Heliotrope House Guidebook
Sightseeing
Short, relatively flat hiking trail with beautiful gorge views and wildlife as well as petroglyphs
la Vista Verde trailhead
Short, relatively flat hiking trail with beautiful gorge views and wildlife as well as petroglyphs
A unique place to soak, sauna, and explore the surrounding hills full of unique geology. Take the trail from the campground up the hill to the mica mine!
173 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa
50 Los Banos DriveA unique place to soak, sauna, and explore the surrounding hills full of unique geology. Take the trail from the campground up the hill to the mica mine!
Easy walk from the John Dunn bridge. Natural pool along the Rio Grande.
19 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Black Rock Hot Springs
Easy walk from the John Dunn bridge. Natural pool along the Rio Grande.
Famous pools along the Rio Grande featured in the film Easy Rider. Trail from John Dunn bridge is 2.5 miles one way- mostly bouldering along the edge of the river, requires good physical condition to navigate. Worth the trek but not an easy trail.
26 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Manby Hot Springs
Famous pools along the Rio Grande featured in the film Easy Rider. Trail from John Dunn bridge is 2.5 miles one way- mostly bouldering along the edge of the river, requires good physical condition to navigate. Worth the trek but not an easy trail.
Not just a ski resort! In the summer, take the chair lift to the top and explore a unique alpine forest! Great escape from the heat on warmer days. Pro Tip- start early in the day to avoid afternoon thunderstorms during monsoon season.
240 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Taos Ski Valley
116 Sutton PlaceNot just a ski resort! In the summer, take the chair lift to the top and explore a unique alpine forest! Great escape from the heat on warmer days. Pro Tip- start early in the day to avoid afternoon thunderstorms during monsoon season.
The north section of the Rio Grande National Monument is known as Wild Rivers. Located about 45 minutes from Heliotrope House, this is a must see on your trip to northern New Mexico. It's a less populated section of the monument with lots of trails and vistas. The loop road around the visitor center has great bike lanes!
Check out their website for events as they have star parties at multiple times throughout the year with El Valle Astronomers. Highly recommended!! The park is working to make the area a dark sky sanctuary. Visitor center is open Thursday through Sunday and is the best place for maps of the area.
19 personas del lugar lo recomiendan
Wild Rivers Visitors Center
1120 NM-378The north section of the Rio Grande National Monument is known as Wild Rivers. Located about 45 minutes from Heliotrope House, this is a must see on your trip to northern New Mexico. It's a less populated section of the monument with lots of trails and vistas. The loop road around the visitor center has great bike lanes!
Check out their website for events as they have star parties at multiple times throughout the year with El Valle Astronomers. Highly recommended!! The park is working to make the area a dark sky sanctuary. Visitor center is open Thursday through Sunday and is the best place for maps of the area.
Hiking
The Slide trail extends from the Rio Grande Gorge near Pilar to Ranchos de Taos. It can be an out and back hike or a loop if you add in some of the trails that connect with it. From the gorge, it's a gentle incline for a couple of miles. Great option for winter hiking but you might want yak-traks or cramp-ons in places because it gets kind of icy. The trail used to be a rather precarious road that was finally decommissioned in the 90s after a major rock slide... hence the name of the trail.
The Slide Trail lower trailhead
The Slide trail extends from the Rio Grande Gorge near Pilar to Ranchos de Taos. It can be an out and back hike or a loop if you add in some of the trails that connect with it. From the gorge, it's a gentle incline for a couple of miles. Great option for winter hiking but you might want yak-traks or cramp-ons in places because it gets kind of icy. The trail used to be a rather precarious road that was finally decommissioned in the 90s after a major rock slide... hence the name of the trail.
Consejos sobre la ciudad
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Living at 7000’
If you’re not accustomed to living at high elevation, there’s a few things to consider when traveling to the high desert. Heliotrope House is at approximately 7000’ in elevation. If you travel here by plane, we suggest taking a day to acclimate once you’ve arrived. Just rest that first day and drink plenty of water. If you arrive by car, you’ll acclimate much quicker. But walking the same distance you regularly do at lower elevations may feel different here. In any case, the most important thing is to pay attention to your body. Drink plenty of water. Cannot emphasize this enough!
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Bring sun protection!
There’s a reason why the sun (Zia) symbol is everywhere in New Mexico- the sun is intense here! Even though the light is truly enchanting, sunburn and dehydration can happen fast. Sun protective clothing is necessary. And always carry water wherever you’re going.
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Geology highlight- Harding Pegmatite Mine- UNM
Truly an amazing place to visit! Now owned by the university of New Mexico, this mine is located near Dixon, about 45 minutes away from the casita. You’ll need to go to their website and complete their waiver and instructions before the day you’d like to visit. https://eps.unm.edu/research/harding/index.html It’s totally worth it! Amazing place!
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Taos Farmers’ Market
Saturday morning during the growing season at Taos Plaza. Impressive amounts of beautiful locally grown goods in the heart of Taos.
Cómo moverse
Don’t rely on google or cell service
Roads are rough. Cell service is spotty. GPS and maps are really the best option if you’re heading out off the highway here.
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Bring sturdy shoes
You'll need just one pair to keep your feet from getting poked- there's many pokey things in the high desert, e.g. tumbleweed, rocks, small cacti that are not always obvious.
Otherwise, bring your slip-ons and/or flops and enjoy the freedom :)