Enchanted Circle (New Mexico)
The Enchanted Circle is a 84 mile (2 hour) highway loop around the tallest mountain in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak. It includes the historic town of Taos and lots of outdoor and cultural opportunities. While researching the many campgrounds, I did not find good information, so I post this webpage with some photos to better explain some of the camping opportunities.
Capulin campground on US 64 about 7 miles east from Taos (toward Angel Fire). The elevation is 8000 feet and has mixed conifer trees. Has vault toilet. May not have running water (did not see the water valve in use). Next to small creek, the Rio Fernando. (A trout was caught with bare hands.) It has around 11 campsites some large enough for 5+ tents. A trail at the last campsite leads about 0.5 miles up to the "ice cave" waterfall. There was no place to pay. It is federal land in the Carson National Forest. The road noise starts early in the morning as it is next to the highway. (At about 8 miles from Taos is the La Sombra campground too also right off the highway.)
Capulin campground
Capulin campsite
Capulin campsite
"ice cave" trail
Capulin campground sign
Las Petacas campground. (We did not stay here.) This is 4 miles from Taos on US 64 (east toward Angel Fire). The elevation is 7400 feet and has less conifers.
9 miles south of Taos on the Highway 518 at milepost 66.4 is the closed Pot Creek pueblo. The gate was locked and it appears that the cultural site has been abandoned as the toilet, parking lot, picnic areas, and pueblo restoration, etc., is not maintained. There is a loop trail starting at the parking lot (but park at road and walk to it). The pueblo is said to be the largest pueblo (with 800 rooms and 200 dwellings) north of Santa Fe.
Sangre de Cristo Mountains with Wheeler Peak.
Cuchillo De Medio Campground on highway 150. 13 miles northeast of Taos via NM 522 and 150 (through the little village of Arroyo Seco) toward Taos Ski Valley and Wheeler Peak. We did not stay there, it was very messy, looked like a bear ravaged some camp gear and food. It had a few RVs jammed in between the trees. It is on the Rio Hondo creek.
Cuchilla campground. This is off the loop on highway 150 to Taos Ski Valley in the mountains. It is a large conifer forest. It is on the Rio Hondo creek. A very small campground without any defined numbered campsites. Basically just a pull out off the highway. It has maybe four fire pits and a couple picnic tables. A secret campground is across the creek (wade through the cold water). It has no water and has one vault toilet. We camped here for a few nights. No where to pay. Along this route up the mountain there were even smaller car pullouts for camping.
sign for Cuchilla campground
creek and rope swing
campground
Trail to Wheeler Peak. The shorter hike begins at the hikers parking lot near the Bavarian bar at Taos Ski Area. This is steep drive up above the main Taos Ski Valley. Walk the gravel road toward the Kachina ski lift and then past it on the trail.
from the trail
We didn't hike to the top of the peak, but at 11000 feet descended down to Williams Lake, a small, shallow alpine lake. It has a campsite a few minutes from the backside with a simple waterfall.
West off the Enchanted Circle is the Rio Grande Gorge at the bridge on US 64. It has water, picnic facilities, some vendors, at the rest stop. We saw bighorn sheep. A couple minutes past that is the Earthship Biotecture World Headquarters.
Taos Cow ice cream parlor on Highway 150 iin Arroyo Seco.
The north section of the Enchanted Circle is highway 38. This is the town of Red River, on the way there are some larger campgrounds including many RV sites..
Red River
The northeast section of the Enchanted Circle drive drops in elevation quickly toward the area known as Eagles Nest (which is north of Angel Fire).
Back on US 64 leaving the Enchanted Circle east toward Philmont Scout Ranch. (About 28 miles and less than 45 minutes.) Several camp areas along the highway in Cimarron Canyon State Park.