Not far from Taos in northern New Mexico is the seventh highest bridge in the United States known as the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and it is absolutely worth a visit. It sits just off of US Route 64 and on the west end of the long bridge is a rest area where you can park. You can walk the sides of the bridge and peer over to look at the Rio Grande 600 feet below. The bridge also has great views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the east.

Unlike a lot of canyons, the 50 miles Rio Grande Gorge was not formed by the river but the river follows the natural course of a tectonic shift in the ground which tore this scar across the landscape. The Gorge is part of the larger Rio Grande Rift which is fascinating and which splits New Mexico in two. It separates the Colorado Plateau on the west side of the rift and it goes from the Colorado Border to Ciudad Juarez to the south. The White Sands National Park is within the rift as well!

Oddly enough, there’s a dispute about the bridge’s height. Some say its 560 feet and others say its 650 feet. So for now, everyone’s just using 600.

Unfortunately there have been a number of suicides from the bridge which is evident with the call boxes at the lookouts. Don’t jump, it isn’t worth it.