A long weekend in tantalizing Taos, New Mexico

If you’re a parent, you know how busy May can be. 

Graduation ceremonies, pool parties and banquets clash with dress-up days, yearbook signings and field trips to create a packed, ink-stained calendar that’s nearly impossible to navigate. By the time the 31st rolls around, we could all use a vacation. 

A few years ago, my family started a tradition of escaping to Taos, New Mexico, in early June each year to celebrate the start of summer. Here, we swap harried carpool runs and late-night soccer practices with meandering hikes and lingering front-porch evenings, when wisps of white-gray clouds swirl into the transitioning oranges, pinks, and purples of sunset to create vistas that are truly otherworldly. 

Nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico and boasting 300 days of sunshine a year, Taos offers an ideal summer destination full of natural wonders and a high desert climate that keeps things cool and comfortable. Visitors can explore stunning rustic landscapes perfect for every type of adventure, from water activities on the Rio Grande to scenic hiking of all levels as well as plenty of al fresco dining.

Here are some ideas for spending a long weekend in tantalizing Taos, New Mexico.

Taka a hike

Given that Taos is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and has an elevation of 7,000 feet, it’s no surprise that it is home to a host of memorable hikes that reward elite hikers and novice families alike with sweeping tree-studded, cloud-dotted vistas. During our visits, my family has become accustomed to starting each day with a two- to three-hour hike, a tradition that we have all come to cherish thanks to the opportunity it affords to soak in the natural beauty of this incredible place. 

Taos Ski Valley offers a variety of hikes in summer. Kristin Finan photo

Our favorite hike is Williams Lake Trail, which starts at the Kachina Basin at Taos Ski Valley, a fully operational ski resort that welcomes 300 inches of annual snowfall and offers 1,294 acres of skiable terrain each winter season and transitions into a hiking and biking playground each summer. A 3.8-mile out-and-back hike, Williams Lake Trail winds its way through wildflower-blanketed alpine meadows and towering spruce forests before delivering hikers to Williams Lake, a stunning and serene alpine lake surrounded by the dramatic peaks of the Sangre de Cristos.

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When doing this hike during our visits in May and June, we’ve frequently encountered small, unobtrusive patches of snowmelt, which always delight my kids. Once back to Kachina Basin, be sure to enjoy apres-hike on the sun-drenched patio at the Bavarian, a European alpine lodge offering tall steins of German beer, Bavarian specials such bratwurst and wiener schnitzel, and more traditional fare including giant pretzels and fry baskets. 

Another of our favorite hikes is the El Salto de Agua Cañoncito trail, located adjacent to Taos’ Arroyo Seco district, a picturesque 200-year-old village that’s home to a variety of shops, restaurants, and art studios. This moderate 4-mile out-and-back hike twists and turns its way past babbling mountain streams complete with makeshift log bridges, towering aspen and evergreen trees, and sweeping mountain vistas. 

Bring cash to purchase a day pass for $5 and be sure to sign a liability waiver before you head out on the trail. Once you’re finished, head into Arroyo Seco to grab a bite, do some shopping, or treat yourself with a scoop or two at Taos Cow, which is famous for its all-natural, premium ice cream. 

Tour Taos Pueblo

Another highlight of our most recent visit to New Mexico was touring the Taos Pueblo, a Native American community and UNESCO World Heritage Site that has existed in Taos for more than a thousand years. Here, you can take a tour to learn about the inner workings of the community, from the annual 25-mile trek residents make to the sacred mountaintop Blue Lake to how the sunbaked mudbricks — comprised of clay, straw, water, and sand — are created and incorporated into the pueblo’s adobe facade. One highlight of the tour for me was viewing the interior of the stunning San Geronimo Chapel, which was completed in 1850 and now holds regular Catholic masses. We also enjoyed shopping for handcrafted art, jewelry and souvenirs and trying out Taos Pueblo staples including the piping-hot, saucer-sized fry bread, which my kids smothered in honey and powdered sugar and promptly devoured. 

Taos Pueblo has been part of the local community for more than a thousand years. Kristin Finan photo

Get down to Earth(ships)

Sure, let’s keep Austin weird, but can we agree to keep Taos weird, too? Over the past few decades, Taos has become known as an eclectic arts community, and no place is that on better display than at the Taos Earthships, a sustainable off-grid community that’s powered solely by solar and wind energy. 

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Located northwest of Taos, the 600-acre Greater World Earthship Community showcases self-sufficient dwellings made entirely from recycled materials that are meant to be one with nature and give residents the opportunity to truly unplug. Visitors to the community can take a tour in the visitor center that covers everything from how the rooftop water catchment system operates to common materials used to build the Earthships. Want to learn more? You can even stay the night at an on-site Earthship to experience the “off-the-grid life” for yourself. 

Learn about Earthships in Taos, N.M. Kristin Finan photo

Traverse the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

If the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge — which, at 650 feet, is the second highest bridge on the U.S. Highway System — looks familiar to you, it probably should. It’s been featured in multiple movies and TV shows, including “Terminator Salvation,” “Natural Born Killers,” and “Wild Hogs.”

On an average day, though, you can simply park and walk across it to experience some of the most incredible views of the deep cliffs and rushing river below. Constructed in the 1960s and now the fifth highest bridge in the entire United States, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is not for the faint of heart, however, as the height, wind and rushing traffic can at times make for an unsettling traverse. Prefer something a little calmer? There is also a beautiful walking trail along the rim of the gorge that leaves from the parking lot on the west side of the bridge.

Sample traditional New Mexican cuisine 

Unsurprisingly, one of the main reasons to visit Taos is to eat, and this little town is brimming with excellent options. We love Orlando’s for traditional New Mexican cuisine such as chile rellenos, blue corn enchiladas and tamales, and for its frosty beverages ideally enjoyed on the colorful patio. Taos Mesa Brewing has expanded to two iconic locations in Taos — “The Mothership,” known for live music and state-of-the art brewing facilities, and Taos Tap Room, located in the heart of the town.