to Taos from Santa Fe
Two major routes offer equally beautiful but different experiences on your drive from Santa Fe to Taos.
The High Road
The “High Road” to Taos from Santa Fe travels through forests, past jagged 13,000-foot peaks, and through small, isolated mountain towns. These places retain the flavor of the early Spanish settlers who came here four centuries ago. A scenic drive with beauty, hidden galleries, mountain vistas, and pure New Mexico charm.
The Low Road
The “Low Road” from Santa Fe is the most direct route between Taos and communities to the south. But don’t let the name fool you—the low road does not lack in natural beauty or cultural interest. It follows the Rio Grande through Northern New Mexico’s farming lowlands and, during the summer, local produce farmers set up roadside fruit and vegetable stands. The road then winds its way up through the Rio Grande Gorge, with small villages, galleries, and local wineries and breweries. It provides some of the most stunning scenery around, especially just south of Taos where you are met with a vista of mesa, mountain, and gorge that will take your breath away.
Drive Times
- Denver: 4 hours 43 minutes
- Colorado Springs: 3 hours 32 minutes
- Lubbock: 6 hours 3 minutes
- El Paso: 6 hours 6 minutes
- Phoenix: 9 hours 16 minutes
- Oklahoma City: 9 hours 12 minutes
- Dallas: 10 hour 34 minutes
- Austin: 12 hours 28 minutes
Driving Directions
- ALBUQUERQUE TO TAOS: I-25 to Santa Fe; exit on 599 north to bypass Santa Fe; Hwy. 285 to Hwy. 68 to Taos.
- BRECKENRIDGE TO TAOS: Hwy. 9 to Fairplay; Hwy. 285 and Hwy. 17 to Alamosa; Hwy. 285 to Tres Piedras; Hwy. 64 to Taos.
- CRESTED BUTTE TO TAOS: Hwy. 135 to Gunnison; Hwy. 50 to Hwy. 285 to Hwy. 17 to Alamosa; Hwy. 285 to Tres Piedras; Hwy. 64 to Taos.
- DENVER TO TAOS: I-25 to Colorado Springs to Walsenburg; Hwy. 160 to Fort Garland; Hwy. 159 and Hwy. 522 to Taos.
- DURANGO TO TAOS: Hwy. 160 to Pagosa Springs; Hwy. 84 to Chama; Hwy. 17 to Antonito; Hwy. 285 to Tres Piedras; Hwy. 64 to Taos.
- VAIL TO TAOS: I-70 to Copper Mountain; Hwy. 91 to Leadville; Hwy. 24 and Hwy. 17 to Alamosa; Hwy. 285 to Tres Piedras; Hwy. 64 to Taos.
- WEST TEXAS TO TAOS: I-40 to Clines Corners; Hwy. 285 to I-25 to Santa Fe; Hwy. 285 to Hwy. 68 to Taos.