Red River, New Mexico — It looks like Enchanted Forest won’t operate this winter. However, someone has stepped up late in the game to save the day.
In September, the owners of Enchanted Forest announced in a press release that they don’t plan to operate this upcoming winter.
This followed a very underwhelming 2025-26 season, which saw no cross-country ski trail openings. There was some access, with snowshoe trails available and some overnight yurt stays. But with the insurance needing to be renewed, and prior loans to keep the business going, making an additional financial bet was unwise.
“We kept thinking we just had to make it through one more bad year,” said Enchanted Forest owner Miller-Goins to Taos News. “At some point, you have to ask whether these are still individual bad years or whether the nature of winter itself is changing. We simply don’t have the financial or emotional reserves left to gamble on another winter.”
However, someone has come in to save the day. Yesterday, Enchanted Forest announced that they are in talks with new operators that plan to reopen the facility this winter. The duo is reportedly from Red River, keeping the ski center in local hands. However, this is not a done deal, so we’ll see what comes next.
About Enchanted Forest
Originally started as a small downhill ski area, it was eventually converted to a cross-country ski center. The ski area features 33 km of trails for cross-country skiers, over 15 km of trails for snowshoers, and 5 km of trails for those who want to take their dog on an adventure. There’s also summer access, with people enjoying hiking, using fat bikes, and renting the yurts for overnight stays.
The ski area has been for sale for years. A big challenge for the new owner will be deciding whether to add snowmaking, which could be key to future operations. With it being on U.S. Forest Service land, that type of project would need to be approved by the government.
Image/Video Credits: Enchanted Forest
