High Road to Taos
3.8(31)yelp
ArtHistoric TownRoad TripScenic Lookout
Overview
The 56-mile (90 km) High Road to Taos is a scenic, winding road through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Santa Fe and Taos. (The "Low Road" runs through the valleys along the Rio Grande). It winds through high desert, mountains, forests, small farms, and tiny Spanish land grant villages and Pueblo Indian villages.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration4-6 hours
Best TimeThis legendary 56-mile scenic scenic byway peaks layout-by-layout from mid-September to mid-October during peak autumn foliage. Cruise the winding mountain asphalt between 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM on a clear day; bright high-desert sun perfectly front-lights the historic 18th-century adobe mission churches tucked inside centuries-old Spanish weaving villages.
Getting ThereThis route spans the majestic mountain highways of NM-503, NM-76, and NM-75 winding northeast out of Santa Fe to Taos. A car is completely essential: the scenic drive ribbons through high-altitude pinon deserts and valleys, featuring clearly marked, asphalt-paved historic roadside pulling points and public church lots designed for convenient photography.
Travel Tips
- This 56-mile mountain corridor features endless blind hairpins and unfenced edges; completely avoid night driving, and rigs over 30 feet face extreme tail-swing risks.
- Historic montane villages along the route lack brand-name service plazas; tank up completely before leaving the city limits of Santa Fe or Taos.
- Shaded mountain asphalt creates expansive sheets of transparent black ice during winter melts; expand following distances twofold and avoid jerky braking.
Reviews
Positive
- A premier scenic byway drive in America! Winding through alpine crests, red canyons, and historic centuries-old Spanish adobe mountain hamlets.
- The road flanks exceptional multi-generational native weaving studios and wood-carvers (Santos), offering incredibly rich cultural interaction.
- Historic churches like Las Trampas are beautifully solemn, supported by free scenic pull-outs and basic restrooms for smooth driving convenience.
- An authentic scenic voyage away from commercial freeways into raw southwest peace; every mile lives up to its promise and requires zero cost.
Heads up
- The scenic route comprises narrow single lanes, sharp blind curves, and steep grades; some exposed segments lack guardrails, spiking driver anxiety.
- Commercial infrastructure is highly lagging along the byway; gas stations or modern marts are absent for miles, requiring self-reliant prep.
- Local artisan home galleries operate on highly unpredictable, casual schedules, and a lack of clear signs makes navigation feel like a guessing game.
- Winter blizzards routinely leave the road unplowed as it holds lower clearing priority than major freeways, resulting in hazardous black ice grids.