New Mexico's only full-service cross-country ski and snowshoe area is at a crossroads. The Enchanted Forest, tucked into the Carson National Forest three miles east of Red River at the top of Bobcat Pass, is for sale — listed at $250,000 after what its owners describe as the worst winter in 40 years.
The numbers tell the story of what the place is: more than 33 kilometers of groomed Nordic ski trails, 18 kilometers of snowshoe-only trails, and 5 kilometers of dog-friendly trails, all on about 560 acres managed under a U.S. Forest Service special use permit. There is a day lodge with rentals and retail, a ski school, guided snowshoe tours, a mid-trail warming yurt, and four overnight yurts that let skiers sleep out on the snow. It opened in the winter of 1985-86 with about 10 kilometers of trails and grew steadily for four decades.
For the Red River community and the Carson National Forest, the Enchanted Forest has been the quiet counterpart to downhill skiing — the place for classic and skate skiers, snowshoers, families, and anyone who wants winter in the Sangre de Cristos at a slower pace. Its Just Desserts Eat and Ski evenings and holiday luminaria tours became local traditions. The operation runs 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM daily in season, and in summer the trails double for hiking, mountain biking, and trail running.
What happens next is genuinely uncertain. The listing describes a turnkey sale — trails, buildings, grooming equipment, a rental fleet of more than 150 skis, the brand, and the special use permit, which runs through 2053. Whether a new owner keeps the Nordic operation running will determine whether the coming winter has groomed trails at Bobcat Pass.
For now, the practical advice for Nordic skiers is to watch for announcements before making winter plans, and to have a backup: the Carson National Forest itself offers miles of ungroomed backcountry ski terrain, and the Cumbres and Toltec area to the west has its own quiet winter trails. The Enchanted Forest's four decades show how much a small, well-loved ski operation can mean to a mountain town. Here's hoping the next chapter keeps the tracks groomed.