Almost everywhere you trek in the Southwest, you can feel history underfoot. In Taos, Old West heritage runs rampant and tales are as wild as the rugged terrain. Outlaw Hill, home of the famous Stakeout Grill and Bar, stakes its own claim to the great frontier.

Indians roamed these hills for centuries, establishing the Taos Pueblo, oldest continually inhabited dwelling in North America. Later, the mountains drew frontier folks of all sorts, from mountain men and miners to outlaws on the lam. That's where the Legend of Outlaw Hill comes in. Desperados holed up here, perched in a position where they could see for miles. If a posse was in pursuit, there were plenty of places to run – on Tierra Blanca Road by horse trail toward Truchas, or up a box canyon.



The Stakeout at Outlaw Hill has existed since 1976, our bicentennial year, but Outlaw Hill has been here forever. Located at an altitude of 7,200 feet, the Stakeout overlooks the Rio Grande Gorge State Park to the west, and Taos to the north.

The Gorge is an excellent summer retreat for swimming, fishing, rafting and sunbathing. The single lane road down to the Gorge is occasionally closed during severe weather in the winter months.

A clear eye can see the Mesa Pedernal, 80 miles to the south. Tres Orejas, Cerro, San Antonio, and Taos Mountain are also visible from the restaurant. San Antonio has, at its base, the largest square footage of any freestanding mountain in the United States. The Picuris (Picturesque) Mountains are to the east, with Kit Carson National Forest and Indian land beyond that. An interested person can see the Gorge Bridge which leads to Tres Piedras and the town of Carson, named after the most famous trapper, adventurer and Indian Scout to explore the area (1809 - 1868).

The Stakeout at Outlaw Hill is situated on the original Santa Fe Trail, which is the same Pan American highway that stretches from Alaska to South America. Before the road to Pilar was cut in and the current highway was made, the Santa Fe Trail was the major thoroughfare between Taos and Santa Fe.

Outlaw Hill is not a gimmicky name created to suit a purpose or set a mood at the Stakeout. Outlaw Hill was a destination where desperados and other on-the-lam types could rest and see any approaching adversaries in any direction for miles around. The outlaw's back was "covered" by the rugged mountain terrain to the east in the event that a sheriff and posse came to the Hill.

There are two very good avenues of escape from Outlaw Hill. One is up Stakeout Drive which leads by horse trail to Mora, Truchas and points east. The other is up the next canyon south, today marked by a rundown logging road. The second canyon is a box canyon with a mountain peak covering most of its floor. The idea was for outlaws to enter the canyon at the mouth, and follow the maze around in a circle to the right or left, eventually arriving back at the point of origin. At that time the outlaws could ambush their pursuers or flee. There are also other escape trails within the canyon which are negotiable but steep.

It is told that the immediate area of Outlaw Hill is the site of an ancient Taos Indian burial ground thought to be older than the 800+ year-old Taos Pueblo!

If the magic of Taos mountain has made you return to Taos, or if it compels you to stay, feel fortunate. There is no finer place to be.