Taos Ski Valley is widely considered one of the finest ski mountains in the American West — steep terrain, high altitude (13,000 ft peak), legendary powder, and a European village atmosphere that separates it from every resort cookie-cutter operation in Colorado.

January is the heart of the season. The base village is alive with skiers from around the world and the blue-sky days that New Mexico is famous for make the Sangre de Cristo Mountain views from the upper lifts extraordinary.

The drive from Albuquerque takes about 1.5 hours through some of the most dramatic landscape in New Mexico — the Rio Grande Gorge, the high desert plateau, and the climb into the Sangre de Cristo foothills.

Santuario Grande is your basecamp. Taos Ski Valley is the destination that makes New Mexico winter trips make complete sense.