Villages, churches & pueblo · New Mexico

The High Road to Taos day trip

The High Road to Taos

A loop from Santa Fe up the High Road through the old Hispanic mountain villages: the pilgrimage chapels of Chimayó, Truchas on its ridge below the peaks, the 18th-century adobe church at Las Trampas, lunch on Taos Plaza, an afternoon at Taos Pueblo, and the Rio Grande Gorge before the river road home, with the visitor rules, closures and opening days that catch first-timers.

Time: 10–10½ hour day
Driving: About 4½ hours of driving in a loop
Best time: May to October; best mid-September to October
Updated: October 15, 2026 at 6:15 PM Pacific

$4 USD

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The twin wooden belfries and buttressed adobe walls of San José de Gracia church at Las Trampas, with weathered crosses in the dry grass of the churchyard under a pale sky — Larry Mills · CC BY 2.0. November 2021 photograph; resized and displayed with crop.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

9:00 amEl Santuario de Chimayó
10:20 amTruchas
11:10 amLas Trampas: San José de Gracia
12:30 pmTaos Plaza
1:45 pmTaos Pueblo
3:50 pmRio Grande Gorge Bridge
4:30 pmDrive back to Santa Fe by the Low Road

Highlights

Worth the trip

The pilgrimage chapels and holy dirt of Chimayó
Las Trampas' 18th-century adobe church on the High Road
Taos Pueblo, lived in for more than 1,000 years

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

The whole loop is high: Santa Fe and Taos sit near 7,000 feet, Truchas around 8,000, and NM 518 climbs higher over the pass near Peñasco. From May to October days are usually sunny and warm, with strong sun at altitude and cool mornings; in September and October, mornings can be near freezing and afternoons mild and clear. In July and August, afternoon thunderstorms build over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, bringing lightning, brief heavy rain and sometimes hail. The gorge rim is open sagebrush with no shade and is often windy. From November to April, expect cold, possible snow on the High Road and early dark. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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