Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks and Slot Canyon
This hike gives you a chance to see the unique geologic formation
known as tent rocks. If you do this hike, you also go through a
slot canyon and up onto the mesa, leading to great views of the
Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains.
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Hike data:
Maps:
Getting to the trailhead:
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Exit I-25 at the NM 22 exit (Cochiti Lake), and head northwest. 0.75 mi
after you cross the Rio Grande, turn left (southwest) on NM 22
toward Cochiti Pueblo. Go 1.7 miles and turn right on Tribal Route 92
(connects to Forest Service Road 266). The turn is easy to see, because
of the large water tank painted like a drum.
The road is (or turns to) dirt, and you go 4.8 miles (but you see
the monument entrance sign after only 0.5 mile). The parking area
and trailhead are on the right.
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The hike:
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Heading out from the trailhead, the wide, sandy trail forks almost
immediately. We took the canyon trail first, and returned through
the tent rocks and cave loop.
Our friend Michael Wester is the person in the photo looking at the
trailhead information sign.
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We hiked past this unique ponderosa long before this area was a national
monument. You go past it as you head uphill toward the cliff base.
A little past the Y-branched ponderosa you meet the tent rocks and
cave loop again (GPS TRNMY1).
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 | Just past TRNMY1 is the canyon entrance. In the photo, Michael Wester
is walking out of the canyon.
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As you walk through the canyon, it varies from being just shoulder-width
to being a bit wider.
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When you get out of the narrow part of the canyon, look up and to your
left to the mesa top. This is where the trail will end, and you will
be looking down on where you are now in a few minutes.
When you get to the back of the canyon, the trail heads up the side of
the canyon. You can see some of the tent rocks for which this area was
named.
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As you climb up the back of the canyon, you can look down on the tent
rocks, and see the layers.
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 | The views from up on the mesa top are great. Notice Cochiti Lake in the
distance.
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When you get to the mesa top, a trail leads down to the tip of the mesa.
Along the way, you can look down into the canyon.
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 | At the end, you can see the trail that you took to get to the canyon.
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Along the way, we saw this guy (gal? I don't know how to sex spiders :-)
hiking also. No need to be afraid. It would not bother you unless you
bothered it.
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 | Another critter we shared the trail with was this lizard.
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Return the way you got here to the cave loop (GPS
TRNMY1). This time, take the loop, which
goes past this shelter cave, and takes you close to some of the tent
rocks. before returning to near the trailhead.
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Plants we saw along the trail:
Animals we saw along the trail:
Reader comments about this hike:
On Mon Aug 30 09:11:03 2004 Tracy from Albuquerque said:
The trailhead now has plenty of covered picnic tables and very clean
bathrooms. The whole area is fabulous!
The hike is very easy and children shouldnt have a problem leading
the way or keeping up. We had two four year old boys who hiked
both trails without any problems.
I recommend this hike to anyone and everyone who wants to get out
of the city and have fun.
On Sun Apr 24 18:09:27 2005 nilck and lynda from abq nm and SoCalif. said:
Incredible and unique!! Been around much of the USA and Canada and
never seen any formations like these. Outstanding and very easy to
do.
On Sun Jun 5 06:20:55 2005 Karen from PA said:
I hiked this two years ago; it remains a favortie of my coast to
coast hiking sites. While on the rim, a thunderstorm threatened.
We had metal trekking poles and ran til our hearts felt like bursting
to get down into the canyon. Catching our breath under a rock lodged
in the slot, we fumbled for our raingear. Looking around the corner,
I saw a flash flood rising. Again, we ran, the water rushing high
above our boots. It was awesome and frightening. When the canyon
finally widened, the water spread out, and we laughed crazily that
we had made it out ALIVE. We were soaked, covered with rock
particles--looking like cement people--blending into the bizzare
geology quite nicely!
On Mon Oct 10 08:22:12 2005 Stacey from Somewhere said:
Just Beautiful! The hike was just challenging enough. We took a picnic to the top enjoyed views of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains. The scenery made me realize why I moved to New Mexico.
On Tue Oct 11 09:17:17 2005 Jessica Simpson from Somewhere said:
It was so dirty there it wasnt even funny! the tent rocks are ok
but damn its dirty.
