Four miles east of Red River, on Bobcat Pass, the day lodge, the yurts and the trail network of Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area are all still there. This winter, though, nobody will groom the trails. Owners Ellen Miller-Goins and Geoff Goins have announced that Enchanted Forest will not open for the 2026-27 season. The Albuquerque Journal reports that it is the first winter the business will stay closed in its 40-year history.
Losing Enchanted Forest changes more than where you'll ski. For four decades it was the place near Red River where someone else set the track. Without it, the closest groomed cross-country trails are at Angel Fire. Every route closer to town is ungroomed snow on the Carson National Forest, and those routes need the same storms that didn't come to Bobcat Pass last winter.
Why a Ski Area With No Snowmaking Stopped Betting on Winter
Enchanted Forest has always run on natural snow alone. Taos News notes that it does not make snow and depends almost entirely on snowfall for its groomed trails. Geoff Goins put numbers on that dependence for the Albuquerque Journal. The area got about 20 inches of total snowfall in the 2025-26 season. "One-hundred-fifty (inches) is the minimum we need to operate," he said, "but 200 is better."
The Journal also points out that the downhill areas around it, Red River Ski & Summer Area, Angel Fire Resort, Taos Ski Valley and Sipapu, now rely on snowmaking to get through most winters. Enchanted Forest never had that equipment. Last winter it couldn't open for groomed skiing at all. It ran some guided snowshoe trips and overnight yurt stays instead.
Those trips and yurt stays won't return either. According to Taos News, offering them would mean renewing the ski area's liability insurance, and the owners can no longer take on that cost. A planned sale of the business also fell through recently. "At some point, you have to ask whether these are still individual bad years or whether the nature of winter itself is changing," Miller-Goins told Taos News.
The Journal reports forecasts that a strong El Niño could bring heavy snow to the Southwest this season. Goins said the owners can't afford to bet on a forecast again. If those storms do come, they'll fall on trails no one is grooming.
Groomed Track Now Means a Drive Over the Pass
Enchanted Forest's real job was grooming. When it had enough snow, it set track for both classic and skate skiing with a Ginzu groomer from West Yellowstone Track Systems. None of the other places in the research groom cross-country trails near Red River. Here's how the main options compare:
| Option | Groomed? | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| Angel Fire Resort Nordic Center | Yes | More than 12 km of groomed trails, snowshoeing allowed on them, operations depend on weather, call to confirm hours |
| Red River Nature Trail and Pioneer Canyon | Not stated | Named by Red River's tourism site as short snowshoe outings on Carson National Forest land |
| Columbine Canyon Trail | Not stated | Forest Service lists it for winter skiing and snowshoeing from Columbine Campground, no condition info |
| 70 Moto Trail | Not stated | 4.4 miles, listed for skiing and snowshoeing, also open to OHVs |
| Williams Lake, Taos Ski Valley | Not stated | Four miles round trip, AWD or 4x4 needed to reach the trailhead |
Angel Fire Resort's Nordic Center page is the only listing here that promises groomed trails. The hours and prices on that page are labeled for 2025-26, so call before you count on this season's schedule. Taos Ski Valley's winter activities page suggests Williams Lake and several other Forest trails for snowshoeing or backcountry skiing. For cross-country trails it refers you to the Carson National Forest rather than to a groomed Nordic center of its own.
Closer to Town, You Break Your Own Trail
The routes nearest Red River ask more of you. You're responsible for your own route, your own read of the snow, and often your own packed track. Red River's tourism site names the Nature Trail and Pioneer Canyon as short snowshoe outings on the national forest land around town. The Forest Service lists Columbine Canyon Trail, starting at Columbine Campground, for winter skiing and snowshoeing. That listing was last updated in March 2025 and gives no grooming or current-conditions information. The 70 Moto Trail runs 4.4 miles and is listed for skiing and snowshoeing. It is also listed for off-highway vehicles, so plan on sharing it.
Two dates on the forest calendar matter more this year. The Carson National Forest's current conditions page says most Forest Service roads close seasonally on January 1. Those roads stay open to nonmotorized travel such as skiing and snowshoeing, so a road you drove in October can become a ski route in January. January 1 also starts the closure of Valle Vidal's east side, including Cimarron and McCrystal campgrounds and Shuree Ponds. That area doesn't reopen until April 1, according to the Forest Service closure notice.
Gear takes a little more planning without a ski area rental counter on the pass. BigHorn Sports & Rental in Red River advertises snowshoe rentals. Its directory listing doesn't say whether it rents cross-country skis, so call ahead if you need a full Nordic setup.
The Downhill Mountain Is Not a Nordic Substitute
Red River Ski & Summer Area opens November 25, 2026, and Ski New Mexico lists its season running through March 21, 2027. Ski New Mexico also says the mountain is adding a magic carpet to its beginner and teaching area for 2026-27, and that winter tubing is scheduled to start November 24.
Skinning or snowshoeing up the slopes is a different story. The ski area's uphill policy does not allow uphill traffic without prior authorization, and the page doesn't mention snowshoeing. Taos Ski Valley's safety page likewise says an uphill waiver is required. Snowmaking keeps the downhill season reliable, but it does nothing for the long, flat, groomed loops that Enchanted Forest offered.
Traditions Without a Venue
Losing the trails means losing a few winter dates on the Red River calendar too. Taos News describes Enchanted Forest as known for its whimsically named trails, its overnight yurts, the annual Luminaria Tour and Just Desserts Eat & Ski. The most recent Just Desserts page lists the event for noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2026. It warned that snow conditions might make it more of a hike that year. No 2027 date has been posted, and the page doesn't say the event is moving or cancelled.
The town's other winter events don't depend on Bobcat Pass. Switch on the Holidays is listed for November 26, 2026. Christmas in the Mountains runs December 19-20, with a Main Street light parade on December 19 at 5:30 p.m. The Red River Songwriters' Festival follows January 21-23, 2027, and Mardi Gras in the Mountains runs February 4-9, 2027.
A Pause, Possibly Not an Ending
The business is still for sale. The owners' announcement says there's "real hope" that a new owner will reopen it, "maybe even this year." Taos News puts the property at about 640 acres of Forest Service land on Bobcat Pass, with an established trail network, a day lodge and yurts. The owners' homepage says roughly 600 acres. A Taos tourism listing notes that the business has operated under a Carson National Forest special-use permit. None of the closure coverage explains what a buyer would need from the Forest Service to take over that permit.
Miller-Goins told Taos News that an owner with more resources could expand year-round recreation there and make the business less dependent on winter snow. The area's roots in town go deep. Her parents, former Red River Mayor John Miller and Judy Miller, founded it in the winter of 1985-86, and the Millers were inducted into the New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame in 2008. Taos News reports that the owners hope going public with the closure will help them find a buyer.
If you own a cabin near Red River and you're thinking about how changes like this one affect how you use it in winter, Antonio Martinez at Sweet Escape Realty knows this side of the Enchanted Circle well and is happy to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation.
