The Enchanted Circle: Taos, Red River and Eagle Nest
A mountain loop around Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest summit, with a Rio Grande gorge overlook, an old mining town and an alpine lake.
- Distance
- 113 km (70 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 15 min
- Suggested days
- 2
- Stops
- 8
- States
- NM
- Updated
- May 17, 2026
At a glance: 2-day road trip of about 113 km (70 mi) with 8 stops, from Taos to Angel Fire. About 1 h 15 min of driving in total.
More road trips in New Mexico
Route description
The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway is a loop of about 135 km around the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Taos. Head north on NM-522 across the sagebrush mesa, passing the turn for the D.H. Lawrence Ranch. At Cerro, turn west on NM-378 for about 20 km to Wild Rivers, where overlooks look down on the meeting of the Rio Grande and Red River. The campgrounds on the rim are simple and quiet.
Back on NM-522, Questa is a small village with a historic church, a closed molybdenum mine and fuel. From here the byway turns east on NM-38 up the Red River canyon, past campgrounds by the water. Red River is an 1890s gold-mining town turned ski and summer resort, with a Western-style main street, RV parks and trails into the high country.
NM-38 climbs east over Bobcat Pass at almost 3,000 m, a steady grade that is fine for RVs in summer but can be icy in winter. It drops into the wide Moreno Valley at Eagle Nest, a small town beside a lake. Eagle Nest Lake State Park has a visitor center, fishing and a view of Wheeler Peak; elk graze in the meadows at dusk.
Follow US-64 south along the valley to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park, with its chapel on a hill, and then to Angel Fire, a ski resort town with golf, mountain biking and lodging. To close the loop, take US-64 west over Palo Flechado Pass and down Taos Canyon, about 40 km back to Taos. Allow a full day for the circle, longer if you want to hike.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Taos
NM - 235 km
Wild Rivers Recreation Area
ViewsQuesta, NMOverlooks at the confluence of the Rio Grande and Red River, within Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Paved roads, campsites and trails dropping into the gorge.
- 310 km
Questa
NM - 420 km
Red River
NM - 526 km
Eagle Nest
NM - 62 km
Eagle Nest Lake State Park
NatureEagle Nest, NMA high-country lake at 2,500 m in the Moreno Valley below Wheeler Peak. Good for elk sightings at dusk; the visitor center is just south of Eagle Nest village.
- 716 km
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
HistoryAngel Fire, NMA chapel and museum built by the parents of a Marine officer killed in 1968, one of the first memorials of its kind in the country. It stands beside US-64 above the Moreno Valley, with easy parking.
- 84 km
Angel Fire
NM
FAQs
How long is The Enchanted Circle: Taos, Red River and Eagle Nest?
2-day road trip of about 113 km (70 mi) with 8 stops, from Taos to Angel Fire. About 1 h 15 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for The Enchanted Circle: Taos, Red River and Eagle Nest?
We suggest 2 days: about 1 h 15 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does The Enchanted Circle: Taos, Red River and Eagle Nest start and end?
It starts in Taos and ends in Angel Fire.
Which states does The Enchanted Circle: Taos, Red River and Eagle Nest pass through?
New Mexico.
