Round Trip Distance: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 7110 - 7118 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Taos Pueblo
Fee: $25/person, $22/senior
Attractions: Living pueblo
The Taos Pueblo, located in Taos, New Mexico, 'is one of the oldest living and continuously inhabited communities in the United States'. The Pueblo, estimated to have been constructed between 1000 and 1450 A. D., is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For turn-by-turn directions enter Taos Pueblo into your driving app. The pueblo is open from 9am - 4pm daily except certain tribal holidays. Begin by paying the required fee at the Admissions window across the street from the Pueblo. After paying you may begin your self-guided tour or join one of the guided tours that begins near the Pueblos entrance.
As you enter the Pueblo one of the first structures you will pass is San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, Chapel that was completed in 1850 to replace the original church which was built in 1619 but destroyed during the Taos Revolt of 1847. Saint Jerome is the patron saint of Taos Pueblo.
The Rio Pueblo de Taos divides the Pueblo. Several bridges over the stream allow visitors to explore both areas of the Pueblo. Places where visitors are not allowed to enter are clearly marked. Do not enter any homes, even if the door is open, unless invited.
Each of the dwellings is individually owned and the owners are solely responsible for their upkeep.
The main block of rooms with their colorful doors and windows has a terraced height of as many as 5 stories.
The many adobe ovens that can be seen are also still used to this day.
The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by replastering with thick layers of a mud straw mixture. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright. (https://taospueblo.com/about/).
These are the remains of the original church that was built in 1619, destroyed in the Spanish Revolt of 1680, and then soon rebuilt to be destroyed once again and finally in 1847 during the Taos Revolt. The old church is surrounded by a large graveyard that is off limits to visitors.
The Native artisans are very skilled in the making of jewelry and leather items like boots, moccasins, and drums. Vendors sometimes display their wares for sale beneath the shaded ramadas. We bought several necklaces and smudge sticks, which are incense bundles made from sage and lavender, for very reasonable prices.
Seeing a living pueblo makes it much easier to visualize and interpret the hundreds of fallen ruins that we come across when exploring through the southwest.
If you would like to see the Taos Pueblo for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
If you would like to see the Taos Pueblo for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
