The Cave Loop Trail (1.2 miles long) will still provide you with an excellent opportunity to explore Tent Rocks. From the parking lot, you follow the same trail toward the slot canyon for the first half-mile. Then at the junction, turn left, and you’ll be on your way along the fairly level ground to the cave for which this trail is named. The 1-mile trail overlooks the picturesque Peralta Canyon and Jemez Mountain peaks for picture-perfect photo opportunities. Picnic shelters, restrooms, and shelters can be found on both trails. How to Get to the Tent Rocks From Santa Fe From Santa Fe, head south on I-25 and take the Cochiti Pueblo Exit 264 off I-25 onto NM 16.
Slot Canyon Trail
The 1.5 mile (one-way) Slot Canyon Trail is rather more interesting, one of the best short trails in the state. This branches off the Cave route and joins a stony wash that soon narrows to a proper slot canyon through the tuff. The ravine has curvy walls just a few feet apart but many feet deep, long, shady passageways through generally smooth rocks containing embedded pebbles, and just a few obstructions caused by dryfalls and chokestones; the maximum height is about three feet. The pretty slot opens out quite suddenly after a quarter of a mile, to a still narrow gorge that contains a few tall trees growing in the streambed, after which the canyon ascends more steeply, through another brief narrow part then climbs even more sharply to the top of the plateau, where it splits into several paths that lead to viewpoints looking out over the Tent Rock formations, down Peralta Canyon and across to the far away Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains. The total elevation gain is 640 feet. The plateau is more sparsely vegetated than the valley floor, bearing grasses, wildflowers and manzanita bushes. The most spectacular rocks are all around the last part of the trail, where they rise up to 90 feet, pure white, smoothly tapering and altogether very impressive. The path is popular, and despite the above average difficulty, most people manage to get to the end.
Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo Magico
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