Red River

Red River is a smaller resort located about 45 minutes north around the Ring of Fire from Taos. This resort offers 257 acres of skiing with an impressive 1600-foot drop. Base elevation is at 8750 feet while summit elevation towers at 10,350 feet. Average snowfall at Red River is 218 inches (5.5 meters). The snow at Red River is much like the powder at neighboring Taos and Angel Fire. The altitude and the dryness make the snowfall light and fluffy, perfect for carving and finding that perfect line down a steep.

The Lifts and Trails
The layout for Red River is straightforward and makes moving around the mountain extremely easy. Red River is divided into two sections, the frontside and the backside. The frontside is primarily vertical with four lifts servicing the trails and two lifts servicing the learning area and one of the terrain parks. The backside is more sprawled out and only has one lift to service the novice trails found there. In total, there are three triples, two doubles, and two surface lifts that carry 8662 skiers per hour. Red River is rarely crowded, so there is never a lift line. There are 57 named trails at Red River, with a difficulty mix of 33 percent novice, 38 percent intermediate, and 29 percent advanced. The longest run is the Lariat to Goldrush. It’s a little over two miles long and is a novice trail that starts at the top of the Platinum and Copper lifts, winding down to the embarkation point of the Platinum lift. Red River is laid out a little differently than you might expect. Novices should stick near the ski chalet and learning center until they are confident on their skis. Once that happens, take the Platinum and Green lifts to the Backside where an entire slope of novice trails awaits. Additionally, there are places for families to stop and discover secret things, such as Fort McCow or The Yellow Bic Road. Intermediates and Expert skiers will want to stick to the front side of the mountain. There are several great groomers and ungroomed steeps to explore as well as some tree-lined trails that will keep you on your toes. For glades, there is a two-acre expert rated area near the Dropout run.

The Bottom Line
Red River is a great place to take your family on a ski vacation. There’s a lot to do with your kids, especially on the backside. If your family is new to skiing, the ski school at Red River is top notch with great instructors. Reservations are recommended for classes, however. The apres-ski for Red River is quiet, focused around dining excellence. Seriously, if you are a foodie, make a reservation for the Snow Coach Dinner Tour. The Ski Tip is a great lodge at the top of the mountain, is open for lunch, and is a great place to relax between runs. Expert skiers will have a great time for a day or two, but may feel better wandering over to nearby Taos on non-crowded days. Stats