The Lone Tree, End Of An Era. 06-10-2026

Geraint June 10, 2026 5 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. I hope everyone had a good week. This week, the demise of the lone tree, my muse for over 40 years. Today I’m celebrating this tree with the photos I’ve captured over the years, in its prime. Two days ago, it was reported in the Taos News that it had finally fallen after sitting bare for a number of years.

I call it the lone tree, but it is also known as the ‘Taos Welcome Tree” as it heralds the departures of some and the arrivals of others while welcoming home those who live here.

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Biker heading to Taos at the welcome tree. — Biker heading to Taos at the Welcome Tree.

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the welcome tree and storm — The tree during a storm.

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The storm leaves puddles and my daughter went for a run and some reflection.

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The tree reflects in the roadside puddles at sunset.

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Light rays and clouds, as if drawn by the tree.

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Sunset at the tree. Click here to see full panorama.

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“The Taos Welcome Tree stands along the approach to Taos, New Mexico, greeting travelers with a quiet sense of arrival. Shaped by decades of wind, weather, and the high-desert climate, the tree has become an informal landmark and a symbol of the community’s enduring connection to the land. For many residents and visitors, seeing the tree signals that they are finally home—or that their Taos adventure is about to begin.

Set against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and New Mexico’s expansive skies, the tree embodies the rugged beauty of northern New Mexico. Its weathered form reflects the resilience required to thrive in this high-altitude environment, where intense sunlight, winter snowstorms, and strong spring winds are part of everyday life.

Photographers are especially drawn to the Welcome Tree because it changes character with the seasons and the light. It can appear dramatic beneath storm clouds, glowing in the warm hues of sunrise and sunset, or stark and sculptural against fresh winter snow. Its simple silhouette provides a powerful focal point that captures the spirit of Taos and the surrounding landscape.

Over the years, the Welcome Tree has become more than just a tree. It is a recognizable icon of place, a marker of memory, and a reminder of the natural beauty that has inspired artists, photographers, and travelers for generations.”

As always thanks for looking and all the comments and compliments. Have a great week. G

Lone Tree, Black Lake, New Mexico

Geraint November 8, 2020 4 Comments

Lone Tree, in Black Lake at the southern end of the Moreno Valley, New Mexico. In 1988 the Lonesome Dove miniseries/movie was filmed near here. The location substituted for Montana and the cabin they built near the lake can still be seen from the road. If you saw the movie you may have spotted this tree in one of the scenes where the cowboys were herding cattle. Thanks for looking. G

Lone Tree, Ute Mountain, San Luis Valley

Geraint September 21, 2020 No Comments

Lone tree with Ute Mountain in the vast San Luis Valley, Colorado. I can’t pass up a lone tree. I keep a folder full on my phone for future photo prospects when the elements come together. I like the animal track, probably a coyote who frequents the nearby hamlet of Mesita, Colorado. Thanks for looking. G

Lone Tree, Wild Rivers, Rio Grande Del Norte

Geraint July 27, 2020 8 Comments

Lone Tree, in the Wild Rivers area of the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument. I can’t pass up a lone tree, especially a bare lone tree. Here is today’s tree. You can’t tell from the photo, but the sage was wet from an afternoon downpour. The aroma was heady. Thanks for looking. G

Miami, New Mexico, the Plains

Geraint April 20, 2020 6 Comments

Miami, New Mexico, out “Where the Rockies meet the Plains.” I’m standing a little further east of there. Here on the plains I can see the Rockies, with miles of flat land to the east, punctuated with old volcanoes, stubby hills and rolling thunderstorms. This is another of my favorite areas for making favorite images like this one. You can tell which way the wind blows out here in Miami. Thanks for looking. G

Nesting, Swainson’s Hawk, San Luis Valley

Geraint April 16, 2020 4 Comments

Nesting, Swainson’s Hawk, in the San Luis Valley, southern Colorado, from a few years ago now. I still head to this location but the nest and the tree are long gone. It feels much more remote than it used to without this tree. This was the only time I saw a hawk nesting here. I know that raptors abandon nests for the parasites to die off, only to return to it in another season. So it was wonderful when my friend Mark Collins and I spotted it occupied by this Swainson’s Hawk after a number of years. Stay safe and well in your nest. Thanks for looking. G

El Malpais, Rocks, Tree, Sandstone Bluffs

Geraint March 14, 2020 4 Comments

El Malpais, National Monument, rocks and tree at the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. Another in the “Glass Lantern Slide” series. When self isolation translates into making art. One of two dozen images I’ve created over the last three weeks. Thanks for looking. G

Lone Tree Sunset, Reflections, VW Bus

Geraint September 20, 2019 2 Comments

Lone tree sunset, reflections with VW Bus, Taos, NM. Dipping in to the archives again today. Throwing out more than I’m saving by the time I’m through. So, I thought this one was a save. I’ve photographed this tree many times over the last three and a half decades. It has finally succumbed to more than one element, namely a chainsaw. It was always the first tree to leaf out in spring and the last to lose it’s leaves well into fall. It will probably stand there, on the side of the road until it rots and bows out. The locals call it the “welcoming tree“. I like the bus in there ,although the vehicle is interchangeable, the tree is not. Thanks for looking. G

Bobcat Pass Lone Tree

Geraint October 16, 2018 4 Comments

Bobcat Pass lone tree and sky. A favorite scene in northern New Mexico. This is a location where the shifting clouds form a fabulous backdrop to the tree, or when the summer moon rises directly behind it to the east. I like to stop here whenever I’m on the Enchanted Circle drive through the Moreno Valley and over Bobcat Pass. Keep looking up and thanks for looking. G

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The Plains, Miami, Eastern New Mexico

Geraint July 5, 2018 2 Comments

Miami on the plains, Eastern New Mexico. Lone tree and an incoming storm out on the plains near Miami, New Mexico, out where one can see forever. One of the comments I get from visitors, “I can’t see this far where I live,” they tell me. The plains, here, are one of my favorite locations for stark minimal landscapes. Thanks for looking. G

The Plains near Cimarron, NM

South of Ocate, NM

Geraint Smith Photography

Tag: Lone Tree