Active Pursuits

Taos County's 2,200 square miles embrace a great diversity of scenic beauty, from New Mexico's highest mountain, 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak, to the 650-foot-deep chasm of the Rio Grande Gorge. Carson National Forest, which extends to the eastern city limits of Taos and cloaks a large part of the county, contains several major ski facilities as well as hundreds of miles of hiking trails through the Sangre de Cristo Range.

Recreation areas are mainly in the national forest, where pine and aspen provide refuge for abundant wildlife. Forty-eight areas are accessible by road, including 38 with campsites. There are also areas on the high desert mesa, carpeted by sagebrush, cactus, and, frequently, wildflowers. Two beautiful areas within a short drive of Taos are the Valle Vidal Recreation Area, north of Red River, and the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, near Questa. For complete information, contact Carson National Forest, 208 Cruz Alta Rd. (tel. 505/758-6200), or the Bureau of Land Management, 226 Cruz Alta Rd. (tel. 505/758-8851).

Ballooning

As in many other towns throughout New Mexico, hot-air ballooning is a top attraction. Recreational trips over the Taos Valley and Rio Grande Gorge are offered by Paradise Hot Air Balloon Adventure (tel. 505/751-6098). The company also offers ultra-light rides.

The Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, P.O. Box 3096 (tel. 505/751-1000), is held each year in late October.

Biking

Even if you're not an avid cyclist, it won't take long for you to realize that getting around Taos by bike is preferable to driving. You won't have the usual parking problems, and you won't have to sit in the line of traffic as it snakes through the center of town. If you feel like exploring the surrounding area, Carson National Forest rangers recommend several biking trails in the greater Taos area. Head to the West Rim Trail for a scenic and easy ride. To reach the trail, travel US 64 to the Taos Gorge Bridge, cross it and find the trailhead on your left, or head south on NM 68 for 17 miles to Pilar; turn west onto NM 570. Travel along the river for 6 1/4 miles, cross the bridge, and drive to the top of the ridge. Watch for the trail marker on your right. For a more technical and challenging ride, go to Devisadero Loop: From Taos drive out of town on US 64 to your first pullout on the right, just as you enter the canyon at El Nogal Picnic Area. To ride the notorious South Boundary Trail, a 20-mile romp for advanced riders, contact Native Sons Adventures (below). Native Sons can arrange directions, a shuttle, and a guide, if necessary. The U.S. Forest Service office, 208 Cruz Alta Rd. (tel. 505/758-6200), has excellent trail information. Also look for the Taos Trails map (created jointly by Carson National Forest, Native Sons Adventures, and Trails Illustrated) at area bookstores.

Bicycle rentals are available from the Gearing Up Bicycle Shop, 129 Paseo del Pueblo Sur (tel. 505/751-0365); daily rentals run $35 for a mountain bike with front suspension.

Annual touring events include Red River's Enchanted Circle Century Bike Tour (tel. 505/754-2366) on the weekend following Labor Day.

Fishing

In many of New Mexico's waters, fishing is possible year-round, though, due to conditions, many high lakes and streams are fishable only during the warmer months. Overall, the best fishing is in the spring and fall. Naturally, the Rio Grande is a favorite fishing spot, but there is also excellent fishing in the streams around Taos. Taoseños favor the Rio Hondo, Rio Pueblo (near Tres Ritos), Rio Fernando (in Taos Canyon), Pot Creek, and Rio Chiquito. Rainbow, cutthroat, German brown trout, and kokanee (a freshwater salmon) are commonly stocked and caught. Pike and catfish have been caught in the Rio Grande as well. Jiggs, spinners, or woolly worms are recommended as lure, or worms, corn, or salmon eggs as bait; many experienced anglers prefer fly-fishing.

Licenses are required, of course, and are sold, along with tackle, at several Taos sporting-goods shops. For backcountry guides, try Deep Creek Wilderness Outfitters and Guides, P.O. Box 721, El Prado, NM 87529 (tel. 505/776-8423 or 505/776-5901), or Taylor Streit Flyfishing Service, 405 Camino de la Placita (tel. 505/751-1312; www.streitflyfishing.com).

Fitness Facilities

The Taos Spa and Tennis Club, 111 Dona Ana Dr. (across from Sagebrush Inn; tel. 505/758-1980; www.taosspa.com), is a fully equipped fitness center that rivals any you'd find in a big city. It has a variety of cardiovascular machines, bikes, and weight-training machines, as well as saunas, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, a steam room, and indoor and outdoor pools. Classes range from yoga to Pilates to water fitness. In addition, it has tennis and racquetball courts. Therapeutic massage, facials, and physical therapy are available daily by appointment. Children's programs include a tennis camp and swimming lessons, and babysitting programs are available in the morning and evening. The spa is open Monday to Friday 4am to 9pm; Saturday and Sunday 7am to 8pm. Monthly memberships are available for individuals and families, as are summer memberships and punchcards. For visitors, there's a daily rate of $12.

