Taos in Winter: Powder, Pueblo & Hot Springs

The Drive Into Taos

If you're driving from Santa Fe, take the High Road to Taos (NM-503 to NM-76 through Chimayó and Truchas) instead of the low road along the Rio Grande. It's an hour longer but takes you through centuries-old Spanish Colonial villages, mountain forest, and adobe churches that look like they've grown directly from the earth. The famous Santuario de Chimayó is a 10-minute stop if you want one of New Mexico's most powerful sacred sites along the way.

If you're coming from ABQ, the approach up NM-68 through the Taos Junction Bridge gives you your first glimpse of the Rio Grande carved into the mesa — a preview of the gorge you'll visit this afternoon.

The Off-Grid Village That Exists on Another Planet

Drive 15 minutes west on US-64 and you'll find yourself in one of the strangest, most visionary places in America. The Greater World Earthship Community is a collection of off-grid sustainable homes built by architect Michael Reynolds starting in the 1970s — constructed from earth-packed car tires, recycled aluminum cans, and glass bottles set in rammed earth walls, these homes generate their own electricity from solar panels, harvest rainwater, grow food in interior greenhouse corridors, and maintain a stable 70°F temperature year-round without any utility connection.

From the road they look like something from a fever dream — curved organic forms rising from the mesa, tire walls stacked in geometric patterns, windows glinting in the high desert sun. The visitor center offers self-guided and guided tours of a model Earthship ($10 entry for self-guided, ~$25 for guided). February sees minimal crowds. If you want to sleep in one, they rent out several Earthships as vacation rentals — but they book far in advance. The architecture will rewire how you think about buildings.

650 Feet Over Nothing — The Taos Landmark

Continue just 3 more miles west on US-64 to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. You'll see it before you feel it: the bridge spans a sudden, dramatic crack in the mesa — as if the earth simply split open without warning. Park at the pullout (free, just west of the bridge) and walk across. The gorge drops 650 feet straight down to the Rio Grande below. Looking upstream toward the north, the canyon walls stretch into a perfect V of sculpted basalt. Looking downstream, the Rio Grande winds south through the Sangre de Cristo foothills.

In February, you may see snow dusting the basalt canyon walls, and the late afternoon light turns the mesa golden-orange. This is one of the great views in the American Southwest, and it costs exactly nothing. The bridge is 1,272 feet long, the eighth-highest bridge in the United States, and utterly vertiginous. Peer over the railing if you dare — the river looks like a thin blue thread far below.

The Heart of Taos After Dark

Return to town and take a slow walk around the Historic Taos Plaza — a Spanish Colonial central square surrounded by galleries, shops, and restaurants that have been trading here for centuries. The old mercantile buildings now house galleries featuring Taos Society of Artists work, Native American jewelry, and contemporary Southwest art. The Kit Carson Home & Museum is right on Kit Carson Road, two blocks from the Plaza — the restored 1825 adobe home of the famous mountain man is worth a quick walk-by even if it's closed (free exterior view).

Bent Street, just north of the Plaza, is Taos's gallery row — even in February several galleries are open until 6–7pm. This is where Taos established itself as an art colony in the early 1900s, and the tradition continues. Browse freely.

Orlando's New Mexican Cafe or El Pueblo Cafe

Orlando's New Mexican Cafe on Don Juan Valdez Lane is the quintessential Taos dinner spot — a local family restaurant, no frills, massive portions of red and green chile enchiladas, tamales, and posole that will immediately orient you to the flavors of northern New Mexico. "Christmas" (both red and green chile on the same plate) is the correct order. Cash and card accepted, closes around 9pm.

Alternatively, El Pueblo Cafe near the Plaza is beloved for its breakfast-all-day menu and green chile huevos rancheros — a perfect easy dinner after a long drive-in day.

18 Miles of Winding Canyon Road

Leave your lodging by 7:30–8am to arrive at the mountain before the lifts open at 9am. The drive up NM-150 to Taos Ski Valley winds through the Rio Fernando de Taos Canyon — a dramatic climb through old-growth forest with views of the Wheeler Peak massif opening up as you gain elevation. The ski valley sits in a natural bowl at 9,207 feet, surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks. In February, this canyon road is typically plowed and well-maintained, but AWD and good tires are essential.

Buy your lift ticket online in advance (skitaos.com) to save time and potentially money. If you need rentals, the ski valley has well-stocked rental shops at the base of the mountain — high-performance ski and boot rentals available. Arrive early to get fitted before the line builds.

