The High Road to Taos: A Scenic Drive Worth the Detour

There are two ways to drive from Santa Fe to Taos. The quick one follows the Rio Grande. The other — the High Road — climbs into the Sangre de Cristo foothills through a string of old Hispanic villages, and it turns a 90-minute trip into an unforgettable afternoon.

Villages of weavers and woodcarvers

The road threads together Chimayó, Truchas, Las Trampas, and Peñasco — communities where families have woven wool and carved santos for generations. Roadside studios welcome visitors, and the work is the real thing.

The fast road gets you to Taos; the High Road makes you glad you came.

Mountain chapels

At Las Trampas, the 18th-century adobe church of San José de Gracia stands almost unchanged, one of the finest surviving colonial churches in the Southwest. It alone is worth the drive.

Autumn gold

Come late September and October, the aspens ignite across the high slopes and the whole route runs gold. Go slow, pull over often, and let the mountain light do its work.

Field notes

• Fuel up before you start — services are sparse up high.
• Studios keep irregular hours; part of the charm is the surprise.
• Peak fall color usually lands in the first half of October.

Arrive in Taos a little later than planned and entirely content — the High Road is one of those drives where the journey genuinely outshines the destination.