Big Bridge, Earthships and Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
/We left Taos a bit disappointed, but anticipating some new sights as we headed further north to Rio del Norte National Monument. As always, we didn’t take a direct route, having learned about a few diversions along the way.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge… the 10th highest bridge in the USA
We took a small detour to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. This steel deck arch bridge is the 10th highest bridge in the USA according to Wikipedia, rising 600 feet above the Rio Grande River. And, the bridge was not closed!
A pleasant surprise to find a trail along the Rio Grande River.
Unbeknownst to us previously, the Rio Grande Trail meanders along the river’s edge and a mile-long trek along the South Rim provided some exercise as well as great views of the bridge.
A nice riverside walk and great views of the bridge.
We met three desert sheep munching their way along the path who seemed oblivious to our presence. David, ever amusing, mimicked munching on one bush which amazingly got the attention of the sheep. They tentatively moved closer to investigate a possible better food source, but lost interest when David stopped munching.
Desert sheep were oblivious to us until David got their attention.
What the heck is that human doing? Is the grazing better over there?
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, by the way, is featured in the 2009 film, Terminator Salvation, the 1994 film, Natural Born Killers, and the 2007 American biker road comedy film, Wild Hogs.
Earthship Biotecture Visitor’s Center - Photo credit: Motley Pixel-Flickr
Just up the road from the bridge was the Earthship Biotecture community. An Earthship is ‘a type of passive solar house that is made of both natural and upcycled materials such as earth-packed tires, pioneered by architect, Michael Reynolds. The Earthship architecture concept began to take shape in the 1970s. Reynolds wanted to create a home that would do three things: first, it would utilize sustainable architecture, and material indigenous to the local area or recycled materials wherever possible; second, the homes would rely on natural energy sources and be independent from the "grid"; thirdly, it would be feasible for a person with no specialized construction skills to build.’ The film, Garbage Warrior, documented Reynolds’ efforts in constructing Earthships in and around Taos.
We were surprised at the number of houses and their strangely odd appeal. We could have toured if we’d had an appointment, but we hadn’t planned in advance to stop. So, we only took photos from the road since we didn’t feel comfortable invading the privacy of a community that preferred ‘staying off the grid’.
Back on track, we headed north to Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, one of our newest additions to the national public lands proclaimed a national monument by President Obama in 2013. Administered by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), the monument contains approximately 243,000 acres and consists of the Rio Grande Gorge and surrounding lands.
We headed directly to the Little Arsenic Campground to claim our site for the evening. With a name like that, we wondered if we should consider drinking the water, but it wasn’t an option. Once again, we were disappointed. All campgrounds and facilities were closed although the website hadn’t posted the closure and the BLM office we tried to call didn’t answer.
Rio Grande River view from an overlook.
We spent some time wandering around and checking out the overlooks. The land is flat, rugged plains dotted with weathered volcanic cones. Deep canyons and gorges have been carved by the Rio Grande and Red Rivers. The deepest gorge is a dizzying 800’ down to the Rio Grande’s water. Since we still needed to find a campsite before nightfall, we regretably cut our visit short. Now where? We were near the Colorado border and decided we’d continue north. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was reasonably close although the campsites there were all booked according to their website. We decided on the Zapata Springs Campground about 12 miles from the park.
Zapata Springs Campground overlooking Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Join us next time for our higher altitude camping experience, Great Sand Dunes and a little health detour.