Taos Area

Bat Cave finish. Andrewburr.com Photography

Town of Taos and Surrounding Area 

Taos, "the Place of the Red Willow" in the native Tiwa of the Pueblo Indians, has long been the rendezvous of the Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains and of the various cultures that call this region home. The Spanish referred to it as "Remote Beyond Compare" and it is for that reason it has remained to this day, unspoiled. Artists since have gathered at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo to take advantage of the high desert light and how it plays along the peaks and down into the Rio Grande Rift valley. Georgia O'Keefe, Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Dorthea Lange and fellow Taos artists had an affection for the "Taos Light" and the extraordinary diversity of landforms and cultures in northern New Mexico.

Taosenos enjoy a diverse topography spanning from the basalt crags of the Rio Grande Gorge (John Dunn Bridge Area, Dead Cholla Wall, Miner's Crag, Utopian Vistas, Vista Verde Crag, Wild and Scenic, from about 5500 to 7000 ft) to the pristine granite of Tres Piedras or Questa Dome, the metamorphic rocks of Comales Canyon (up to 10,000 ft.) and the cobble conglomerate of El Rito all within a reasonable drive from one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the U.S. Bring your sense of adventure and independence (as well as your rack, rod, boat, bike and skis/board) and get lost in the expanse. Gradual development and expansion of local crags has added a variety of new sport and trad pitches in the area surrounding Taos.

Disclaimer: As Lew Wallce once said: "Every calculation based on experience elsewhere, fails in New Mexico", and that may be doubly true for Taos. (Therefore climbing is dangerous, BETA is just that, use your own judgement, blah, blah ...). Oh, and if you are wondering, "Taos" rhymes with "house".

Jay Foley working "Letting Go" 12c in the Bat Cave, Vista Verde near Taos Submitted By: Mike Howard on Jun 12, 2009

Local Climbing Resources 

Guide Service - Mountain Skills http://climbingschoolusa.com/index.html
Shops- Taos Mountain Outfitters http://www.taosmountainoutfitters.com/ or Mudd N Flood 134 Bent Street Taos, NM 87571 (505)751-9100
Guidebook: Taos Rock: Climbs and Boulders of Northern New Mexico. Author:Jay Foley Publisher: Sharp End Publishing, 2005
and/or Rock Climbing New Mexico (Regional Rock Climbing Series) by Dennis Jackson

Taos Mountain Film Festival

Cycling Resources

Getting to Taos 

From Albuquerque: I-25 to Santa Fe; exit on 599 north to by-pass Santa Fe; Hwy. 285 to Hwy. 68 to Taos.
From Arizona: I-40 WEST to Albuquerque; I-25 to Santa Fe; Hwy. 285 to Hwy. 68 to Taos.
From Denver: I-25 to Colorado Springs to Walsenburg; Hwy. 160 to Fort Garland; Hwy. 159 and Hwy. 522 to Taos.
From Texas: I-40 EAST to Albuquerque; I-25 to Santa Fe; Hwy. 285 to Hwy. 68 to Taos.

Driving Distances / Approximate Times to Taos

Albuquerque 135 mi. / 2:15
Amarillo 302 mi / 5:00
Dallas 682 mi / 11:00
Denver 300 mi / 5:00
Durango 208 mi / 3:30
Phoenix 568 mi / 8:30
Santa Fe 72 mi / 1:15

The Classics

Featured Route For Taos Area

(01) Blockbuster 5.12  NM : Taos Area : ... : 4. Afterburner Face

Climb broken overhanging face to thin moves above....[more]   Browse More Classics in NM

Photos of Taos Area Slideshow

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Andrew Burr Photography

Taos Pueblo Photo courtesy of andrewburr.com. All...