Mount Taylor

The standard summit route is the Gooseberry Springs Trail, a 6-mile round trip with 1,800 feet of elevation gain. The trailhead sits at 9,500 feet on Forest Road 193, accessed from Grants via NM-547 and rough dirt forest roads. Allow about 4 hours round trip at a moderate pace. The trail climbs through ponderosa pine and aspen forest, crosses meadows in the middle sections, and reaches treeline about a quarter-mile from the summit. The final stretch crosses open alpine terrain to the summit cairn at 11,301 feet.

Drive time to the Gooseberry Springs trailhead from Grants is roughly 45 minutes including the dirt road sections. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended; passenger cars can sometimes make it in dry weather but the last 3 miles are rough. Pickup trucks, SUVs, and ATVs handle the road easily. The Forest Service maintains the road; conditions deteriorate during wet weather and improve in dry stretches.

Alternative routes include the Mount Taylor Trail (a longer 9-mile round trip from a lower trailhead near La Mosca Lookout) and the winter route via cross-country ski from the highway plowed turnaround. The annual Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon held each February sends competitors up the mountain by bike, ski, snowshoe, and foot in a continuous race — one of the longest-running winter mountain races in the country and a colorful Grants event worth scheduling around.

Mount Taylor is sacred to four Native nations and the cultural weight of the peak is enormous. The Navajo call it Tsoodzil and consider it one of four mountains that mark the corners of Dinetah, the traditional Navajo homeland (the others are Mount Hesperus in Colorado, Blanca Peak in Colorado, and the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona). Ceremonies at Mount Taylor are private; visitors who encounter Native pilgrimages on the trail should observe respectfully from a distance and yield the route.

Visitor etiquette: do not disturb cairns, shrines, or offerings. Small piles of stones, fragments of pottery, feathers, corn pollen, or other items along the trail or near the summit are religious offerings — leave them undisturbed and do not photograph them. Do not collect natural materials (rocks, plants, soil) from the mountain. Do not bring drugs or alcohol on the summit. Do not camp directly on the summit; designated camping areas are below treeline. Standard Leave No Trace ethics apply throughout.

The Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Laguna, Zuni Pueblo, and Navajo Nation have all advocated for stronger federal protection of Mount Taylor against uranium mining and recreational impacts. The mountain was designated a Traditional Cultural Property under the National Historic Preservation Act in 2009 — one of the only such designations in the country and a significant legal acknowledgment of its religious importance.

Best season for hiking is mid-June through early October when the trails are snow-free and forest roads are reliably dry. July and August bring afternoon thunderstorms — start hikes early (sunrise from the trailhead is ideal) to be off the exposed summit before noon. September and early October offer aspen color and the most stable weather. Winter access (November-April) requires snowshoes or backcountry skis; the Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon course gives a sense of the conditions.

Access from Grants via NM-547 north. Take Interstate 40 exit 81 (Grants / Santa Fe Avenue), head north on First Street through downtown, then continue north on NM-547. After about 12 miles, turn onto Forest Road 453, then Forest Road 193 to the Gooseberry Springs trailhead. The full drive from downtown Grants takes about 45 minutes. Cell service ends shortly after leaving town.

Pack 3 liters of water per person, layered clothing (the summit can be 30 degrees cooler than Grants), sun protection (the summit is exposed and high-altitude UV is intense), sturdy hiking boots, lunch and snacks, and a paper map (cell GPS is unreliable). Permits are not required for day hiking. Camping requires a free Cibola National Forest dispersed-camping registration if staying more than one night. No fee for any activity on the mountain.