This page in our free multimedia library features aerial photos of the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos, N.M.
The Rio Grande Gorge, a striking canyon of volcanic basalt up to 800 feet deep, 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 and is one of the nation’s tallest bridges. There is controversy over the bridge’s exact height above the Rio Grande, with sources ranging from 565 to 650 feet.
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.
This collection includes images from two flights, on May 23 and June 25, 2024.
See this page for ground-based photos of the Rio Grande Gorge and Bridge, captured on June 24, 2024. Our library also offers drone-based photos and videos of the Rio Grande Gorge from August 2022 on this page.
| Date | May 23 and June 25, 2024 |
| Location | Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico (map) |
| Credit | Mitch Tobin/The Water Desk with aerial support by LightHawk |
| Rights | Free to reuse under Creative Commons license. |
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