The High Road from Taos

At the southern end of Taos, cars rushed ahead. Then they pulled off as we clicked off a few miles. Clearly they weren’t headed to the High Road. We were. The High Road has no harrowing drops or narrow passages. The ride proved quite gentle. 

A few overlooks give glimpses into the green mountains that roll to the east. Only a few New Mexico peaks rise above the treeline. The only one visible from the High Road is Truchas Peak, which has three peaks and is the southernmost feet to cross 13,000 feet in the U.S. 

The towns on the High Road are among the oldest Spanish settlements in New Mexico, towns most people never cross. Most of the villages were founded under Spanish royal land-grant villages in the 1700s, with some intended as buffers against incursions from Comanches raiding from the east. Usually, the villages had fortified plazas to protect against raids. 

Most people drive the High Road up from Santa Fe. It is the High Road to Taos. But heading from Taos to Los Alamos it offers an alternative to the low road, which follows the Rio Grande south. Plus, I could count on one hand the number of southbound cars. 

 There are several Native pueblos along the High Road, but we didn’t have time for the Nambe Pueblo or the others after spending a full morning around the Taos Pueblo. Early on, the High Road passes through Penasco, what passes for a metropolis along the High Road. 

Church of San José de Gracia

One of the more notable was Las Trampas. The village was founded by 12 families in the 1750s and seems to have the same population in 2023. But the small town also houses a famous church, Church of San José de Gracia, that dates to 1760 and receives annual repairs to its adobe. 

A little building of businesses that included signs for the Taste of Trampas and a Tiendita (little store) had seen better days. I suspect the taste of Tramps would be mighty good, given how well New Mexico’s unique cuisine usually presents itself. We passed a group of 20-some people hiking along the road. With much of the High Road inside national forest, it seemed like a fine way to go; they could hike off the road and camp when they felt ready for the night. Still, they seemed undersupplied. Eventually the High Road crossed into the red mesas and mountains that Georgie O’Keeffe made famous. 

The lush forests gave way to scrubbier desert plants and smaller trees. At Chimayo, artist galleries popped up along the road. Rancho de Chimayo offers a restaurant and a gift shop with local wares, including a salsa and dry spices made from a local varietal of chile pepper. 

But the real draw in Chimayo sat deep among the cottonwoods and the small rivers. . El Santuario de Chimayó is a major Catholic pilgrimage site, easily the largest in the U.S. During Easter, the shrine draws 15,000 people, with more than 300,000 visiting annually. 

On this Friday, the shrine had about 100 people milling around. Some pilgrims walk the 90 miles from Albuquerque to reach the church. Below the shrine, the Santa Cruz River trickled over rocks, barely flowing and with still pools in several spots. 

 We ducked into the shrine (no photos allowed despite the exquisite artwork along the walls). It feels solemn, even for those of us who don’t spend much time in church these days. 

Alongside the chapel lies a room with dirt (tierra bendita) considered to have healing properties. These days people rub themselves with the dirt or keep it in their home; past pilgrims were known to eat the dirt. A prayer room includes discarded crutches and writings of people who say the dirt cured their health issues. 

With its forest of cottonwoods and destination church, Chimayo feels like a better ending to the High Road. It’s the placid ending for the pilgrims, and many miles from the higher spots along the road.