Santa Fe, NM - the Outdoors

I must say when I decided to come to New Mexico, I pictured it as flat desert with lots of cacti. In reality, northern parts of NM are much different, closer to Colorado in landscape. The mountains are incredibly beautiful, so I could not wait to hike as many trails as I could. 

I wanted to hike most popular trails and more:

1) Deception Peak and Lake Peak trail was a tough one for my first hike in Santa Fe. With elevation gain of just under 2,500 ft and 7 miles round trip in distance, the trail offers fantastic views of the mountains and Nambe Lake (the lake I would hike to later in the month).

Incredible views from the top

Beautiful alpine flowers

Nambe Lake visible in the distance

2) Sun Mountain Trail, while short in distance, is mighty in elevation gain and views. Just off the main road, the trailhead does not even have its designated parking lot, just parking on the side of the road. After you gain close to 800 ft in elevation (and are a bit out of breath), the views of Santa Fe and the surrounding areas are just fantastic.

Where the desert merges with the mountainous area

3) Stewart Lake trail was not my favorite. In fact, I did not even finish it. The trail was a foot wide pathway through tall grass, something I really didn't want to deal with when it came to ticks, and an insane variety of insects. While I did wear pants, I didn't feel comfortable hiking 11 miles in this.

4) Tesuque and Aspen Vista Loop was another tough but very picturesque hike. With close to 2,800 ft elevation gain (an most of it in a short period of time - 2nd mile at 1,600 ft elevation gain!), the trail is very rewarding with views, especially after you sweat your way through the first 3 miles. I took a detour at the mid-way point and added an extra mile or so to go to the lake. The detour worked out really well as the view of the lake was a great reward for more elevation gain. The way back was pretty boring along the fire road, but by then it was exactly what I needed after such a cardio (read: exhausting) hike.

Gentle stream in the beginning of the hike

Views at the mid-point

Me, exhausted with stylish hair and the view of the lake

5) Atalaya Mountain Trail was one of the most popular in Santa Fe. In fact, some Meetup groups even made it a comparison trail to describe other trails and participants' fitness level (i.e. to hike with this group you must complete Atalaya within 3 hours). Indeed, the trail was difficult at 1,800 ft elevation gain and just over 7 miles round trip. It was closer to the town, so it was more or less crowded in the morning.

More of a desert feel

6) Alcove House Trail and Frey Trail could be done in combination in Bandelier National Monument. It was a hot day, so I started out with Frey trail as it had some elevation gain and was completely exposed to the sun.

The main attraction was part of the Alcove trail. The trail winds through a picturesque landscape of towering sandstone cliffs, lush vegetation, and meandering streams. One of the highlights of the Alcove Trail is the chance to witness several ancient Native American alcoves, which are recesses carved into the rock walls that were once used as dwellings and ceremonial spaces by the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The trail ends in a dramatic reveal of Alcove House, a prominent and well-preserved alcove accessible via wooden ladders. This unique site offers a glimpse into the ancestral Puebloan way of life, and visitors can explore the structures and niches that were once used for various daily activities. With my fear of heights, the ladder climbing was not too exciting, so I skipped that part.

View from the top at the remnants of the meeting rooms

7) Nambe Lake Trail was the last trail I did in Santa Fe. It is by far one of the most popular hikes in the area. It is moderately difficult at just over 6 miles with over 2,000 ft elevation gain. The weather on the way back changed rapidly. It started to rain and hail higher up in the mountain. Luckily, I have already encountered this situation back in Colorado hiking Bergen Peak trail, so I bought a lightweight rain jacket that I used on this hike. I was pleasantly dry (on top at least) and warm.

Nambe Lake

Beautiful landscape of New Mexico

Overall, I was very surprised with the types of hikes I have done in Santa Fe. I did not anticipate anything beyond desert but instead I got a healthy combination of pine tree landscapes in the mountains and what I envisioned NM would be - dry desert.