Carson National Forest

— One of the fringe perks of road trips is the route one takes. If a traveler plans well, the route to get to a memorable destination can be filled with even more spectacular scenery. When we decided to go back to Taos in one of our previous trips, we drove some beautiful stretches of small highways. Once in Taos for this particular trip, we had booked a snowshoeing adventure in the Carson National Forest. Little did we know that on the particular day our snowshoeing adventure was to take place, the other people in the group had to cancel. Consequently, it ended up being just us, a friend and the guide. We had the forest all to ourselves for 4 hours! Enjoying the beauty of snow and tranquility of our surroundings made this winter trip unforgettable. It was also the very first time I had ever gone snowshoeing. The state of New Mexico is home to five national forests. The Carson National Forest covers 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the United States Forest Service. In fact, Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s tallest mountain (13,161 feet or 4,011 m) is in the Carson National Forest.