As of the last major census, the US government reported 495 permanent residents living within the limits of Red River. Incorporated in 1971, the town is approximately 3 miles long (from the Old Pass Road to the town limits sign at River Ranch) and is a quarter mile wide in places - only .69 square miles in all.New Mexico State Highway 38 is part of the Enchanted Circle and runs from Eagle Nest, through the heart of Red River and down the canyon to Questa (or from Questa, through Red River to Eagle Nest, whichever direction you prefer). It’s truly a scenic drive no matter where you start. Short, but scenic.
If you are entering Red River on 38 from Eagle Nest, you will encounter the “Y” on the east side of town. This is the junction of 38 with Taos County Road 578. Highway 578 will take you to a place known as the Upper Valley.
Climb that rollercoaster road for approximately 4 miles and you will find a genuine American alpine village. There are no shops or quaint little restaurants, only houses and cabins with a magnificent view. For many years, the abandoned cabins of the early-day miners could be seen scattered in the meadows by the river and among the trees of the forest. It wasn’t until the mid 1930s that the Upper Valley began to see the building of new cabins and vacation homes.
Today, people do actually live there year-round, even in the dead of winter which, like this past winter, saw deep snow and genuine high altitude cold.
The pavement ends where the East and West forks of the Red River meet in all their rowdy splendor. The road to the right will take you to the ancient beaver ponds and ultimately lead you to the trails for Middle Fork Lake, a genuine piece of high country heaven.
Back where the pavement ends, travel across the little bridge to the left and find... more houses as well as the road to the trail head for the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area. Founded in 1957, this 20,000 acres of nature at its finest ranges in altitude from 7600 feet to 13,161 feet at the tip of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest mountain. Pack it in and pack it out, for no motorized traffic is allowed.
Back in town, most visitors to Red River have never been to Mallette Park. Named after one of the founding families, the park is located at the mouth of...Mallette Canyon, in a spectacular setting perfect for a picnic, complete with towering rock cliffs, several old mine sites, and a clean, cold mountain stream, as well as playground equipment for the kids, a skate park, courts for basketball, volleyball, tennis, and disc golf. (Turn north off Main at Sitzmark to get there.)
Did I mention the chipmunks and ground squirrels?