The Enchanted Circle

With fall just around the corner, the Enchanted Circle is the perfect fall adventure through peaks, canyons, and wild country. Here’s what waits along the way:

1. Questa

A northern outpost surrounded by wilderness, Questa is a launch point for hikes into the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the backcountry of the Sangre de Cristos.

2. Red River Ski Area

When the snow hasn’t yet fallen, Red River’s ski slopes turn into high-elevation trails. Fall chairlift rides give you sweeping views of aspens and peaks few ever see from the ground.

3. Red River

Framed by mountains on all sides, Red River is a basecamp for fishing, hiking, and backroad exploring. In autumn, every canyon road leads to a wall of color.

4. Baldy Mountain

At 12,441 feet, Baldy dominates the northern skyline. Climbers and backpackers know it as a challenging trek, but even from the highway, it stands as a reminder of the wild country ahead.

5. Eagle Nest

A mountain village perched in the Moreno Valley, Eagle Nest offers quick access to trails, Eagle Nest Lake State Park, and views that stretch to Baldy and Touch-Me-Not peaks.

6. Cimarron Canyon

Sheer rock walls rise above the Cimarron River, where trails slip into side canyons lined with aspens. Anglers and hikers know this stretch as one of the most dramatic in New Mexico.

7. Eagle Nest Lake

Set at 8,200 feet, this alpine lake mirrors the mountains and their golden slopes. Bring a fishing pole and try to reel in a pike or two!

8. Vietnam Veteran Memorial

Built in Angel Fire, this stark, white chapel and hillside memorial offer a quiet moment in the middle of the mountains!

9. Angel Fire Resort

Before ski season, Angel Fire’s trails and lifts open up high ridgelines where aspens spill down the slopes. It’s a place to see the whole valley from above.

10. Angel Fire

Surrounded by ridges and high meadows, Angel Fire is the center of Moreno Valley adventure. Trails, overlooks, and backroads connect in every direction.

11. Taos

Taos mixes old and new, but outside town the adventure includes trails into Carson National Forest, rafting on the Rio Grande, and views of Wheeler Peak glowing with fall color.

12. Taos Pueblo

This thousand-year-old community is built of earth and sky. Visiting feels less like stepping into history and more like entering a living tradition in the mountains.

13. Arroyo Seco

A small village tucked at the base of Taos Ski Valley, Arroyo Seco is a pause before climbing into the high country. The cottonwoods and aspens are the perfect fall view.

14. Taos Ski Valley

At nearly 10,000 feet, this alpine basin is surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the state. Trails climb into gold-drenched aspens, while Wheeler Peak looms above.

15. Wheeler Peak

The tallest mountain in New Mexico at 13,161 feet, Wheeler is the ultimate adventure in the Enchanted Circle.

16. Arroyo Hondo

Quiet and tucked away, Arroyo Hondo hides hot springs, trails, and riverside cottonwoods. It’s an off-the-map kind of place that rewards those who linger.

17. Rio Grande Gorge

The earth splits open west of Taos, where the Rio Grande runs far below the steel bridge. The wind up here is sharp, the views endless, and the canyon a reminder of the raw power that carved this land.

Fall in the Enchanted Circle is an invitation to step into the mountains before the first snows fall. Every mile of the loop hints at more trails, more peaks, and more adventures waiting just off the road.