acres of national forest.
Red River Fish Hatchery offers self-guided tour of the show pond and its large rainbow trout, as well as several trout raceways.
At Questa, the Enchanted Circle turns onto NM 38 east (a right turn) into the mountains. The brightly colored storefront facing the highway is Artesanos de Questa an artist's cooperative showcasing local woodworkers, tinsmiths, painters, stained glass workers and sculptors.
The large mine and mill on the left belongs to Molycorp. It produces molybdenum, a steel-hardening agent and lubricant.
Red Riveris the largest town on the Enchanted Circle. It's a ski resort in winter and popular in summer popular for fishing and nearby guest ranches. This town has an old west theme, complete with saloons and a melodrama theater.
Past Red River, watch for elk and other wildlife between Bob Cat Pass and Eagle Nest Lake, a place popular for its trout and landlocked salmon fishing, and a favorite of windsurfers who skim across its surface.
Five miles north of Eagle's Nest and south of the highway is Elizabethtown. Established in 1870 after a gold strike, it was New Mexico's first incorporated town, with at least seven saloons and three dance halls. Today, a few crumbling buildings remain, along with a general store and a museum.
Turn west (right) onto NM 64 to get back to Taos.
Angel Fire is another winter ski area that offers summer golf, hiking and mountain biking.
Near Taos, the road twists through a canyon where many local artists live and work. Information about them is available in the little town of Shady Brook.
Getting to the Enchanted Circle
From Taos, drive north US 64/NM 68. The loop drive returns to downtown Taos.From Santa Fe, take US 285/84 north to NM 68 to Taos, or follow the High Road.
