Santa Fe Hiking and Backpacking Travel Guide

Santa Fe Hiking and Backpacking Travel Guide

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Snowy yucca near Santa Fe, New Mexico
Snowy yucca, Santa Fe, New Mexico (Jack Parsons/courtesy, Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau)
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Santa Fe Hiking and Backpacking Travel Tips

By Steve Metzger
  • Santa Fe edges up against some of the country's most dramatically beautiful mountains—the Sangre de Cristos, the Jemez, and the San Juans—providing access to virtually limitless hiking possibilities, lazy strolls along meandering streams, and technical ascents of backcountry peaks.
  • Hyde Memorial State Park, seven miles from downtown, is an ideal base for a range of hikes into the Santa Fe National Forest, especially in the fall when leaves turn to deep reds and gold. Follow Artist Road/NM 475 to the well-marked parking lot.
  • Hyde Park Loop, in Hyde Memorial State Park, winds four miles through pines, firs, and aspens and offers views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, and Sandia mountains.
  • The ten-mile Aspen Vista Trail is a moderately easy day hike offering views of the surrounding mountains and of the city of Santa Fe, 13 miles back down the mountainside. Continue about five miles past Hyde Park to the trailhead at Aspen Vista Picnic Area.
  • Pecos Wilderness Area sprawls over 200,000 acres in the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests, offering day hikes along meandering streams and backpacking into remote lakes. Take I-25 about 25 miles east. Information and maps are available at the District Office of Santa Fe National Forest in Pecos.

Santa Fe Travel Guide

After visiting Santa Fe, Will Rogers reportedly once said, "Whoever designed this town did so while riding on a jackass backwards and drunk." You, too, may find yourself perplexed when maneuvering through the meandering lanes and one-way streets in this, the oldest capital city in the United States. Read More

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Hotels

from: $109

Hotel Santa Fe

1501 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501 Map

Distance: 0.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

expert favorite hotel
Good For Hiking and Backpacking
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
5.0
from: $99

La Fonda Hotel

100 E. San Francisco
Santa Fe, NM 87501 Map

Distance: 0.1 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

expert favorite hotel
Good For Hiking and Backpacking
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
from: $127

Bishops Lodge Resort and Spa

1297 Bishop's Lodge Road
Santa Fe, NM 87501 Map

Distance: 4.0 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 4 class stars

expert favorite hotel
Good For Hiking and Backpacking
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
5.0
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Attractions

Pecos Wilderness

expert favorite attraction
Good For Hiking and Backpacking
1474 Rodeo Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Distance: 3.6 mi. (from destination center)
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Bandelier National Monument

expert favorite attraction
Good For Hiking and Backpacking
NM 4
White Rock, New Mexico

Distance: 25.0 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

Less than 15 miles south of Los Alamos along NM 4, this National Park Service area contains... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Nambe Falls Recreation Area

Good For Hiking and Backpacking
Northern Rio Grande region


Distance: 11.1 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Fish, hike, and camp at Nambe Lake Recreation Area, a popular summertime retreat. A short hike along the cottonwood-lined trail brings visitors to three natural cascades at Nambe Waterfalls.... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
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Airports

Major Airports near Santa Fe

Distance (mi.)
Albuquerque International Airport 57.8 map
Colorado Springs Municipal Airport 226.7 map
El Paso International Airport 270.1 map

Other Smaller Airports near Santa Fe

Distance (mi.)
Santa Fe Airport 8.5 map
Alamosa Municipal Airport 120.8 map
Durango La Plata Airport 142.9 map

Flight Deals to Santa Fe

Originating From
Milwaukee (MKE) to Albuquerque (ABQ) $211
San Francisco (SFO) to Albuquerque (ABQ) $225
Philadelphia (PHL) to Albuquerque (ABQ) $238
Baltimore (BWI) to Albuquerque (ABQ) $243
Sacramento (SAC) to Albuquerque (ABQ) $261

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