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Questa to Sunshine

This straight section of State Highway 522 North of Questa bears no resemblance to the same hilly highway through forested land to the south. Here the road is flat and almost unbending as it heads north towards Colorado. Sunshine, El Rito/Latir and Cerro occupy the alluvial plain below the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as it gently slopes towards the Rio Grande Gorge interupted only by a few stand-alone mountains such as Guadalupe Peak and Ute Peak. Questa occupies a lower valley spot where the Red River and Cabresto Creek join together on their way out of the mountains towards the gorge. Cabresto Canyon lies a lush green mountain canyon immediately to the northeast of Questa. This region extends almost all the way to Colorado where it meets the Costilla zone.

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Maps and content Copyright by John Kejr

Distance to Taos: 30 - 45 Minutes

Distance to Taos Ski Valley: 40 - 60 minutes

The Taos MLS divides this area into five MLS zones:

Cabresto Canyon (08A)

This zone occupies the valley of Cabresto Creek in the mountains just northeast of Questa. The forest service road servicing this area provides very limited access except the months when the snow is melted. Therefore, suitable uses for properties are generally limited to summer cabins and youth camps. Those fortunate enough to have property in this area enjoy lush forests and meadows, rushing streams, and easy access to the picturesque Cabresto Lake.

Cerro (11A)

The unincorporated small town of Cerro sits just below northeast slopes of Guadalupe Mountain. Agriculture irrigated by streams from the mountains to the east give this town its rural character. The town also serves as the gateway to the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic Rivers park - an overlook of the confluence of the Red and Rio Grande Rivers. The boundary between Questa and Cerro along 522 is rather undefined. Anything along and north of State Route 378 is definitely in Cerro. The Cerro Zone does not extend east of highway 522.

El Rito/Latir (20A)

North of Questa about five miles, the Latir Wilderness area encompasses snowcapped mountains that dramatically rise up from the valley floor without any foothills. Just below these peaks on the alluvial plan, sits the community of El Rito/Latir (El Rito should not be confused with the community of the same name in Rio Arriba county to the northwest of Española). Here homes in piñon pine filled lots enjoy unobstructed views both up to Latir Peak, west to beyond the Rio Grande River, and north to Mount Blanca in Colorado. If this area was nearer to Taos, its beauty would make it an incredibly expensive zone. But since it is about a 40 minute drive, this area offers lower prices to comparable closer-in areas. The zone extends along and east of Highway 522 from El Rito Road north past Latir Road to Sunshine Valley Road and east to the mountains.

Questa (34A)

The town of Questa serves as the economic center of northern Taos County. Here you will find banks, grocery stores, and a high school that serve the entire northern region. With a 30 minute drive to Taos and lower home prices, the community serves as home to many how work in Taos, or the nearby Molycorp mine, and Red River. The town in the valley formed by the Red River as it exits the mountains forms the majority of the zone. Highlands in the Mountain Valley Acres subdivision overlook the town from the northeast. The zone extends up the Red River Canyon to the Molycorp mine.

Sunshine (42A)

Sunshine valley road intersects Highway 522 about 10 miles north of Questa and forms the heart of the Sunshine zone. This sparsely populated agricultural area benefits from abundant and shallow ground water enabling irrigation. The dominant landmark is Ute Mountain immediately to the northwest though views of mountains in other directions are also impressive. Land that is not irrigated is among the lowest priced east of the Rio Grande. Residents here plan on long drives for all services and employment.

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