Santa Fe: Discover Trails, History and Culture
Accommodation in Santa Fe
Santa Fe combines impressive landscapes with traces of Indigenous, Spanish and American history. Those looking for a holiday apartment for a varied vacation will find inspiration here for active days, cultural discoveries and excursions with different focuses. The selection ranges from trails along the Santa Fe River to historic sites, museums and notable places along the Santa Fe Trail.
Trails through Open Landscapes
The Open Space, Trails and Parks Program of Santa Fe County manages a total of 9,400 acres of open space, 18 parks and 75 miles of trails for the use and enjoyment of residents and visitors to Santa Fe County. An interactive trail map includes hundreds of trails throughout the county, including county trails, trails in the Santa Fe National Forest and trails in the City of Santa Fe. Trail descriptions, elevation profiles, photos, information about parking and contact details make it easier to prepare for individual excursions.
Various trail lengths and surfaces are available for planning your day. Within the county’s jurisdiction, the Santa Fe Rail Trail runs 12.5 miles south to Lamy. It connects to the Spur Trail 1.78 miles south of the Rabbit Road Trailhead. Trains operated by the Santa Fe Southern Railway run along the route on scenic round trips.
The El Camino Real Trail also provides specific guidance: From the trailhead at Constellation Drive, it runs 14 miles north to Diablo Canyon. There is a paved parking area for 20 cars, information boards and two footbridges over the Santa Fe River. The first 4.5 miles to County Road 62 are paved; the remaining section is unpaved. The Santa Fe River Greenway is approximately 8 miles long within the county and extends from the city limits at Frenchy’s Field to the wastewater treatment plant west of NM-599. The San Isidro River Park and Trail connects the parking area at San Isidro Crossing with Agua Fria Park over a distance of 0.7 miles.
Nature and History in One Trip
Cerrillos Hills State Park is located along the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Arroyo Hondo Open Space is home to the historic Arroyo Hondo Dam No. 2, built at the beginning of the 20th century. Those wishing to combine a landscape with cultural connections can also put the South Pasture Loop Trail on their list: It leads through pastureland and a stand of cottonwood trees along the Pecos River.
At Nambé Falls, there are two trails, each approximately a quarter of a mile long, from the Ramada Area. One leads uphill to a viewpoint above the waterfalls. The other runs along and through the river and leads to a beach at the lowest pool. On the Tsankawi Trail, a 1.5-mile route crosses mesa terrain past rock shelters, petroglyphs and the Ancestral Pueblo village of Tsankawi. Ladders are required; because of the trail’s heavy exposure to the weather, it should not be used during local thunderstorms.
For those interested in culture, the area around Santa Fe offers other notable destinations. El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a historic ranch complex dating from the early 18th century and a 200-acre living history museum dedicated to the heritage and culture of Spanish Colonial New Mexico. El Santuario de Chimayó is a Spanish Colonial church built in 1813 and a National Historic Landmark. Pecos National Historical Park contains preserved structures from Pecos Pueblo and the Spanish Mission. The Trading Post there was built in the 1850s as a station along the Santa Fe Trail and now serves as an information center and museum about the Santa Fe Trail, the Civil War and ranching in New Mexico.
The Poeh Cultural Center and Museum is dedicated to the traditional arts of the Tewa-speaking Pueblos of New Mexico, displays Pueblo art and exhibitions, and hosts traditional Indigenous dances. In Agua Fria Village, adobe houses and the historic San Isidro Church recall an original stopping place along the Camino Real and characterize one of the oldest agricultural settlements in North America. Every year on October 4, Nambé Pueblo honors San Francisco de Asís with a feast day.
Choose the Right Base
When searching for your holiday apartment, first consider which travel style is most important to you: trails and river landscapes, historic sites or cultural insights. For longer routes such as the El Camino Real Trail, the information about paved and unpaved sections is relevant when planning. The Tsankawi Trail requires particular attention because of the ladders and weather conditions. Those wishing to combine several interests can fit nature experiences, train rides and historic sites into their own daily schedule without committing to just one type of vacation.
For further location options, you will also find the nearby destinations Santa Fe, Española, Jaconita, Agua Fria, Los Cerrillos and Cañada de los Alamos. This allows you to tailor your accommodation search to the desired focus of your trip.
To the higher-level travel overview: New Mexico.
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