The Northside Health and Fitness Center, at 1307 Paseo del Pueblo Norte (tel. 505/751-1242), is also a full-service facility, featuring top-of-the-line Cybex equipment, free weights, and cardiovascular equipment. Aerobics classes are scheduled daily (Jazzercise classes weekly), and there are indoor/outdoor pools and four tennis courts, as well as children's and seniors' programs. Open weekdays 6am to 9pm, weekends 8am to 8pm. The daily visitors' rate is $11.

Golf

Since the summer of 1993, the 18-hole golf course at the Taos Country Club, 54 Golf Course Dr., Ranchos de Taos (tel. 800/758-7375 or 505/758-7300), has been open to the public. Located on Country Road 110, just 6 miles south of the plaza, it's a first-rate championship golf course designed for all levels of play. It has open fairways and no hidden greens. The club also features a driving range, practice putting and chipping green, and instruction by PGA professionals. Greens fees are seasonal and start at $49; cart and club rentals are available. The country club has also added a clubhouse, featuring a restaurant and full bar. It's always advisable to call ahead for tee times 1 week in advance, but it's not unusual for people to show up unannounced and still manage to find a time to tee off.

The par-72, 18-hole course at the Angel Fire Resort Golf Course (tel. 800/633-7463 or 505/377-3055) is PGA endorsed. Surrounded by stands of ponderosa pine, spruce, and aspen, at 8,500 feet, it's one of the highest regulation golf courses in the world. It also has a driving range and putting green. Carts and clubs can be rented at the course, and the club pro provides instruction. Greens fees range from $47 to $89.

Hiking

There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails in Taos County's mountain and high-mesa country. The trails are especially well traveled in the summer and fall, although nights turn chilly and mountain weather may be fickle by September.

Free materials and advice on all Carson National Forest trails and recreation areas can be obtained from the Forest Service Building, 208 Cruz Alta Rd. (tel. 505/758-6200), open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm. Detailed USGS topographical maps of backcountry areas can be purchased from Taos Mountain Outfitters, South Plaza (tel. 505/758-9292).

One of the easiest hikes to access is the West Rim Trail, aptly named because it runs along the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. Access this 9-mile-long trail by driving west from Taos on U.S. 64, crossing the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and turning left into the picnic area. The 19,663-acre Wheeler Peak Wilderness is a wonderland of alpine tundra, encompassing New Mexico's highest peak (13,161 ft.). A favorite (though rigorous) hike to Wheeler Peak's summit (15 miles round-trip with a 3,700-ft. elevation gain) makes for a long but fun day. The trail head is at Taos Ski Valley. For year-round hiking, head to the Wild Rivers Recreation Area (tel. 505/770-1600), near Questa.

Trail Closures -- The drought that has spread across the Southwest in recent years has caused the U.S. Forest Service to close trails in many New Mexico mountains during the summer in order to reduce fire hazard. Before you head out in this area, contact the Carson National Forest (tel. 505/758-6200).

The sage meadows and pine-covered mountains around Taos make it one of the West's most romantic places to ride. Taos Indian Horse Ranch, on Pueblo land off Ski Valley Road, just before Arroyo Seco (tel. 505/758-3212), offers a variety of guided rides. Open by appointment, the ranch provides horses for all types of riders (English, Western, Australian, and bareback) and ability levels. Call ahead to reserve and for prices, which will likely run about $85 for a 2-hour trail ride.

Horseback riding is also offered by Rio Grande Stables, P.O. Box 2122, El Prado (tel. 505/776-5913; www.lajitasstables.com/taos.htm), with rides taking place during the summer months at Taos Ski Valley. Most riding outfitters offer lunch trips and overnight trips. Call for prices and further details.

Hunting

Hunters in Carson National Forest bag deer, turkey, grouse, band-tailed pigeons, and elk by special permit. Hunting seasons vary year to year, so it's important to inquire ahead with the New Mexico Game and Fish Department in Santa Fe (tel. 505/476-8000).

Ice-Skating & Skateboarding

If a latent Michelle Kwan or Brian Boitano dwells in you, try your blades at Taos Youth Family Center, 406 Paseo del Cañon, 2 miles south of the plaza and about 3/4 mile off Paseo del Pueblo Sur (tel. 505/758-4160). The rink is open daily from early November thorough mid-March. Call for hours. Skate rentals are available for adults and children. Admission is $4. Also at the center is an in-line-skate and skateboarding park, open when there's no snow or ice. Admission is free.

