Taos

Not every good October hike in Carson country has to end on a summit. Williams Lake Trail No. 62, above Taos Ski Valley, offers a shorter high-country outing with a real alpine payoff: a natural lake at 11,040 feet, tucked in a basin below Wheeler Peak in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness.

October is turning the Rio Grande into one of the best bets in northern New Mexico, and the clearest sign came this week from below Taos Junction Bridge. In the state fishing report published October 14, an angler fishing a fly rod caught and released six brown trout there, including a fish that measured 18 inches. That is the kind of report Carson country anglers wait for all fall.

Mid-October is the sweet spot for the South Boundary Trail, and also the warning bell. The aspens along this high-country route between Angel Fire and Taos are at their brightest right now, and the window before snow closes the upper trail is getting short. For hikers, riders and mountain bikers who have been putting it off all summer, this is the week to go.

The countdown is officially on in Carson country. Taos Ski Valley has announced November 26, 2026, as the opening date for its winter 2026-27 season, giving skiers and snowboarders across northern New Mexico a firm date to circle as fall turns toward winter in the high Sangre de Cristo Mountains above Taos.

Mid-October is the shoulder season on Wheeler Peak, and the window for a straightforward hike to the top of New Mexico is closing. Snowfall typically begins in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness in early October, and every calm, clear fall day from here on is a gift. Hikers who want the 13,161-foot summit — the highest point in the state — without snowshoes or skis should be watching the forecast and picking their day now.

October is the sweet spot for trout in northern New Mexico. Summer's heat has loosened its grip, water temperatures are dropping into the trout's comfort zone, and fish that spent the summer holding deep are feeding with purpose. This week's state fishing report, compiled from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, shows favorable conditions across Carson country — from the Pecos River to the Rio Grande near Questa.

Taos Ski Valley has announced it will open for the 2026-27 winter season on November 26, 2026, Thanksgiving Day, with more than $3 million in operational improvements greeting skiers and riders on opening day.