Outdoors

The City Different and the county in which it resides offer a wondrous outdoor playground to be discovered. Amid the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, the Rio Grande Valley to the south and west, and the Jemez Mountains for your sunsets, enthusiasts can often ski, bike, hike, fish, and paddle all in the same week.

From the mountain slopes of Ski Santa Fe to the foothill trails of Santa Fe’s Dale Ball Trail system and the waterways of Northern New Mexico, there is an abundance of beautiful terrain for you to enjoy, all under blue skies. So take advantage of the clean, clear air, and get your personal adventure started.

SNOWSPORTS

Located just 16 miles from the heart of downtown, Ski Santa Fe offers some of the finest ski slopes in the Southwest, and some of the fluffiest snow. With a base elevation of 10,350 feet and a peak elevation of 12,075 feet, Ski Santa Fe offers expansive vistas of all the beauty that is Northern New Mexico, plus terrain for every skill level with 83 actual trails (more if you make your own through the trees!). The rental shop is well equipped, as is the onsite retail shop. Choose from two eateries with outdoor decks for soaking in the rays while refueling with delicious regional dishes. Love snowy sports, but prefer no lift? Park at Ski Santa Fe and access the Winsor Trail for miles of wilderness snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Just down the road toward town, try the two-mile Norski loop, designated for the cross-country skier only. Close by is the out-and-back Aspen Vista Trail, wide with a gradual grade, perfect for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Or for fun with kiddos of any age, Hyde Memorial State Park, located halfway between downtown and Ski Santa Fe, sports a sledding and tubing hill sure to put a smile on the young thrill-seeker.

Ski Santa Fe was chosen by readers of Condė Nast Traveler as one of The Top Ski Resorts in the US.

TRAILS FOR HIKING

Santa Fe is a very pedestrian-friendly city, but for many, the extensive trails in and around The City Different are the preferred places to get in those steps. From foothills to mountain peaks, Santa Fe County has more than 300 miles of hiking trails for the outdoor enthusiast to explore.

The Dale Ball Trail system offers 24 miles of hiking with access points throughout the foothill neighborhoods east of downtown, including the popular Sierra del Norte parking lot or as locals call it, The Corral. You will find handy permanent maps at various trail junctions, so you can always find a way to extend or shorten your jaunt.

The Chamisa Trail, just a 15-minute drive from downtown in the direction of Ski Santa Fe, delivers National Forest access and the ponderosa pines and aspens that come with it. You may really begin to feel the altitude on this trail, but it’s a nice, gradual grade, and offers the option of an ample loop.

In the fall, the aptly named Aspen Vista Trail (more of a fire road) is the path to take to bathe in the turning aspens and catch views of the whole valley aglow. It’s about 6.5 miles to the top, but an easy out and back for turning around at any point.

To access the numerous trails on Atalaya Mountain, your best bet is to park in the lot at the entrance to St. John’s College. Plot your course using the map at the trailhead.

Go a bit afield and travel the Turquoise Trail to Cerrillos Hills State Park, just 16 miles from Santa Fe. Along five miles of gently sloping trails with views of Sandia, Ortiz, Jemez, and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, there are shuttered silver, copper, manganese, iron, galena, and gold mines, all explained with interpretive signs.

TRAILS FOR BIKING

A quick look at the number of bike shops in Santa Fe should suggest biking is a wholly embraced activity in these parts. All of them will rent to you, but it’s best to call ahead and reserve what you need as the popularity of this sport has only increased.

Easy: The 18-mile out-and-back Rail Trail, part asphalt and part dirt, can be enjoyed with a ruggedish mountain bike, and the whole family. If you ride the length, along the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, you’ll end up in Lamy, but you can turn around at any point and make the trip any length you desire. Good for walking, too.

Easy to Moderate: Just 14 miles from Santa Fe, with views of the Ortiz Mountains, explore more than 40 miles of thoughtfully designed trails in the Galisteo Basin Preserve (formerly Thornton Ranch), developed by Commonweal Conservancy. This area represents “the largest publicly accessible, privately owned trail network in the American Southwest” and it’s easily navigable through the sandstone, grasslands, and arroyos with trail maps at most junctures. Park in any lot for different access points to the entire system. Great for hiking, too.

Easy to Difficult: The private Glorieta Adventure Camps, just 22 from Santa Fe, offer public access to 20 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails for moderate to advanced fitness and experience levels. Roll along through aspen stands, pine forests, and granite canyons with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Glorieta Baldy. Parking is at the Baptist Bypass Trailhead. Good for hiking, too.

Moderate to Difficult: Try Santa Fe’s La Tierra Trail system, an expansive 25 miles of trails, pump tracks, and jump courses that were once part of the 31,000-acre Buckman Ranch. This is a great option for riding in the cooler months because the elevation is on par with the city’s, and therefore a bit warmer. There are three distinct parking lots/trailheads— Cuchara (Spanish meaning spoon), Calabasas (Spanish meaning squash), Frijoles (Spanish meaning beans)—each one offering different access to the same great system of trails. Nice for walking, too.

For those desiring to ride at higher elevations, the beloved Blue Bus offers shuttle service to trailheads along Hyde Park Road, concluding at Ski Santa Fe. The lengthy and varied Winsor Trail holds a big draw for the more experienced rider.

If road cycling, enjoy miles of scenic vistas, including a 16-mile one-way spin up to Ski Santa Fe at a peak elevation of 10,350 feet or a distance along the Turquoise Trail on the way to Cerrillos or Madrid or through Galisteo Basin.

BOAT

When people think of New Mexico, waterways are typically not the first thing that comes to mind. But the local water enthusiasts know that paddling/rafting and fishing abound in the Land of Enchantment. Tubing is a blast as well, particularly on a few-mile stretch of the Rio Grande from the Taos Junction bridge to the town of Pilar or on a stretch of the Rio Chama below the Abiquiú dam, where a whitewater wave feature has kayakers flocking.

MarketWatch selected Santa Fe one of the “The best little cities to live if you love the outdoors.”

The Rio Grande and Rio Chama offer paddlers a diverse selection of half-day, full-day, and multi-day trips, ranging from mellow Class I to technical Class IV rapids sure to put even the most experienced paddler to the test. There are plenty of local guiding companies to put you on the stretch of water most suited to your interests.

Ask about this classic trip: Rio Chama Day Run (Monastery to Big Eddy) Mileage: 7 Recommended flow: 300–2500 cfs Difficulty: Class II+

FISH

For the angler, opportunities to fly fish in freshwater lakes, ponds, small streams, and rivers are plentiful. You might be surprised to learn that the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish regularly stocks some non-native species, including rainbow, brown, brook, and lake trout, as well as kokanee salmon. Should you catch the two species native to New Mexico, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout and the Gila trout, consider yourself special.

The Special Trout Waters of the Pecos River and Rio Chama offer pristine fly fishing through conifer forests and red-rock canyon, respectively. As does the stretch of the water in the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, located within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

With its shade and easy access, Monastery Lake is the perfect family fishing destination. And Cowles Ponds are designated for children under the age of 12.

There are plenty of local guiding companies to put you on the stretch of water most suited to your interests.