Gavilan Trail #60

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers

The best views are in the meadow area; the remaining climb to the top of the ridge is only necessary to bring you to the junction with Lobo Peak Trail.

Driving along Hwy 150 into Taos Ski Valley; this trail begins off to the left just before the Taos Ski Valley Village Limit.

The trail begins by winding its way along the back of a few buildings. It starts climbing immediately, and after the creek crossing just over 0.5 miles in (plenty of rocks, so no need even to wet your boots), the first set of switchbacks begin. These switchbacks take you up to another small creek crossing and a fork in the trail, where a sign points left for a quarter mile to Gavilan Falls. The main trail continues to the right.

The next quarter mile is a steep climb along the south-facing side of the canyon, followed by some shallower switchbacks that continue until the trail opens up into a meadow. During your roughly 0.5 mile climb through the meadow (which includes one more nearly insignificant stream crossing and a couple of times when the trail pops back among trees for a bit), don't forget to look behind you for some stunning views of the peaks surrounding the Williams Lake basin.

After the meadow, is one last steep, gravelly climb to the juntion with Lobo Peak Trail #57. This is a launching point to get to Lobo Peak by heading west and to Gold Hill by heading east, with other trails branching off between and continuing beyond.

Birds, including the beautiful Steller's jay, and squirrels are the most readily seen animals near the trail, though there are deer, elk, black bear, and mountain lion in the area as well.

Pines, aspens, spruces, and firs grow tall above an undergrowth of low-lying juniper shrubs, kinnikinick, grasses, and wildflowers.