13,000 Feet of New Mexico Powder

Taos Ski Valley is not a beginner mountain — it has the highest percentage of expert terrain of any major American resort. The Kachina Peak area (accessed by the Kachina Peak lift, at 12,481 feet) is the crown jewel: a series of steep, open chutes that collect the driest, lightest powder in the Rockies. West Basin Ridge, Highline, and the legendary Al's Run (the infamous black diamond straight shot visible from the base area that defines the mountain's character) are the benchmark runs.

If you're an intermediate skier, the Ernie Blake Chairlift area serves long, groomed blue runs with stunning views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The mountain is large enough that you can spend a full day exploring without running the same trail twice. The high elevation and dry New Mexico air means snow conditions in February are typically excellent — cold, champagne powder that doesn't ice up the way Colorado resorts do.

The Bavarian Restaurant or Whistlestop Cafe

Take a mid-morning or lunch break at The Bavarian — an authentic Bavarian-style lodge tucked into the trees on the lower mountain, serving house-made sausage platters, schnitzel, and German-style beers. It's not what you expect to find in New Mexico and it's all the more delightful for it. The terrace is the place to be on a sunny February day, with skis stacked outside and steam rising from coffee cups.

For a quicker option, the Whistlestop Cafe at the base village serves solid green chile burgers, soups, and sandwiches. Either way, build in a 45-minute lunch break — your legs will thank you for the rest at altitude.

Make Every Last Lift Count

Push through until the lifts close at 4pm — on a good February day, the late afternoon light turns the snow golden and the mountain thins out as families head in early. Some of the best powder stashes get skied out during peak hours and re-accumulate in the trees by late afternoon. Explore the glades off Kachina and the lower mountain steeps if you're feeling it.

Après-ski in the base village: the Martini Tree Bar at the Edelweiss Lodge is the classic first stop — ski boots on the bar, cold drinks, and the whole mountain reflected in the windows. Or warm up at the hot tub at The Blake before driving back down to Taos for dinner.

The Love Apple or Lambert's of Taos

The Love Apple on Frontier Road is one of Taos's most beloved dinner spots — a farm-to-table restaurant inside a historic adobe chapel, with a menu built around locally-sourced New Mexican ingredients, wood-fired dishes, and an excellent wine list. It's intimate and warm, perfect for a solo diner at the bar. Dinner only; book ahead.

Alternatively, Lambert's of Taos on Bent Street is the classic Taos dinner institution — approachable fine dining in a restored 1834 adobe, with lamb, game, and fresh fish alongside a thoughtful wine program. Both are excellent post-ski dinners when you want something a step above casual.

The Oldest Continuously Inhabited Community in North America

Taos Pueblo is extraordinary — and that word is inadequate. The multi-story adobe structures of the North House (Hlauuma) and South House (Hlaukwima) have been continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years. Families live here today, in the same buildings, following traditions that predate Columbus by six centuries. About 150 people live inside the Pueblo walls year-round (the larger tribal community numbers about 1,900), and you walk through on a guided tour led by tribal members.

The Pueblo opens at 8am. Arrive early — not because it gets crowded in February, but because morning light on the adobe walls is sublime. Your guide will walk you through the central plaza, explain the significance of the structures (each house is thought to represent the different floors of the universe in Tiwa cosmology), introduce you to residents selling pottery and fry bread from their doorways, and describe how the Pueblo has resisted and adapted over ten centuries of contact with Spanish colonizers, the US Army, and the modern world. The story of Taos Pueblo is the story of Indigenous persistence.

The San Geronimo Chapel inside the Pueblo is a 1850 reconstruction of the 1619 church destroyed by the US Army in 1847 (during the Taos Revolt). The ruins of the original church, just outside the walls, are one of the most striking sites in the Southwest. Photography is permitted in designated areas with a permit included in admission.

Georgia O'Keeffe Painted It. Ansel Adams Photographed It.

Drive 4 miles south of the Plaza to Ranchos de Taos and stop at the San Francisco de Asis Church — one of the most photographed buildings in America. The massive, rounded adobe buttresses of the church's rear facade are what O'Keeffe painted multiple times, what Adams captured in landmark black-and-white prints, and what you've seen in a hundred southwestern art contexts without knowing where it was from. In person, it's bigger and more primordial than any reproduction suggests. Built from 1776 to 1816, with walls three to four feet thick, the church feels grown rather than constructed. The adjacent plaza and graveyard complete one of the Southwest's most complete Spanish Colonial settings.