On Tue Oct 11 11:31:48 2005 the ExploreNM Webmaster from Albuquerque replied:
I checked with a friend who hiked this trail on September 18, 2005,
and he did not notice any cleanliness issues at that time. I will
try to get out there to check on this.
On Mon Oct 24 08:56:59 2005 kris from kristen_pedro2009yahoo.com said:
tent rocks was the best hike I've been too! because i maybe the
exercise... it was hard going to the top. but i would like to go
again with my class
On Mon Oct 24 15:07:08 2005 Marjorie Leekya from somewhere said:
i just wanted to know what the geological name for the tent rocks
is because i am having a hard time finding that in your website
Later, the webmaster replied:
I asked a geologist, and she said: "these don't have a specific
geological name. They are like hoodoos, but not quite. They are
erosional features."
On Tue Oct 25 19:10:03 2005 Michael Sattell from somewhere said:
This is one of our favorite family hikes. I will be returning this
weekend. Very easy yet beautiful trails. The tent rocks are amazing
sturctures; I noticed less eroded forms at Bandelier afterwards
(Bandelier is in the same vicinity).
On Mon Feb 13 11:36:34 2006 Anonymous from ABQ,NM said:
We have hiked this trail many times and it is a favorite, especially
with our kids. On one of the more memorable hikes we reached the
top and saw thunderclouds coming straight at us. We tried to hurry
down, but about halfway back the storm hit. There wasn't any
lightning, but there was a tremendous amount of hail. It was
incredibly cool watching "waterfalls" of hail coming down into the
canyon. By the end of the storm the entire canyon bottom was covered
with hail, and the bottoms of these "waterfalls" had a foot or more
of accumulated ice pellets. We were soaked, and a bit nervous, but
it was an incredible experience.
On Thu Jul 6 23:14:21 2006, Dave Posey from Clovis, NM said:
We did this hike on Dec. 29, 2005. It is one of our favorites. I
did find something along the hike that isn't really rare but you
don't see it very often. We found a Manzanita bush at the top of
the hike. Manzanita was used by indians for medecinal purposes,
and they also used dried leaves for smoking. Interesting.
On Tue Apr 24 23:41:09 2007 Glenn from prospect Hts., il said:
Yet another wonderful New Mexico treat to put someplace on my ever changing top ten places I would love to show someone in this most beautiful and bizarre State. Here and the Bisti always seem to remain near the top.
btw thanks to the people responsible for this site. Found it surfing around
On Thu May 17 09:52:46 2007 Stama from Tennessee said:
We hiked most of this trail on May 11, 2007. We came in late and
it so we could only do some of the hike. It was very clean. I
loved this area and highly recommend it. We were in the 4 corners
area for a week -- second trip in 10 years.
Has anyone seen the snake and wavy line petraglyphs that are near
the beginning of the canyon trail? I asked the "ranger" and he
said he never noticed them as a kid. I wondered if anyone knows
the story about these?
Thanks!
On Tue Oct 2 15:50:07 2007 Mike S from Austin, TX said:
Hiked the canyon on Monday, Oct 1, 2007 at about 1 PM with my wife / brother / sister in law. Was truly one of the most scenic and interesting places I've been. The parking / bathrooms / picnic table areas were very clean as was the trail.
Hike up and back took us about 2 hrs but that was rushing it because we had to catch a flight back home. We would have loved to have taken a LOT more time there but at least we have something to look forward to because we will be back!
On Mon Jan 21 01:53:38 2008 Bob from Kentucky said:
We will be vactioning is Santa Fe this June and might like to hike this area. We are not trained hikers and was wondering how hard this hike is? What gear is a must and what attire should we ware? How long is the hike and what will the weather be like?
Also any other destionations that might be of intreast for a family?
Thanks, Bob
On Mon Jan 21 13:01:06 2008 The Webmaster from Albuquerque, NM said:
I do not put difficulty ratings on hikes because what is difficult
for one person my be trivial for another. For this hike, you
probably only need good shoes and clothes appropriate for the weather
when you arrive. If you do not climb to the mesa top, most people
would consider this an easy hike. As for gear, you need water and
sun screen. A hat is probably a good idea as well. Details about
the hike length and times are at the top of the page.
