rio grande del norte national monument

This place is beautiful. Have spent many days hiking, hunting, fishing and taking pictures in this area. Wildlife abounds and stellar vantage points are to be beheld everywhere. A real treasure for solitude and magnificent grandeur. A must visit. Note. This is a large area and makes it's own weather. Be prepared for anything. Mud can be bad and snow deep. Keep water, a hat and sunscreen with you and a powerbar or beef jerky when out for a hike for extended periods. Unparalleled beauty :)

Smaller than the Grand Canyon and exponentially less tourists! One of the newest, if the newest National Monument in the US as of March 2013, the topography and scenery is stunning. We saw a River Otter! A first for us and we hike, travel, explore all over the world. Didn't get to see the famed Big Horn Sheep, maybe next time or on another adventure elsewhere, but they are reported to be plentiful. We also saw several Golden Eagles and other Birds of Prey, Elk, Mule Deer, and Antelope.Very beautiful, rugged, scenic and fun place to hike even in cold December. Especially in cold December with the new snowfall!

An amazing drive with incredible views of the Rio Grande's confluence with another river that have carved a canyon for eons. Shelters, tables, bathrooms, and walking trails to get the best vistas.

From petroglyphs to Big Horn sheep to hiking trails to rafting or just watching the river slide by. We are so lucky to have this treasure in our back yard and now protected for the generations yet to come. Come visit and be enchanted.

On the recommendation of the local Taos outdoor/backpacking store, we packed our rental car and headed to the park with map in hand. We did several day hikes, our favorite being the hike (La Junta Trail) down to the confluence of the Red River and Rio Grande rivers. Wow! What a spectacular area. Wether you are the driving tour type, or serious backpacking camping type, this area has some amazing stuff for both. We will return to camp in this area - the numerous campgrounds with small well kept sites and numerous trails with amazing views of the Rio Grande Gorge will bring us back. Wow.

We loved this out of the way site. $3 per car, just off the Enchanted Circle. So many outstanding views. We saw snakes, rabbits, Tarantula - mountain goats. Perfect hidden treasure.

After crossing over the Rio Grand Gorge from the heights of a modern bridge, gasping at the view, bending over into the gusts of a northwestern rim, and wondering at the leaderless herd of goats we climbed back into the SUV. Who knew abut this vista. Then we drove to Western Rim Road, bearing easterly over the mesa, scattered with small households. We were following the rim from a distance as the northerly outlined the mountains as if they were layers of negatives on a glass plate. Suddenly, the road became gravel and hair pin terms succeeded one another downward. There were squeals in the backseat and white knuckles on the wheel. When we crossed the river once more, we were on a vintage bridge, barely 20 feet above the slippery, slitherling river heading toward the sun. I snapped some photos and tipped my fingers into the river...a new memory.

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is worth visiting - a vast and open area of sagebrush, a few peaks, parts of the Rio Grande Gorge, ancient pictographs (if you know where to go) and some interesting tiny little lakes that can offer some good birding if there is enough water. there is a lot of off-road, so bring a good map and a 4-wheel drive vehicle of some sort.

The Rio Grande del norte National Monument has a winding road that follows the canyon rim, with several overlooks. It is only $3 per car for a day visit. There are numerous hiking trails down into the canyon (which is steep), and the park has picnic areas and a ranger station/bookshop. There were few people visiting the day we were there. An enjoyable day out with nature.

This park is the perfect place to escape the crowds of nearby tourist towns. It's has really well maintained trails down into the Rio Grange gorge, steep, but with little waterfalls and petroglyphs at the bottom, it makes for a great 3hr hike roundtrip. The camp sites up on the rim, or even down by the river looks like some of the prettiest in the world.