MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND years of living history run through Taos. The converging Indigenous, Spanish, and broader global influences create a singular mix of cultures that resonate throughout northern New Mexico. “We have a very rich history,” says Colin Nicholls, a University of New Mexico astronomy professor and longtime resident.
One of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the country, Taos Pueblo’s original adobe structures, rising up to five stories and supported by timber vigas hauled from nearby forests, date from 1000 to 1450. Roughly 150 people live full time at the UNESCO World Heritage Site and welcome visitors for tours on Saturdays and Sundays for much of the year.
Nestled between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Río Grande, this landscape has long attracted artists, dreamers, and those looking for a slower, creative lifestyle. Stunning examples of this lineage can be found at Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, Harwood Museum of Art, Millicent Rogers Museum, Couse-Sharp Historic Site, and in the town’s many galleries and shops.
Taos’s deep connection with the land has inspired the development of a destination stewardship plan. The community-driven blueprint seeks to create a more equitable and sustainable future for visitors and residents.
The nearby Carson National Forest, Río Grande del Norte National Monument, and Río Grande Gorge offer plenty of space for outdoor adventures of all types, including some of the darkest skies in the country. “From my backyard, slightly north of Taos, I can see the Andromeda Galaxy, 2.5 million light-years away,” says Nicholls, who is a member of the El Valle Astronomers, which holds monthly public events. Later this year, UNM–Taos expects to open the first phase of its Cielo Centro (Sky Center) observatory, which will eventually house the state’s largest public telescope. “People throughout history have told stories about the dark sky,” Nicholls adds. “It’s part of who we are as humans, regardless of our ethnic or cultural backgrounds.”