Last updated on .
The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway is an 84 mile long scenic drive beginning and ending in Taos, New Mexico. It encircles Wheeler Peak of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and passes through historic towns and recreational sites.
We drove the Enchanted Circle in a clockwise direction from Taos as a day trip. In this post, I’ve written about all the stops we made.
D. H. Lawrence Ranch
The D. H. Lawrence Ranch was the New Mexico residence of English novelist D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) for a total of 11 months in the 1920s. It’s located about 20 miles north of Taos in the Carson National Forest.
The 160 acre property was originally named the Kiowa Ranch and is near San Cristobal. It was briefly owned by American arts patron Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879-1962), who donated it to Frieda Lawrence (1879-1956) in 1924. It was the only property the Lawrences ever owned, and they lived there together for about two years. They left on September 11, 1925, D. H. Lawrence’s 40th birthday.
After her husband’s death, Frieda returned to the ranch in 1931 with her lover and future husband, Angelo Ravagli (1891-1976). She lived there until she died in 1956, and bequeathed the property to the University of New Mexico, which operates the ranch to this day.
The D. H. Lawrence Ranch is open to visitors Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. There’s no admission to enter (as of August 2025). We found it very interesting and also enjoyed the friendly and knowledgable guide.
Dorothy Brett Cabin
The Dorothy Brett Cabin is a small one-room cabin occupied by English artist Dorothy Brett (1883-1977). She arrived with the Lawrences in March 1924 and continued to live on the property alone after they left in 1925. Much of Brett’s time at the ranch was spent painting.
Lawrence Tree
Next is a ponderosa pine known as the Lawrence Tree. In September 1929, American artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) visited the D. H. Lawrence Ranch and painted the tree. The work is called The Lawrence Tree and is owned by the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut.
Homesteader’s Cabin
The Homesteader’s Cabin is the larger of the two dwellings on the site. It was built in 1891 and was where the Lawrences made their home. The buffalo on the side of the house was painted by Taos Pueblo artist Trinidad Archuleta in 1935.
The cabin was probably built around 1891 by former ranch owner John Craig. It contains a kitchen and dining area, large middle room, and a bedroom. Lawrence worked on his manuscripts in the cabin.
Lawrence Memorial
The final stop on the tour of the D. H. Lawrence ranch is the Lawrence Memorial. D. H. Lawrence died in Vence, France, in 1930, and Frieda had it built for him in 1934.
Frieda had her late husband’s remains exhumed and cremated in 1935. Her original plan was to keep his ashes in an urn in the Homesteader’s Cabin, but Dorothy Brett and Mabel Dodge Luhan (Lawrence’s lovers) wanted to scatter them over the ranch. In response, Frieda dumped his ashes into the wet cement used to make the memorial’s altar. She exclaimed, “now let’s see them steal this!”
The altar contains Lawrence’s initials flanked by green leaves and yellow flowers. On top is the statue of a phoenix. Also inside the memorial are documents related to the exhumation, cremation, and repatriation of Lawrence’s remains. Frieda’s grave is to the left just outside the entrance to the memorial.
Red River, New Mexico
Red River is a resort town in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We stopped to stretch our legs while driving the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway.
Red River originally started out as a mining camp, with plenty of gold, silver, and copper found in the area. It’s named after the Red River, which flows through the middle of town, and was founded in 1895. It had a peak population of 3,000.
The mining started to dwindle around 1905 and the population dropped significantly. The town, however, survived because of its reputation for good fishing and as a getaway from hot weather. Mining operations ended in 1931, but by then it was a popular tourist spot.
In the summer, visitors can bike, hike, fish, and ride horses all the way up into the mountains. Winter activities include skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. There are also different types of festivals throughout the year.
Brandenburg Park
We didn’t spend more than 45 minutes in the town, mostly walking around Brandenburg Park. There’s a visitor center on the south side of the park at the Red River Conference Center.
Around Town
Walking around the small town, we saw a few gift shops, outdoor shops, and places selling chocolate fudge. There was also an art gallery and jewelry shop. Some of the shops had a good sense of humor.
It was fairly quiet and we didn’t really see any people around. I would like to come back in the future to enjoy some of the outdoor activities and spend more time there.
Elizabethtown, New Mexico
Elizabethtown is a ghost town in northern New Mexico. It was our third stop along the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. Very little is left, as only seven of the original buildings still stand. The land the town stood on is owned by descendants of the Mutz family, who were once prominent residents.
A sign indicates the Elizabethtown Museum is open from 10am to 5pm. It contains old photos and artifacts found on the site. Unfortunately, when we drove up we saw someone run and close the door. To be fair, there was a sign in front of the museum that said “SHUT”.
When this happened, we decided to take a quick walk around the ruins. There really wasn’t much to see at all, and there were plenty of broken own old trucks strewn about.
History of Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown began as a gold mining camp in 1866. It was founded shortly after by the commander of Fort Union, Captain William H. Moore, who named it after his daughter, Elizabeth Catherine Moore.
Nicknamed E-Town, it was the first incorporated town in New Mexico and was the seat of Colfax County. Several stores started popping up, including saloons, brothels, and gambling halls famous in other Wild West towns.
At its peak in 1870, the town had 7,000 residents. That dwindled to just over 100 two years later as most of the mining dried up. The county seat moved to Cimarron, and Elizabethtown started its first run as a ghost town in 1875.
