SantaFe.com

Best known for mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier National Monument also includes over 23,000 acres of designated Wilderness. It was named for Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century anthropologist. Proclaimed on February 11, 1916. Acreage: 32,737, all federal. Wilderness area: 23,267 acres.

CAR - Visitors traveling North-South on I-25 take St Francis/84/285 exit for Santa Fe, go straight through city, then follow signs to Bandelier at each major junction. Beautiful alternative route for those going north on I25: at Bernalillo, take exit...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a remarkable outdoor laboratory, offering an opportunity to observe, study, and experience the geologic processes that shape natural landscapes, as well as other cultural and biological objects of interest. The area is rich in pumice, ash, and tuff deposits, the light-colored, cone-shaped tent rock formations that are the products of explosive volcanic eruptions that occurred between 6 and 7 million years ago. Small canyons lead inward from cliff faces, and over time, wind and water have scooped openings of all shapes and sizes in the rocks and...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

If you enjoyed the ruins at Pecos, you’ll love the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. The ruins of three pueblos—abandoned just before the 1680 Pueblo Revolt—are an incredible sight and provide a fascinating glimpse into New Mexico’s past.

You’ll need the better part of a day for this trip. The Salinas pueblos are about 80 miles southeast of Albuquerque (92 miles from Santa Fe) near the Manzano Mountains. The most direct route is to drive south on I-25 to Belen, then turn onto NM 47 South, which will take you on a southeastern diagonal to NM 60. Drive east on NM 60 to the town of...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
by Annie Lux • SantaFe.com

Okay, I admit it. I like pavement. I like air conditioning and cold water. I also like adventure. If you can relate, Kasha-Katuwe is the outdoor adventure for you. Known in English as Tent Rocks, this national monument is an easy drive south of Santa Fe on Cochiti Pueblo land. The last segment of road is dirt washboard that makes pavement lovers like me feel as if they’ve really gone off to do something daring.

A one-mile trail loops through the park and is even and smooth. The day I visited there was a woman making the trek in stilettos (really) and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
by AnnMarie McLaughlin • SantaFe.com