Bob, you should use the suggestion form for
your question; I normally reply personally to questions like this.
However, since you did
not leave your email address, I cannot respond to you.
On Fri Apr 25 15:32:57 2008 C.S. from Germany said:
We had a very fast hike onto the top in May 2007. The tent rocks are really very special! We were lucky to be there all alone, so nothing disturbed the majestic silcence and the fantastic landscape around.
Great place to see again!
On Wed Apr 30 11:09:21 2008 Mark Cohen from Takoma Park, Maryland said:
We enjoyed our visit tremendously, but had an unfortunate experience at the end that we wanted to warn folks about. We only had a very short time to visit, and arrived only a few hours before the 7 PM closing time. We paid our $5 dollars, talked to the gate attendant about potential hikes, were told that the park closed at 7 PM, and to watch our time. Well, we did the whole hike and got back to our car at around 6:55, and unfortunately arrived back at the gate at about 7:05 (there is a ~4 mile dirt road to the gate). When we arrived, we found the gate locked with no way to get our car out! We called the numbers on the gate, eventually got to talk with some one, and they eventually came out to open the gate. It was a very disappointing experience for everyone involved. It was shocking to us that we were not told the "GATE CLOSES at 7 PM" by the gate attendant when we arrived, or that this fact was not displayed prominently. We meant no disrespect, and if we had simply been told what would happen, we would have definitely made it back before 7 PM. The person who came to unlock the gate was very upset... The whole interaction ruined the visit for us, but could have easily been avoided.
On Thu May 15 20:08:00 2008 Russ from El Paso, TX said:
Phenomenal! I'm constantly amazed by the beauty of the southwest. Bring a boonie cap or a good hat to cover your neck as you hike, bring water in something you can attach to your body as you climb (especially near the top), and come early to enjoy this hike. Also, if it is supposed to be windy watch out...the sand stings!
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
On Sat May 24 20:33:52 2008 Penny of NC from North Carolina said:
We visited NM for the first time May 17, 2008 and ended up hiking Tent Rock, we were in TOTAL AWE, I love nature and what it has to offer, my eyes were just amazed at what we saw, it's one of those "OMG, can you belive this place" we loved it and if I ever get back to NM, I would do it again, and I found the hike moderatley easy, with some light climbs. BEST location west of the Mississippi.
On Mon Jun 2 08:08:06 2008 robin from Albuquerque said:
We (family of 3) visited on June 1st, 2008. Wow! It was even more fabulous than we had expected. The slot canyon was fun and gorgeous. We took both video and still photos and we were all amazed at the beauty. The tents are so bizaar and interesting and the view from the trail leading to the top is fantastic! Take a camera and lots of water! It was very sunny and hot when we visited. It took us 2 hours to do both trails (stopping often for photos). Creatures spotted: rabbits, squirrels, several types of lizards, roadrunner, and a large owl. Most of the hiking is easy but there are some areas in the climbing ascent to the top which may be difficult for some people. Overall it was our favorite hike we have ever done in NM.
Do get there early though, especially on weekends. We arrived at 9am and there were already 2 other cars in the parking lot. At 11am when we left, the parking lot was full and people were circling waiting for a spot. There is a $5 per car parking fee, clean restrooms, and lots of picnic tables. Very nice, well maintained trails.
On Sat Jul 12 14:48:44 2008 Alan from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada said:
Tent Rocks is one of the most spectacular and amazing places you'll get to see in North America. Why it's not better known than it is is a mystery to me. Anyone who's either in or anywhere remotely close to Santa Fe should really make time to go there. It will certainly be well worth the time and effort. For anyone who does any mountain hiking, the trek to the top of Tent Rocks will seem quick and easy. The grades are relatively gradual, and the total distance is short. In response to the person who claimed Tent Rocks is "dirty," I think she was misinformed about exactly where she was, because she certainly couldn't have been in Tent Rocks National Monument. It's spotless everywhere. Dirt? Does she mean the dust that's bound to lie on the trail? What does she expect? But dirty? Not a chance. Don't be misled by that ridiculous comment.
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