The town was reborn in 1878 when the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad passed nearby. Schools opened and many social and sporting events took place, attracting people from several miles away. In the late 19th century, outlaw Tom “Black Jack” Ketchum (1863-1901) and members of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang would often hang out in Elizabethtown.
Most of Elizabethtown burned down in a fire in 1903, and by 1917, it was a ghost town as the last mining activity stopped. By then most of the residents had moved down to Therma (now Eagle Nest) or Cimarron.
The Story of Charles Kennedy
Elizabethtown is notorious for housing one of America’s first serial killers. Charles Kennedy would lure travelers to his rest stop for food and shelter, and they were never heard from again. It’s believed he killed up to 14 people.
His wife escaped and burst into a saloon where cattle rancher and gunslinger Clay Allison (1841-1887) was having a drink. She told the stories of Kennedy’s suspected murders, and he was taken into custody and given a pre-trial on October 3, 1870.
Allison put together a group of vigilantes and took Kennedy out of jail. They threw a rope around his neck and dragged him by horse through the streets until he was dead. Legend has it that Allison chopped off Kennedy’s head and put it on a stake in front of the saloon in Elizabethtown.
Eagle Nest, New Mexico
Eagle Nest is a tiny village and our fourth stop on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. Founded as Therma in the early 20th century, the town was renamed Eagle Nest in the 1930s.
There’s not much to see as it’s mostly a summer home and resort destination. Nearby is Eagle Nest Lake State Park, which is popular for camping and fishing. The historic district is a block long and sits next to the Laguna Vista Lodge, founded in 1898.
One historic marker we spotted had a good sense of humor. The title was “Saks Fifth Avenue”, and the body said “Nope, the Valley Store”. It marked the location of a general store that used to serve the town and other communities in the area. It continued by saying “full service stores are a considerable drive…just the way we like it!”
Laguna Vista Saloon
We sat down to lunch at the historic Laguna Vista Saloon, which is operated by the lodge. It served as a gambling and dance hall when it opened in 1898. They served decent bar food.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located just outside the town of Angel Fire. It was our fourth stop on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. The main parts of the memorial are the chapel and visitor center. The chapel is open 24 hours a day while the visitor center is open daily from 9am to 5pm. There’s no fee to visit.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built by Dr. Victor “Doc” Westphall (1913-2003) to honor his son, U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant Victor David Westphall III, and fifteen other men that died with him near Con Thien, South Vietnam, on May 22, 1968.
The original name of the memorial was the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel, and it was dedicated on May 22, 1971. It was the first major memorial dedicated to veterans of the Vietnam War, and inspired the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.
In 1985, Westphall broke ground on a visitor center, which sits underneath the chapel and was completed a year later. On Veterans Day in 2005, the memorial became a state park and many much-needed renovations were made. It remained a state park until July 3, 2017, when it was taken over by the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services. A half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, featuring over 58,300 names, was added in mid-2024.
Huey Helicopter
Before entering the chapel and visitor center, we walked through the grounds. The path from the parking lot first leads to an authentic Huey helicopter. The Bell Iroquois UH-1 was widely used in Vietnam and was installed at the memorial in May 1999.
Veterans Memorial Walkway
Next is the Veterans Memorial Walkway. It’s paved with bricks etched with the names and dates of service of American veterans. Bricks with no ending date indicate that person is still serving. Two stars means the person was killed in action. One star signifies missing in action.
Amphitheater
From there, we went past the amphitheater, which was built during the memorial’s time as a state park.
Doug Scott Sculpture
A few steps away, we saw the Doug Scott Sculpture. It depicts a soldier writing home from the war and was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2003. The artist was Doug Scott from Taos.
Soil Marker
Finally, before entering the visitor center, we walked by a marker. It indicates the spot where on April 24, 1994, Doc Westphall took a handful of soil. He took the soil to Vietnam, and on May 2, 1994, scattered it at the site of his son’s death. Doc Westphall then took soil from the ambush site and mixed it with New Mexico soil at this spot on May 5, 1994.
Visitors Center
The visitors center was built underground in order to not disturb the architectural features of the chapel. It contains a media room and another room honoring those killed or missing in action.
New Mexico State Parks enlarged the visitors center from 6,000 to 8,000 square feet. They added office space, restrooms, gallery space, a conference room, library, and a gift shop.
Chapel
The chapel contains the photos of 13 Vietnam War dead or missing. They’re rotated on a monthly basis, alphabetically by state. The photo of David Westphall remains permanently on display.
Westphall Graves
Finally, after exiting the chapel, we saw the graves of Doc Westphall and his wife, Jeanne.
Angel Fire, New Mexico
Angel Fire is a small village and our final stop on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. It was established in 1982 and incorporated in 1986. It’s a popular ski resort destination, and the Angel Fire Resort has been operating since 1966.
We didn’t spend much time there. Our only stop was at the small visitor center, and we took a quick drive to get close to the resort. It seems like a great place to spend time in any season. There are lots of outdoor activities and sports to practice. In addition to skiing, there’s sledding, ice fishing, sleigh riding, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing in the winter. During summer, summer there’s hiking, biking, horseback riding, white water rafting, fishing, hunting, bird watching, and wildlife viewing.
