Taos area ride suggestions?

[Colorado Jeff]

Hello:

 

We'll be riding to Taos and will be coming from the north.  We'll ride through Chama, down to 64 and east to  Taos. 

 

I am looking for ride suggestions for one day around the Taos area.  Looking for a light day's ride, so under 200 miles 

 

We've ridden the circle around Taos Ski Valley (Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa, back to Taos) and we've done a route out west (High Road Scenic Byway to Pojaoque to Los Alamos (502,501), to 4 down to San Ysidro, north on 550 to Cuba, then 126 south to 4 and back to Los Alamos and High Road back to Taos.)

 

Thanks!

[mophead]

The road from Pagosa Springs, CO to Chama is a great ride if you are coming that way.  In Chama I usually head north on 285 toward Colorado state line then turn around and come back to Chama.  Great road.  If you go on to Alamosa it gets pretty boring and from Alamosa to Questa is really boring.  The highway from Taos to Eagle Nest is under construction just before you get to Eagle Nest so expect at least a 30 minute wait there.  Eagle Nest out toward Black Lake and then to Mora (434) is also under construction with a shorter wait but a good road to ride.  Highway 94 out of Mora around toward Panderies then back to Hwy 518 is a good motorcycle road.  Careful on the 20 mph curves.

Since you have been there before just guessing you made the road up to Taos ski valley?

Hwy 4 out of Bandlier to Jemez Springs is a great road but may be out of your distance for the day.  

If leaving Taos toward Sipapu take the old road to Espanola.  It runs along the mountain ridge and is a decent ride.  Haven't been on it for years so don't know the road condition at present.

[roadscholar]

On 7/10/2023 at 11:13 AM, Colorado Jeff said:

We'll be riding to Taos and will be coming from the north.  We'll ride through Chama, down to 64 and east to  Taos. 

 

Don't know which way you're getting to Chama but 17 is a nice road from Antonito, 64 is also scenic back over to 285.

[Dave_in_TX]

NM 518 down to Mora is nice. NM 434 from Mora to Angel fire I s also good.

[Colorado Jeff]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.  We've been on many of the suggested roads (84 south of Pagosa Springs to Chama, 64 east to  285, 17 to Antonito, highway 4 to Jimenez Springs) before and they're fun to sometimes great rides.

 

We ended up riding south on 518 to Mora (far more beautiful than we thought it would be), 434 north to Angel Fire, north to Eagle Nest, Red  River, Taos Ski Area (Der Garten restaurant is excellent) and back to Taos.

 

Appreciate the suggestions.