The High Road to Taos: A Scenic Drive Guide That Starts in Española

There are two ways to drive from Española to Taos. The Low Road follows the Rio Grande through the river canyon and gets you there fastest. The High Road climbs into the Sangre de Cristos through a string of Spanish colonial villages that have been sitting in the mountains for three hundred years. If you have an extra half day, the High Road is one of the best drives in New Mexico, and it starts just down the road from our shop.

NM HyLyfe sits on NM-68 in Alcalde, minutes north of Española, the gateway town where the High Road begins its climb. We put together this guide the same way we did our Low Road guide: the honest version locals give visitors, plus what state law says if a dispensary stop is part of your trip.

The route in one paragraph

From Española, the byway follows NM 76 east through Chimayó, Cordova, Truchas, and Las Trampas, picks up NM 75 through Peñasco, then NM 518 north to Ranchos de Taos. Driven straight through it’s about two and a half hours of mountain two-lane; with stops, plan four hours to most of a day. The villages are small, the churches are older than the United States, and the views off the Truchas stretch go on for a hundred miles.

Chimayó: the first and most famous stop

Twenty-some minutes up NM 76 sits El Santuario de Chimayó, the adobe sanctuary built in the early 1800s and still one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the country, known for the healing earth in its side room. Even for the non-religious, the setting and the folk art are worth the walk. Chimayó is also the home of generations of Rio Grande weaving families and some of the best red chile grown anywhere; buy a bag, thank us later.

Truchas and Las Trampas: the high villages

Truchas clings to a ridge at the foot of the Truchas Peaks, a Spanish land-grant village of dirt lanes, working farms, and a surprising number of artist studios with their doors open in summer. The overlooks back toward the Española Valley are the postcard shots of the whole drive.

Further on, Las Trampas keeps one of the most intact examples of Spanish colonial church architecture in the state: San José de Gracia, built in the 1770s, adobe walls and all. It’s an active parish, not a museum, so visit accordingly.

Peñasco to Ranchos de Taos: the finish

NM 75 rolls through Peñasco, the practical mid-point with food and gas, before NM 518 climbs through the forest and drops you into Ranchos de Taos. The plaza there holds San Francisco de Asis, the massive adobe church that Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams both couldn’t stop portraying. From the plaza you’re minutes from Taos proper, and the Low Road is waiting to bring you home along the river for a perfect loop.

The dispensary logistics, in plain language

Española is the last full-size town before the mountain villages, which makes it the natural supply stop in both directions, and yes, that includes the dispensary run. Our shop sits on NM-68 in Alcalde, a few minutes north of town, stocked deeper than anything you’ll pass on the byway; the menu is live here. What the law expects of travelers:

• 21 and over with a valid ID, any state. Purchases cap at 2 ounces of flower, 16 grams of concentrate, and 800 milligrams of edibles per transaction.
• No consuming in the car or in public. That includes plaza benches, trailheads, and church parking lots, obviously. Keep purchases sealed and stowed while driving.
• Respect pueblo and tribal land. The region around the byway includes sovereign nations with their own laws; state legalization does not apply there.
• Enjoy at your lodging, wherever you land in Taos or back home.

Headed up for a longer stay? Our dispensary near Taos guide covers the wider area, and the Low Road guide linked above completes the loop.

FAQ: driving the High Road

How long does the High Road to Taos take?

About two and a half hours driving straight through from the Española side, but almost nobody does that. With stops at Chimayó, Truchas, and Las Trampas, plan on four hours to a full day.

Where does the High Road to Taos start?

The mountain section begins on NM 76 just east of Española, climbing through Chimayó, Truchas, and Las Trampas before NM 75 and NM 518 carry you into Ranchos de Taos. Española is the last full-service town before the villages.

High Road or Low Road: which should I drive?

Both, as a loop, if you have the day. The High Road is the slower cultural drive through mountain villages; the Low Road along the Rio Grande is faster and prettiest at golden hour. Most locals send visitors up the High Road and back on the Low.

Can I buy cannabis along the High Road?

Stock up around Española before the climb. The byway villages are tiny, and NM HyLyfe carries a full menu minutes north of town on NM-68 in Alcalde. Adults 21+ with any valid ID can purchase; keep everything sealed in the vehicle and consume only at private lodging.