Year Round Activities
Enchanted Winter
With incomparable weather, the friendliest people and plenty to do in the crisp snowy days of winter, there’s no reason to look beyond New Mexico for a winter vacation. From great powder skiing to tubing, ice-skating, sleigh rides and snow mobiling, New Mexico is truly a winter wonderland.
Mountains, sun, blue skies day after day. At the southern end of the Rocky Mountains lies enchanting New Mexico, and its stunning Sangre de Cristo (or Blood of Christ) range. They were so named because they turn red during the Land of Enchantment’s legendary winter sunsets. Taos, Santa Fe and Pajarito all lay within the Sangre de Cristos.
So maybe you’re not ready to practice your triple axle, but you do feel like donning a pair of skates and gliding around in an alcove of piñon and juniper trees. Well, welcome to the Los Alamos County Ice Rink, a community outdoor rink that’s been open since 1947. This rink is the only refrigerated, NHL regulation, outdoor ice rink in New Mexico. From November through February, it’s open 120-125 hours per week, weather permitting.
Stop into the warming hut stocked with hot cocoa, coffee and other beverages and snacks. The warming hut has large picture windows to view the skaters and the picturesque canyon while you stay sheltered from the elements.
The Taos Ice Arena is a quaint indoor/outdoor skating arena located just on the outskirts of town. Admission is inexpensive, and they offer skate rentals, as well as individual and group lessons. And when you’re done showing off your moves, you can fuel up on goodies at the snack bar.
Speaking of Taos, let’s talk tubing! Wednesday through Saturday evenings during ski season, grownups and children alike will love hopping into the rubber tubes and sliding down the ski hill over and over again. And afterwards you can thaw out by the fire at the St. Bernard with a signature cocktail or cocoa in hand.
A few hours south of Taos are tubing and sledding experiences for the truly adventurous. At the winter wonderland of Ruidoso Winter Park, twists, turns, bumps and jumps get your heart pumping. The area features two magic carpet lifts that whisk you to the top of the hill. They even have specially designed tubes that seat three to six riders, or super-sized tubes for up to 10 riders. They’re located 1/4 mile west of Highway 48 on lower Ski Run Road in the Eagle Creek Sports Complex, and offer twilight tubing on selected nights through the Christmas holidays.
If you’re looking for a post-skiing activity at Angel Fire Resort, there’s a groomed hill and tubes that are plenty of fun for the whole family.
While in Angel Fire, consider a snowmobile to zoom into the woods. Angel Fire Excursions offers guided tours of the backcountry. They offer daytime or overnight trips to the Brazos Wilderness in Carson National Forest. In the same area you can also find guides to take you hunting or ice fishing.
For those who like the scenery to go by a little more slowly, sleigh rides offer a more relaxing experience. Sit back in a horse-drawn sleigh and slide through the serene New Mexico forests. When in Angel Fire or Ruidoso, this is an activity you won’t want to pass up.
However you envision your winter vacation, New Mexico is a spectacular place to visit. Your options are virtually limitless… you might not want to leave!
Fun in the Sun
New Mexico is one of the only places on the planet where you can ski in the morning and play golf in the afternoon.
The magic ingredients that make this possible are sun-it shines nearly every day, and altitude-the snow is cold and crisp in the highest elevations but it's warm enough for just a sweater several thousand feet lower. So you can plan your winter vacation around skiing and boarding but enjoy your other favorite sports too. Or if you have family members who don't ski, you can be sure they will find plenty to challenge and excite them in New Mexico's scenic outdoors.
Information
The Public Lands Information Center is one stop shopping for information about every activity on public land in New Mexico. Call or visit them at 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505, 505-438-7542. Or check out their website at www.publiclands.org. State fishing and hunting licenses are sold and the staff can answer just about any question. Many of these activities are in wilderness areas where weather can pose sudden hazards. Be prepared with good maps and safety information or stick close to busy areas.
Mountain Biking
New Mexico is mountain bike heaven. With so many sunny days even in winter, mountain biking is a year-round sport. While the higher mountain elevations may be snow covered in winter months, lower trails are still great for pedalling. There are also many wide mesas on BLM land that make for fantastic winter rides. There are bike shops in every ski town in New Mexico and they are a good source of information on the best rides. Some rent equipment and offer guides and shuttle service. Even in winter, plan on drinking much more water than at lower, more humid elevations.
Golf
Here's a fact golfers will love—in New Mexico's high altitude and thinner than sea level air, golf balls travel up to 10 percent farther. So pack your clubs with your snowboard and try one of these excellent courses. You will also enjoy scenery that may distract you from the game. In Taos, the Taos Country Club is a links-style course set in the mountain foothills. In Santa Fe play at the Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe or the Santa Fe Country Club. Between Santa Fe and Albuquerque there are Cochiti Lake Golf Course on Cochiti Pueblo and Santa Ana Golf Club on Santa Ana Pueblo. Albuquerque has a number of good courses. Among them are the Championship Golf Course at the University of New Mexico, Isleta Eagle Golf Course, Ladera Golf Course and Paradise Hills Golf Club. In southern New Mexico, there are the Cree Meadows Country Club, the Inn of the Mountain Gods Golf Course and The Links in Ruidoso and The Lodge at Cloudcroft Golf Course in nearby Cloudcroft.
Fishing
It's best to plan on fishing rivers and streams in the winter in New Mexico. While typically they are running, lakes may be frozen or closed. The state has a number of designated Special Trout Waters which feature trophy-size fish and typically allow only artificial flies and lures with single, barbless hooks. Local sporting goods stores in resort towns usually sell fishing licenses and many offer guide services and rental equipment too. They are also a good source of information on where the fish are biting or you can call the state Game and Fish 24 hour information line at 1-800-ASK-FISH. A few winter fishing highlights include the Rio Chama, the Red River, the Pecos River and the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. There is ice fishing at Eagle Nest Lake northeast of Taos. In the southern part of the state, there are Special Trout Waters right in the town of Ruidoso on the Rio Ruidoso.
Horseback Riding
Yes, this is the West. Horseback riding is one of the most popular of all year round activities. You can ride in the mountains below the snow line, along river valleys or on mesa tops where you may see ancient Native American rock art. All of New Mexico's winter resort towns have stables and some have guest ranches. You can go on a trail ride and often dig into a hearty campfire breakfast or dinner. There are also overnight and longer pack trips. A good way to find an outfitter is to ask your lodging host to recommend one. Chambers of Commerce and the telephone directory are also helpful.
