Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Hike
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.
- 166 reviews of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 'This place is just beautiful and peaceful! The hike is short and can be easily done in about an hour and a half each way. Others may be on the trail, so it might take a little extra time, while you let others pass in the windy canyon tight spot paths. The Tent Rock formations are pretty cool.
- Slot Canyon Trail 1.5 miles roundtrip. Involves some climbing and narrow places between canyon walls. Trail switchbacks up 640 feet up to the plateau. Cave Loop 1.2 miles optional add-on. Hiking along designated trail following curve along upper edge of a side valley, crossing a view of sandy washes while staying fairly level.
- Once the canyon opens back up, you’ll hike up past the tent rocks—mushroom-like sandstone formations with pointy caps made of pumice, ash, and tuff deposits left from 6-7 million years ago. The final ascent is a 630-foot climb up to a mesa, where you’re rewarded with panoramic views of Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia mountains, and the.
Sarah & Becky heading into the slot canyon at Tent Rocks National Monument
Back in July I wrote a post on my All-time Top 5 Favorite Hikes. This past weekend I got to revisit one of the best: Tent Rocks National Monument near Cochiti Pueblo.
This hike, less than an hour south of Santa Fe, has everything you could want in a desert trek: slot canyons, wicked rock formations and incredible views. The first half of the trail winds through a slot canyon so narrow you can touch the walls on either side, then the canyon opens up beneath the 90-foot conical hoodoos that give this National Monument its name. Finally, the trail switchbacks up to the top of the mesa to an overlook of the slot canyon and tent rocks as well as sweeping views of the Rio Grande River Valley to the east and the Jemez Mountains to the west.
This amazing place is a short drive from Cerrillos. I used to frequent Tent Rocks a lot more often back when the monument still allowed dogs. Since they closed it to pets in 2010, I’ve been back a handful of times to show it off to out of town friends. This trip I was in the company of Becky, who I brought here once before, and Sarah, who was here for the weekend on her first trip to New Mexico.
The slot canyons and hoodoos at Tent Rocks are formed from volcanic ash that blanketed this region of New Mexico in a series of explosive pyroclastic eruptions around 7 million years ago and then again between 1.6 and 1.25 million years ago. Over time the ash hardened into two formations: the older, finer Peralta tuff and younger, coarser Cochiti formations.
Boulder wedged in the slot canyon
Tent Rock’s volcanic tuff is quite crumbly and readily carved by wind, water and people. Differential weathering of the layers has produced the distinctive pointy hoodoos as well as the sinuous slot canyon. The 4-mile round trip hike also boasts a cave dwelling similar to the famous cliff caveats at Bandelier National Monument, just northwest of here. The caveats were carved by hand by the Ancestral Pueblo People between 1150 and 1600.
Now that I’ve gotten another look at Tent Rocks, I’ll probably be going back for more. I love hiking with the dogs, but some places are worth seeing, even if it means going without them!
Overlooking Tent Rocks
Located about 50 miles north of Albuquerque, this place is one of my favorite locations in the entire state. I’ve done the hike several times and the level of amazement and wonder at the beauty to be found there has not yet waned. The Slot Canyon Trail at the Kasha-Katuwe* Tent Rocks National Monument is an opportunity to marvel at what the passage of time can do to a landscape.
*Kasha-Katuwe means “white rocks” in Keresan, a pueblo language. The national monument is located near the Cochiti Pueblo.
The name “Tent Rocks” comes from the cone-shaped rock formations (also called hoodoos) created from a volcanic explosion over 6-7 million years ago. The monument includes several areas for hiking and sightseeing, including the Veteran’s Memorial Scenic Overlook, Shelter Cave, the Cave Loop, and the Slot Canyon Trail.
The trail is a three-mile loop that is easily done in about two and a half to three hours. It is a beginner-level hike, which is great for someone like me who isn’t a hiker but enjoys the great outdoors. Both the Cave Loop and Slot Canyon Trail begin at the same place, just off the parking lot. The Cave Loop trail circles the base of the tent rocks and is a mile loop, dotted with juniper trees and posted information about the geology and history of the area. At the half mile point of the loop, the Slot Canyon Trail breaks off to the right.
Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Hike Rim
As the trail winds through the canyon, a large tree with gnarled roots big enough to hide behind acts as your portal to a sacred place. Once past the tree, the canyon walls rise up and the trail gets narrow. The modern world and all its trouble and worries disappear within this place as you wind past boulders and rocks and view trees and bushes that literally grow and survive off the sides of the canyon. The weight of time and the past pull you from your worries and cares as you begin to understand the temporariness of your place in the universe.
Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Hike Grand Canyon
The first part of the Slot Canyon Trail is a gradual easy increase in elevation. Around the mid-point, the trail gets steep. You have to scramble over boulders and rocks as the path continues to rise. Railroad ties placed within the side of the mesa assist in the ascent, but it is still a steep journey. For someone afraid of heights (like me) there is always a big fear of just how temporary my place in the universe might actually become, but at Tent Rocks I always push past that, which is a sign of how wonderful this place is.
When you reach the top you’ll experience some truly beautiful views, as it seems you see the entire northern part of the state from here. After taking some time to rest and experience the beauty of the area, you’ll go back down the way you came, but you’ll be changed. And if you’re not changed, you’re not doing it right.
Tips for Your Visit
- There is a $5 fee to get into the area. Check out their site to ensure they are open the day you visit.
- Try to get there as early as possible (the monument opens at 7 a.m. in the spring and summer and 8 a.m. in the fall and winter). The Slot Canyon Trail is narrow in certain spots, and at the midpoint of the loop it you have to climb over some rocks and boulders as the elevation increases. If you go earlier, you don’t have to wait for other hikers, and you’ll save yourself the embarrassment of being overheard by anyone as you wail about the heights and curse openly at Little Trickster for talking you into this trip (but maybe that’s just me).
- Bring your own drinking water, as there isn’t any running water at monument. Also, if hiking in the spring or summer, be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen, as there is pretty much no shade.
- Be sure to bring proper footwear. While the hike is easy, it’s not flip-flop easy.
- Dogs are not allowed on the trail.
Visit the official site for Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks.