rock climbing

Taos: a basalt, granite, and conglomerate paradise in northern New Mexico

The Rio Grande Gorge features several rock climbing locations with panoramic desert vistas. The Sangre de Cristo (blood of Christ) mountain range features sweeping thousand-foot granite cliffs and forested hiking trails along rivers and streams. Twenty-seven miles west of town, Tres Piedras (three rocks) has some of the most pristine beginner climbing terrain in the country.

This is classic Southwestern climbing, a multi-cliff zone that’s also an area of cultural interest.

Season: Year-round. Hit the sunny, sheltered Rio Grande Gorge on winter mornings (most cliffs face east) or on afternoons in the warmer months. In high summer, find cooler temps at Tres Piedras, Questa Dome, El Rito, and Comales Canyon.