Geothermal Mineral Pools Since Before the Spanish Arrived

Drive 45 minutes south on NM-68 and US-285 to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs — one of the oldest health resorts in the United States, operating on the same sacred springs the Pueblo people revered long before Spanish explorer Coronado visited in 1598. The springs produce five distinct mineral waters, each with different properties: Iron (the most famous — reddish, high in iron, believed to increase vitality), Soda (naturally sparkling, CO2-rich), Lithia (with natural lithium, historically associated with calm), Arsenic (don't let the name scare you — trace arsenic in hot springs has been used therapeutically for centuries), and Sodium (the hottest pool, deeply relaxing).

A day soaking pass gets you access to all the outdoor pools. In February, soaking outdoors in 105°F mineral water while steam rises into cold desert air and the Jemez Mountains form the horizon is one of the most extraordinary sensory experiences New Mexico offers. Book ahead at ojospa.com — day passes sell out on weekends.

Back in Taos: Michael's Kitchen or Taos Diner

After the drive back from Ojo Caliente, you'll want something hearty and casual. Michael's Kitchen on Paseo del Pueblo Norte is Taos's all-day diner — green chile stew, enchiladas, New Mexican breakfast platters, apple pie, and strong coffee in a warm, boothy space that feels like it's been there forever (because it has, since 1974). Open late. The posole is your post-soak salvation.

Free Wild Springs on the Rio Grande — 10-Minute Hike Down

Drive about 9 miles south of town on NM-68 to the Black Rock Hot Springs trailhead (there's a small dirt pullout on the right, just past the Taos Junction Bridge area). A short, steep trail descends about 10 minutes into the Rio Grande Gorge, bringing you down to riverside pools where geothermal water seeps directly out of the canyon walls into natural pools. The pools maintain about 100–105°F. The Rio Grande rushes past just feet away. The basalt canyon walls rise hundreds of feet on both sides.

Unlike Ojo Caliente, this is free, primitive, and clothing-optional (though clothing is fully fine in February). It's a local secret that every Taos regular knows and loves — you may have the place to yourself on a Sunday morning in winter. Bring a dry bag for your clothes, water, and a towel. The hike down is easy; the hike back up will warm you up quickly in the cold air.

The Southwest's Great Small Art Museum

Return to town and stop at the Millicent Rogers Museum on Museum Road, about 4 miles north of the Plaza. This is one of the Southwest's finest collections — centered on the legacy of Millicent Rogers, a Standard Oil heiress and fashion icon who discovered Taos in 1947 and proceeded to assemble one of the greatest private collections of Native American and Spanish Colonial art in existence. Her collection forms the core of a museum that now holds over 7,000 objects: Pueblo pottery, Navajo textiles, Hopi kachinas, Rio Grande weaving, Spanish Colonial santos and retablos, and a remarkable archive of Maria Martinez black-on-black San Ildefonso pottery.

In February the museum is quiet — maybe 20 people total. Take your time with the gallery on Maria Martinez, the world's most celebrated Pueblo potter. The collection of her work (and her descendants') is the best anywhere. The museum shop is exceptional for authentic, fairly-priced Native American art if you want to bring something home.

The Street That Launched an Art Colony

Ledoux Street, one block south of the Plaza, is where the Taos art colony took root. The Blumenschein Home & Museum at 222 Ledoux Street was the residence of Ernest Blumenschein, who co-founded the Taos Society of Artists in 1915 — a group of painters who came to the high desert and never left, producing the body of work that put Taos on the world art map. The home is preserved as it was during Blumenschein's tenure, with original paintings, Spanish Colonial furniture, and the sense that the household only just stepped out.

Beyond the museum, Ledoux Street itself and the blocks around it still host active studios and galleries. In February the pace is slow and artists are often in their studios — it's the best time to actually talk to a gallerist without tourist-season distraction.

Elevated Coffee + Bean or Trading Post Cafe

Elevated Coffee at the Taos Inn (next to the Adobe Bar) is the perfect final stop — excellent espresso drinks, freshly made breakfast burritos and pastries, and a warm spot to sit and reflect on the weekend before the drive back south. The Trading Post Cafe on NM-68 in Ranchos is a local favorite for a proper farewell lunch: New Mexican and Italian fusion, killer green chile pasta, and a relaxed vibe that makes leaving Taos appropriately difficult.