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The Rio Grande Gorge is seen at dusk on Monday, March 25, 2013. The gorge is part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, which President Obama designated as a national monument on March 25, 2013. (Dean Hanson/Journal)
On March 25, 2013, President Barack Obama designated the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument on a quarter of a million of acres of unspoiled country straddling the Rio Grande Gorge north of Taos.
The northern reaches of the Rio Grande house a treasure trove of scenery and natural resources, including wildlife, and historical remnants ranging from petroglyphs to parts of El Camino Real. The river gorge alone, from its mouth near Pilar all the way to the Colorado border, is truly a wonder.
The whole area, extending from the site of the first Spanish settlements north of Española all the way into the San Luis Valley of Colorado is a human heartland, too — wintering ground to the Utes in ancient times, then home to Spanish settlers and, later, homesteaders. Preserving this heritage is part of the plan for the monument: supporters have made sure that traditional wildland uses, including hunting, firewood and piñon harvesting, will continue.
The basics for modern outdoor recreational activities also are sketched in — a trail system already exists along and into the gorge, and existing roads give access to the Cerro de la Olla and Ute Mountain, both a respectable 9,000 feet-plus tall.
