An open 19-acre expanse in the high-desert heart of Taos, newly renamed Red Willow Park, where the Sangre de Cristo peaks frame a historic cemetery and a world-class outdoor stage.
Red Willow Park, historically known as Kit Carson Park, is a 19-acre green expanse located in the high-desert heart of Taos. In November 2025, the Taos Town Council voted formally to rename the park to Red Willow Park, a decision supported by the Taos Pueblo Tribal Council to honor the Red Willow People (the Tua-tah) who have continuously cared for this land for over a millennium. Bordered by historic adobe architecture and framed by the rugged peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the park serves as a daily recreational hub and a sacred repository of local history. Shaded by mature trees and springtime lilacs, the grounds feature a three-quarter-mile walking track, sports fields, and a historic acequia system (the Kit Carson lateral, dating back to 1797) that still channels water through the northern boundary.
At the park's edge lies the historic Kit Carson Cemetery, established in 1847 as El Cemeterio Militar to bury soldiers and civilians killed during the Taos Rebellion. The cemetery is the final resting place of frontiersman Kit Carson and his wife Josefa Jaramillo, whose remains were relocated here from Colorado in 1869. Nearby, visitors can find the graves of other prominent figures who shaped the cultural landscape of Northern New Mexico, including Padre Antonio José MartÃnez, a reformist priest and publisher who championed education, and Mabel Dodge Luhan, the legendary art patron who drew modernist luminaries like Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams to the valley. This convergence of Native, Hispanic, and Anglo histories makes the park a quiet, contemplative space during the day, where the famous Taos light casts long shadows across the headstones.
As evening falls, this community space seamlessly transforms into one of the Southwest's premier outdoor music venues. Boasting a concert capacity of up to 8,000, the park serves as the epicenter for the Taos Summer Concert Series, hosting legendary performers like Sting, Los Lobos, and Charley Crockett under the high-desert stars. Because the venue sits at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet, the high-altitude sun is intense during daytime sets, and temperatures drop rapidly once the sun dips below the horizon. Concertgoers should prepare for cool mountain nights. While there are no rideshare services like Uber or Lyft in Taos, local transportation is supported by Curbside Taxi and Mountain View Shuttles. For those driving, street parking is available throughout the historic district, and meters are free on Sundays and after 5:00 PM.
Bring a low-profile folding chair or a blanket to claim your spot on the grass, but leave large bags and pets at home. If you plan on dining in town before a show, make a reservation well in advance: Taos restaurants are notoriously slow on concert nights, so allow at least two hours to avoid missing the opening act.