Hiking above the Rio Grande

Rio Grande River, Spanish for Big River, starts in the Rocky Mountains, runs through southern Colorado, then New Mexico and then forms the border between Texas and Mexico. It flows a total of 1,760 miles.

George and I drove out north of Taos on Highway 64 parked and walked over the high, arched bridge over the Rio Grande gorge. A few days later, we drove south of Taos to Pilar and hiked the La Vista Verde Trail to overlook the gorge. Pilar is the location of the BLM's Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center. Hiking information for the La Vista Verde Trail and other trails along the river is available here.

From Pilar, we drove several miles on Hwy 567 that followed the river with several nice camping spots. One or two could accommodate RVs. The road turned to dirt once we crossed the Taos Junction Bridge, with the trailhead one-half a mile beyond the bridge.That took us out of the fee area for BLM. The hike was an easy one,1.25 miles each way. We crossed through tall sage (taller than George) and blooming rabbit brush. One area close to the trail was loaded with petroglyphs.

When we reached the end of the trail, we were treated to the sound of rapids as the water rushed through a rocky section of the gorge and nice view in both directions up and downstream.

I wondered aloud if we had seen water in Big Bend that had flowed past where we stood. George thought not. The Rio Grande is pretty much a dry river bed after El Paso most of the year because so much is taken from it as it flows south. George had canoed through Santa Elena Canyon during his training to be a volunteer at Big Bend National Park in 2005-06. That water, he said, came from another river in Mexico. (Jaimie is pictured at the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park.)

The Rio Grande is the 5th longest river in the U.S. Most of it is through desert. When hiking, wear sunscreen and a hat, take plenty of water and watch for snakes and pricklies.

Photos by George