Canyon Trail in Tent Rocks National Monument

If you’re spending more than a day or two anywhere in the Santa Fe or Albuquerque area, be sure to visit the somewhat unknown and out-of-the-way Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. This is truly a remarkable place - located about 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe.

The odd cone-shaped formations that give the area its name are the products of volcanic eruptions that took place 6 to 7 million years ago, which left pumice, ash and volcanic tuff deposits over one-thousand feet deep. Over the millennia wind and water slowly eroded the tuff, which formed the canyons and tent rocks we see today. Some of these hoodoos, or tent rocks, reach up to 90 feet in height.

The only other place in the world where you can find these unusual rock formations is in the Cappadocia region of Turkey.

The monument includes two trails that provide up-close views of the tent rocks, as well as the opportunity to pass through a narrow slot canyon. In some places the canyon walls narrow to just-beyond shoulder width. The two trails combined, the Slot Canyon Trail and Cave Loop Trail, are known as the Tent Rocks National Recreation Trail. This hike description encompasses both trails for a total roundtrip hike of 3.7 miles.

From the parking area the main trail heads north through a piñon-juniper woodland. After walking about a tenth-of-a-mile along the sandy path you’ll arrive at the lower Cave Loop Trail junction. We stayed right here to continue towards the slot canyon. From the lower junction the Slot Canyon Trail continues along a gentle grade to reach the upper Cave Loop Trail junction, located at roughly four-tenths of a mile. On your return trip you’ll turn here to complete the Cave Loop portion of this hike. We stayed to the right at this junction as well.

From the upper junction the more difficult Slot Canyon Trail becomes a one-way trek through the winding and narrow canyon, while making a fairly steep 500-foot ascent to reach the top of the mesa. In some areas the walls of the canyon will tower more than 300 feet above the canyon floor. Though the route is obvious as you pass through the chasm, there are a few spots that will require some very minor scrambling to reach the top. At just under 1.5 miles from the trailhead hikers will reach the top of the canyon. From here the official trail continues south along the narrow mesa. After walking a short distance it comes to an end at a low rise, but an unimproved social trail continues almost to the southern edge of the mesa.

From the top of the mesa hikers will enjoy a birds-eye view of the tent rocks below. You’ll also enjoy excellent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez and Sandia mountains, as well as the Rio Grande Valley. On your return trip, after exiting the canyon, hikers will turn right onto the Cave Loop Trail at the upper junction described above. This trail leads to the base of the cliffs where you’ll notice a cave dwelling, or cavate, carved into the soft volcanic tuff. Ancient ancestors of the nearby Pueblo de Cochiti dug this cavate sometime between the 14th and 15th centuries. In the traditional Keresan language of the Pueblo, “Kasha-Katuwe” means “white cliffs.” From the base of the cliff the trail meanders back down to the lower junction, and then heads back to the parking area.

Along either trail hikers may see a variety of wildlife, including mule deer, coyotes, rabbits, lizards, rattlesnakes, ravens, hawks, kestrels, swallows, swifts and maybe even an eagle. Plant life along the trails include ponderosa pine, cottonwoods, shrub oak, hop trees, pinon, juniper, yucca and even manzanita.

Be sure to bring plenty of water, as none is available in the national monument.

After returning back to our "base camp" in Santa Fe later that afternoon, we paid a visit to an excellent brewpub in town known as the Blue Corn Café. With two locations in town, I would recommend going to the downtown location. If you’re lucky enough, grab a table on the balcony. Both the beer and the New Mexican style food are outstanding.


Trail: Cave Loop / Slot Canyon Trail
RT Distance: 3.7 Miles
Elevation Gain: 900 feet
Max Elevation: 6365 feet
TH Location: Off I-25, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe
Map: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

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Occupy Wall Street

Back in September of 2012 we decided it was time to join the movement! Kathy and I heeded the call from the 99% and decided it was time to Occupy Wall Street. When we reached the trailhead at Sunset Point, however, we soon discovered that we were actually among the 1%. There were only two other people ahead of us who had ventured down the Navajo Loop Trail and into the Wall Street Canyon at this point.

Lesson learned: when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park it’s far better to begin your hikes as early in the morning as possible in order to beat the crowds. If you wait until later in the morning people will begin filing in by the busloads - literally. Moreover, the changing light of the early morning (or late afternoon) provides some of the best opportunities for photographing the hoodoos and canyon walls.

Our destination for the day was the Queen’s Garden Loop, which includes parts of the Navajo Loop Trail and Wall Street, while taking hikers through a beautiful maze of colorful hoodoos along the spectacular canyon floor.

Although the park recommends hiking this extremely popular loop in clockwise fashion, we did the opposite. Based on a tip we received the day before, we began our hike from Sunset Point which allowed us to explore Wall Street virtually on our own, and to ascend the more gentle grades of the Queen’s Garden Trail when climbing back to the top of the rim at Sunrise Point.

Our hike began with a rapid descent down Wall Street, probably the highlight of the hike, at least for me. The trail drops 400 feet in less than a half-mile before passing through the narrow canyon walls that provide its namesake. The park warns that more rocks fall on this trail than any other trail in the park. In fact, a major rockslide occurred here in 2006, and subsequent slides shut this section of trail down in 2010 and 2011.

At the far end of the narrow canyon there are a couple of Douglas fir trees that are estimated to be between 500 and 700 years old.

After exiting Wall Street the trail begins passing through a maze of colorful hoodoos. There were so many interesting rock formations that I found myself constantly doing 360s in order to take in all the sites. I was also quite amazed to see so many trees growing within the canyon, including pinyon pine, juniper and ponderosa pine.

Soon the Navajo Loop Trail intersects with the Queen’s Connecting Trail. Although we were more than 600 feet below the rim, and more than three-quarters of a mile away, we could still smell bacon wafting through the air from campers at the Sunset Campground.

After traveling about a mile on the Queen’s Connecting Trail you’ll reach a short side trail that leads to the Queen Victoria rock formation. I’ll let you be the judge as to whether the hoodoo resembles the famous statue in London:

After viewing the “Queen” the loop continues, and soon reaches the Queen’s Garden Trail junction. From here hikers will begin climbing back up to the top of the rim. Along the way you’ll pass through a couple man-made rock arches.

This is a classic hike, and one that should be taken even if you only have a few hours to spend in the park. The trail is well groomed but I would recommend taking a map as some of the side trails and signage can be a little confusing.


Trail: Queen’s Garden Loop
Roundtrip Distance: 3.1 Miles
Total Elevation Gain: 617 feet
Max Elevation: 8017 Feet
TH Location: Sunset Point
Map: Bryce Canyon NP Trails Illustrated Map

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