The desert tarantula, also called the desert blonde tarantula, is common in New Mexico. These arachnids usually keep to themselves, spending most of their lives in burrows. However, in the fall, you can spot them almost anywhere, especially on desert highways and roads. These large spiders covered in brown or tan hairs leave their hiding places and wander the desert in search of mates. Their breeding season lasts from September to October.
Where to Spot Tarantulas
Tarantulas are abundant in northern New Mexico, around Santa Fe and Albuquerque. They can usually be easily spotted on Santa Fe Desert County Road 42 and along Highway 64 from Taos to Tres Piedras. Tarantulas are also common in central New Mexico on Highway 60 from Mountainair to Amerillo and in various parks and nature preserves.
Cerrillos Hills State Park
Cerrillos Hills State Park is located off the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. In addition to beautiful views of the Jemez, Sandia, Ortiz, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the park offers hiking trails, where you can spot tarantulas during their annual migration. The park is open daily, and sometimes the park staff will lead guided tours to see the tarantulas. The best time to look for spiders is in the afternoon, around sunset.
Monument national de Bandelier
Bandelier National Monument is a protected area and ancestral homeland of more than 20 tribal nations. Located near Los Alamos, the scenic site with its steep canyons and mesas is known for frequent tarantula sightings in the fall. You can hike one of the trails that lead from the visitor center into Frijoles Canyon to the Ancestral Pueblo sites.
National Monument of Rio Grande del Norte
The Rio Grande West Bank Trail, located in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument near Taos, is another great destination for spider spotting. An easy trail that’s about 3.8 miles (6 km) long and can be completed in less than 1.5 hours. As a bonus, you’ll get to see some beautiful mountain views along the west bank of the Rio Grande Gorge.
Tarantula Facts
Eight-legged tarantulas eat insects, which they kill by stinging them with their venom. The venom is generally harmless to humans, but if you are bitten by a tarantula, you may feel a sting, similar to that of a bee. Male spiders only live to adulthood and can reproduce. They die shortly after mating unless the female tarantulas kill and eat the poor males in the process of reproduction. In contrast, females can live up to 25 years, giving birth to thousands of offspring. A tarantula wasp is the only natural enemy of these arachnids.
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