Jogging

The paved paths and grass of Kit Carson Park provide a quiet place to stretch your legs.

Llama Trekking

For a taste of the unusual, you might want to try letting a llama carry your gear and food while you walk and explore, free of any heavy burdens. They're friendly, gentle animals that have keen senses of sight and smell. Often, other animals, such as elk, deer, and mountain sheep, are attracted to the scent of the llamas and will venture closer to hikers if the llamas are present.

Wild Earth Llama Adventures (tel. 800/758-LAMA [5262] or 505/586-0174; www.llamaadventures.com) offers a "Take a Llama to Llunch" day hike -- a full day of hiking into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, complete with a gourmet lunch for $89. Wild Earth also offers a variety of custom multiday wilderness adventures tailored to trekkers' needs and fitness levels for $125 per person per day. Children under 12 receive discounts. Camping gear and food are provided. On the trips, experienced guides provide information about native plants and local wildlife, as well as natural and regional history of the area. The head guide has doubled as a chef in the off season, so the meals on these treks are quite tasty. El Paseo Llama Expeditions (tel. 800/455-2627 or 505/758-3111; www.elpaseollama.com) utilizes U.S. Forest Service-maintained trails that wind through canyons and over mountain ridges. The llama expeditions are scheduled May to mid-October, and day hikes are scheduled year-round. Gourmet meals are provided. Half-day hikes cost $64, day hikes $84, and 2- to 8-day hikes run $249 to $989.

River Rafting

Half- or full-day white-water rafting trips down the Rio Grande and Rio Chama originate in Taos and can be booked through a variety of outfitters in the area. The wild Taos Box, a steep-sided canyon south of the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, offers a series of class IV rapids that rarely let up for some 17 miles. The water drops up to 90 feet per mile, providing one of the most exciting 1-day white-water tours in the West. May and June, when the water is rising, is a good time to go. Experience is not required, but you will be required to wear a life jacket (provided), and you should be willing to get wet.

Most of the companies listed run the Taos Box ($99-$112 per person) and Pilar Racecourse ($40-$52 per person for a half-day) on a daily basis.

I highly recommend Los Rios River Runners in Taos, P.O. Box 2734 (tel. 800/544-1181 or 505/776-8854; www.losriosriverrunners.com). Other safe bets are Native Sons Adventures, 1033-A Paseo del Pueblo Sur (tel. 800/753-7559 or 505/758-9342; www.nativesonsadventures.com), and Far Flung Adventures, P.O. Box 707, El Prado (tel. 800/359-2627 or 505/758-2628; www.farflung.com).

Safety warning: Taos is not the place to experiment if you're not an experienced rafter. Do yourself a favor and check with the Bureau of Land Management (tel. 505/758-8851) to make sure that you're fully equipped to go white-water rafting without a guide. Have them check your gear to make sure that it's sturdy enough -- this is serious rafting!

Rock Climbing

Mountain Skills, P.O. Box 206, Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 (tel. 505/776-2222; www.climbingschoolusa.com), offers rock-climbing instruction for all skill levels, from beginners to more advanced climbers who would like to fine-tune their skills or just find out about the best area climbs.

Getting Pampered: The Spa Scene

Taos doesn't have the spa scene that Tucson and Phoenix do, but you can get pampered at Taos Spa and Tennis Club.

If you'd like to stay at a spa, El Monte Sagrado, 317 Kit Carson Rd. (tel. 800/828-TAOS or 505/758-3502; www.elmontesagrado.com), and Casa de las Chimeneas, 405 Cordoba Rd. (tel. 877/758-4777 or 505/758-4777; www.visittaos.com), offer a variety of treatments to their guests.

Snowmobiling and ATV Riding

Native Sons Adventures, 1033-A Paseo del Pueblo Sur (tel. 800/753-7559 or 505/758-9342), runs fully guided tours in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Rates run $64 to $150. Advanced reservations required.

Swimming

The Don Fernando Pool, Civic Plaza Drive at Camino de la Placita, opposite the Convention Center (tel. 505/737-2622), admits swimmers over age 8 without adult supervision.

Tennis

Taos Spa and Tennis Club has four courts, and the Northside Health and Fitness Center has three tennis courts. In addition, there are four free public courts in Taos, two at Kit Carson Park, on Paseo del Pueblo Norte, and two at Fred Baca Memorial Park, on Camino del Medio, south of Ranchitos Road.