welcome to
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
President Obama established the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument along with four other national monuments on March 25, 2013 through use of the Antiquities Act.
Place:
LOCATION:
Taos and Rio Arriba counties in north central New Mexico
Place:
LOCATION:
Taos and Rio Arriba counties in north central New Mexico
Highlights
Rio Grande del Norte covers 242,555 acres of the Taos Plateau cut by the deep gorges of the Rio Grande, Red River, and Rio San Antonio. Dome-like volcanic peaks punctuate the landscape rising as much as 2,500 feet above the surrounding plateau.
The basaltic landscape, rivers, springs, and elevational changes host a diversity of plant communities and wildlife. Willows and cottonwoods along the rivers are rimmed with sagebrush plains that transition to juniper, pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, and Douglas-fir in the mountains. Mammals including river otters, mule deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and black bears are an attraction for wildlife enthusiasts as are raptors and other resident and migratory birds.
Evidence of human habitation dating back to the Archaic period abounds through petroglyphs, stone tools, potsherds, and the remains of pit houses. Peoples of the Taos Pueblo, Jicarilla Apache, and Utes have inhabited the area in historic times. The monument is a mecca for outdoor activities including hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, rafting, climbing, and bicycling.
By the monument’s 5th anniversary in 2018, average annual visitation was 180,400, an increase of 45% over the years prior to designation.
Information courtesy of the BLM Taos Field Office
Location
Vivac Tasting Room is located at 2075 State Highway 68 at the Dixon turn off
Owners
Chris Padberg, Liliana Padberg, Jesse Padberg, and Michele Padberg
Local Business Spotlight
Vivac Vineyard
How has Rio Grande del Norte National Park benefitted your business directly?
The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is right outside our Vivac Tasting Room doors, making it the perfect way for visitors and locals alike to enjoy a day on the river and then drink in the view in our stunning vineyards. The dramatic landscape that was created by the Rio Grande also offers our high elevation grapes soil with excellent drainage and a micro climate that allows us to grow grapes at altitudes we wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
How does Rio Grande del Norte National Park benefit the local community and the state of New Mexico?
The impact the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument has on our local economy is very clear. It is evident by the number of many local fishermen, families, runners and bikers exploring the area. Camping is also very popular. The draw for tourists are all of those things plus the engineering feat of the Gorge Bridge which straddles some of the world’s best Class 4 white water rapids in The Box. This draw brings tourists to the region who support our local economy, including our mom and pop businesses. It is an area unlike any other which creates a unique culture within the community with so many ways to explore the outdoors right in our backyard.
–Michele Padberg, co-owner