This page features ground-based and drone-captured images and videos of the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos, N.M.
The Rio Grande Gorge is a striking canyon up to 800 feet deep in northern New Mexico that was eroded over millions of years by the river. The gorge is part of the larger Rio Grande Rift, which extends into southern Colorado.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, completed in 1965, spans the canyon near Taos. In 1971, Apollo astronauts used the area to train for their missions to the moon because of its similarity to the lunar landscape at their landing sites.
In 2013, President Barack Obama used the Antiquities Act to create the 242,555-acre Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, which includes the Rio Grande Gorge and other public lands in Taos County. The monument, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, includes a portion of the Rio Grande that has been protected as a Wild and Scenic River.
| Date | August 2022 |
| Location | Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, near Taos, N.M. (map) |
| Credit | Mitch Tobin/The Water Desk |
| Rights | Free to reuse under Creative Commons license. |
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