Santa Fe, New Mexico - Great Things to do Outdoors in the Santa Fe Area

Santa Fe, New Mexico is home to beautiful shops, galleries and restaurants, but there are great outdoor things to do as well. We have chosen some great places to stroll, walk and hike during your Santa Fe vacation.

Get Oriented with a Walking Tour

A great way to get the lay of the land in Santa Fe is to take a walking tour. There are several companies. One that guides walks on a regular basis and meets in central Santa Fe is Historic Walks of Santa Fe.

Climb to the Cross of the Martyrs

The Cross of the Martyrs, located on a small hill on the 600 block of Paseo de Peralta honors the 21 Franciscan monks that were slain during the Pueblo Revolt. From the hilltop, you will have a beautiful view of Santa Fe. It's a great way to get oriented to the city. Find the stairs off Paseo de Peralta, Between Hillside Ave and Otero Street.

10K Walk Route

A local club of the American Volkssport Association maintains a nice walk route that visitors can access for free. Ask for the "Walk Box" at the Visitor's Center at 491 Old Santa Fe Trail and you can access their maps. One route goes through the Capitol grounds. 10K is 6.2 miles. Map to Visitor's Center

Canyon Road

Santa Fe has over 250 galleries and has been rated the second largest art market in the country - only after New York City! Canyon Road is a historic pathway into the mountains and an old neighborhood that has become the city's center for art with the highest concentration of galleries. But what is really great for walkers and runners is to hit Canyon Road before the galleries open, when you can run or walk up the Road with very little pedestrian traffic. And, at the end of the road, are trail heads. The Dale Ball South Trail (a 5 mile hike) is a multi-use trail and is available for mountain bikes as well. To find Dale Ball South head to Upper Canyon Road, just past the Cerro Gordo trailhead. Take a right up a steep dirt road. There is a single track that takes off to the left about 100 feet up the road. After that the trail is well marked, with maps at every junction. More on Santa Fe Trails

Santa Fe Railyard

The area around the Railyard along Guadalupe Street offers shopping, dining, and hotels but is also where Santa Fe is working on it's future. The 50 acre Railyard, after many years of community input and visioning, is slowly taking shape into a multi-use property that will eventually be home to a large park, plaza, trail system, movie complex, live/work lofts and green space. It already is home to SITE Santa Fe, a contemporary art museum with rotating exhibits, shops, galleries, restaurants, and the Santa Fe Farmer's Market. It is a great place to walk around and to watch the progress. More on the Railyard

Bandelier National Monument

Located about 45 minutes from Santa Fe, Bandelier is the centuries-old site of a large pre-Pueblo community that was established in the area's extensive volcanic cliffs. One of the state's most important cultural and archaeological sites, Bandelier is a beautiful spot that offers a view across time into the lives of the hundreds of Native Americans who called it home from 1100 to 1500 AD. More on Bandelier National Monument

The Pueblos

The nineteen Pueblo tribes that form the majority of New Mexico's Native American population are scattered around the state. A number of the communities are in close proximity to Santa Fe, however, and offer a view into both the ancient and modern worlds of the Pueblo Indians. More on the Pueblos