Delightful things to do in Taos

To winter sports enthusiasts, Taos is best known for its challenging ski slopes. But this northern New Mexico town has plenty more to offer visitors year-round, on and off the slopes.

A hipper little sister of sorts to Santa Fe, Taos is known for its diverse outdoor offerings as well as its funky town square packed full of history, art galleries and Hispanic and Native American culture.

While Santa Fe is known for its wealth, Taos is lower-key and tends to attracts a younger, more starving-artist-type crowd. It's a town where new-age nomadic hippies, (referred to locally as "sage monkeys") peacefully coexist with artists, natives, daredevil skiers and even wealthy Texan tourists.

Here are five free things to do and see on your next trip to Taos:

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

This steel deck arch bridge spans one of New Mexico's most scenic vistas. Located about 17 kilometers northwest of Taos along US 64, the famous bridge sits high above New Mexico's mini-Grand Canyon, though just how high varies depending on whom you ask, with the state Department of Transportation saying 183 meters. The adjacent park offers plenty of parking for those who want to walk across the bridge, visit vendors or enjoy walking trails that offer stunning views of the gorge and the river far below.

Also nearby are the Stagecoach Hot Springs, aka "hippie holes". About a 15-minute hike down a path at the end of Tune Road, the pools are located along the edge of the river in the ruins of an old stagecoach stop. With water temperatures of about 36 C, they are a year-round favorite. Clothing is optional.

San Francisco de Asis

Just 6.4 kilometers south of Taos, in the village of Ranchos de Taos sits in what is arguably one of the most painted and photographed churches in the world. Built between 1772 and 1816, the traditional adobe, mud and straw Spanish mission structure is synonymous with New Mexico, made famous by painter Georgia O'Keeffe and photographers Ansel Adams and Paul Strand. O'Keeffe described it as "one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards". The church is a National Historic Landmark and a World Heritage church.