2017 Map of Taos SW

About this map

Ranchos de Taos sits at the northeastern edge of this high-desert plateau, where traditional irrigation is marked by the Acequia Llano Quemado. The landscape is dominated by the dramatic descent into the Cañon del Rio Grande, a deep basalt gorge where the Rio Grande meets the Rio Pueblo de Taos. This confluence area, featuring the Rock Garden and Lower Taos Canyon, was a historical point of transit and access, evidenced by The Slide (Old 570). To the south, the terrain rises into the Carson National Forest and the Picuris Mountains, a region carved by seasonal drainages like Arroyo Hondo and Tierra Amarilla Canyon. A dense network of paths, including the Anthony S. Armijo Trail and La Gijosa Trail, traces the old routes between the river valley and the high timber.