Some drives are about the destination. The Enchanted Circle is about refusing to choose one. This 83-mile loop — a National Forest Scenic Byway through the Carson National Forest — stitches together Taos, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest, and Angel Fire in one continuous circuit, and it may be the finest day of driving in the American Southwest.
Start in Red River and head east, and the road drops into Cimarron Canyon, where the Palisades rise in towering granite columns on either side of the highway. The canyon is the loop's dramatic centerpiece: the Cimarron River carved a narrow gorge through volcanic rock over millions of years, and the road follows the water through walls of stone that feel almost theatrical in their scale.
From the canyon the loop climbs to Eagle Nest Lake, a sparkling high-country reservoir cupped in the Moreno Valley. The lake is a state park in its own right — boating and fishing in summer, ice fishing and quiet, snow-blanketed shores in winter — and it makes a perfect halfway stop for a picnic or a walk along the water. Beyond it, Angel Fire spreads across the valley floor with Wheeler Peak rising behind it: at 13,161 feet, New Mexico's highest summit watches over nearly the whole drive.
The western leg runs through Questa and back to Taos, where the loop's other personality takes over. Taos is the art and adobe town — the historic plaza, galleries, and centuries-old architecture that made northern New Mexico famous. Give it at least an hour, or make it lunch.
Timing matters. Fall color usually peaks along the loop in late September and early October, when the aspens turn the canyon gold. Winter brings a quieter, snow-dusted version of the same drive, though you should check road conditions before setting out in a storm. Summer is wildflower season in the high meadows.
The whole loop takes about two to three hours of pure driving, but plan a full day — you will stop more than you expect. And there is a strong argument for basing the loop in Red River: sleep in town, drive the circle, and be back in time for dinner on Main Street with the day's miles behind you.