Ojo Caliente, New Mexico

Aspen Vista Road (Forest Road 150) starts at an elevation of 10,000 feet and climbs up through a large stand of beautiful aspen and pine trees to the summit of Tesuque Peak at an elevation of 12,045 feet (note the Aspen grove is one large living being as all the roots are interconnected). These ...

Accessible June through October, snow lingers on the trail late into the summer. This is a very popular, well-marked route so if it's solitude you're seeking, you'll probably be disappointed. At least on the weekend.The trailhead is at the parking lot for Ski Santa Fe. You'll climb from 10,250 to...

Starting at the ski basin above Santa Fe, where parking is ample and the drive to reach it is staggeringly beautiful, you head north from the bottom of the parking lot from a well marked trailhead.  The climb starts right out of the gate, and at a starting altitude of 10,000 ft above sea level yo...

Start your hike from the Visitor's Center and head out on the Main Loop Trail to begin. You can hike the loop in either direction, either first crossing the river across from the Visitor's Center or heading out from directly behind the Center. If you start from across the river, you'll begin with...

Bandelier National Monument encompasses over 33,000 acres of public land, including Frijoles Canyon, the home of the Ancestral Puebloans that once lived in the area. The park has miles of trails to explore the rugged countryside, but the main attractions are the cliff dwellings you'll find on the...

Mount Wheeler is the highest peak in New Mexico at 13,161 feet and is considered the 8th highest state peak. The hike begins just over 10,000 feet near the Bavarian Restaurant. Drive past the Taos Ski Resort and follow the signs for the restaurant until the road ends. The 6.2 mile trek begins a...

This hike is conveniently located at Taos Ski Valley and offers two primary options: a fun 4-mile round trip hike to beautiful Williams Lake, or a 7-mile round trip hike all the way to the Wheeler Peak. You can’t go wrong with either option, but if you’re up for it, bagging Wheeler Peak is defini...

This moderate trail is accessed from the Columbine campground on Highway 38. It will be on your right side when traveling east from Questa. Drive to the back end of the campground, where there are several spaces for parking. The moderate version of this hike will travel about 4 miles south into t...

Hyde Memorial State Park yurts are nestled high in the Sangre de Cristo mountains amongst the ponderosa pines, and sleep six and provide a modern setting with roots in ancient tradition. Their location in the State Park provide easy access to park's vast trail system.Each bed has  an encapsulated...

Although you can reach these hot springs via the main trail in the winter, the Thompson Ridge route is a shorter option that comes in from above the springs rather than below. If you go in winter, you'll need winter route finding skills for the trail (there's no signage at any point) and an all w...

These hot springs are a short hike from the parking area along the top of Forest Service Road 376. I've added additional details below in the event that the road is closed due to seasonality or you prefer to stretch your legs for a significantly longer, yet scenic hike. The GPX track is displayin...

Along the downtown Santa Fe plaza, you will run into an obvious architectural beauty. It's the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis de Assisi. It's placed perfectly in the plaza where the sunset will make the massive structure glow or have interesting shadows cast off its facade. The cathedral itse...

People come from all over the world to see sunsets in the southwest. This is a great little spot tucked away in a neighborhood I stayed in for a month. On Rodriguez street, there is a parking space for "visitors" of a particular house in the neighborhood (marked on the map). I didn't see a car t...

Canyon Road in Santa Fe New Mexico, is home to one of the largest gatherings of fine art galleries featuring original work you'll find. Santa Fe is considered the 3rd largest distributor of art in the world, behind New York and Paris. The difference with Canyon Road is the unique environment tha...

Begin this trail from the Cerro Gordo Trailhead which is only about 10 minutes from Santa Fe Plaza. You can park in the lot near the intersection of Cerro Gordo and Upper Canyon Rd. The lot will fill up on the weekends so arrive early. From the lot, take the short Nature Conservancy trail to the ...

The Dale Ball Trail system, covers a wide swath of terrain between Santa Fe County, the City of Santa Fe, the National Forest, and The Nature Conservancy with a 22 mile network of trails in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Located a short distance from downtown Santa Fe, it is the...