Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo

• Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo Colorado
• Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo State Park
• Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo Bonito

To our surprise, the trail to the Tent Rocks overlook actually winds between these unique, geological wonders. Almost alone on a Sunday morning, we wandered along the Slot Canyon Trail slowly, stopping often to look up at the blue sky above us. While not the beautiful red rocks you get in Antelope Canyon, still amazing against the blue sky. There are a couple route options: the Cave Loop (1.2 mi, easy) and the Canyon Trail (3.0 mi, moderate). I ended up doing both, starting with the loop, a nice jaunt with great vistas of the tent rocks. The Canyon Trail is really fantastic, with close up views of the rock formations and a trek through the narrow slot canyon. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Relatively easy climb to the slot canyon - See 1,562 traveller reviews, 1,919 candid photos, and great deals for Cochiti Pueblo, NM, at Tripadvisor. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, is famous for its scenic cone shaped formations, composed of pumice, ash, and tuff deposits from volcanic eruptions 6–7 million years ago. Picnic tables, shelters and toilets area available at the Monument. The Monument includes a National Recreational Trail for hiking only. The Trail contains two. Tent Rocks Slot Canyon After climbing to the base of the cliff face you come to the trailhead to the Slot Canyon Trail. Slot canyons are so named because they are incredibly narrow compared to most canyons. If you have the Grand Canyon or Copper Canyon in Mexico at one end of the canyon spectrum you have slot canyons at the other.

A lot of our posts lately have shined the spotlight solely on the expedition vehicle, so this time we wanted to do something a little different: A short piece about the places we travel to IN it. Though this particular journey did not take us off-road in the 6×6 (as other recent adventures have), we wanted to share this gem between Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Yesterday, we explored the the Kasha-Katuwe National Monument in the Cochiti Pueblo of New Mexico. A BLM site also known as “Tent Rocks,” this unusual series of rock formations was created as a result of erosion following volcanic explosions 7 million years ago, leaving behind pumice, ash and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick. The result is some pretty spectacular-looking cone-shaped hoodoos.

Though the hike was short and relatively easy (only about 4 miles), it offers up maximal cool-factor with minimal effort. There are two trails – you’ll want to stay to the right and tack on the Slot Canyon Trail to the original Cave Loop Trail to get the real juicy parts of the hike in.

The first part of the hike is fast and flat as it meanders on the base of the canyon floor on a well marked trail. Tight in spots and requiring a bit of scrambling, we highly recommend going early as it can get crowded. (We shouldn’t have to mention this, but feel we should…It’s a narrow arroyo. In other words: Don’t be a moron. Watch the hell out for floods if it starts raining.)

Once through the slot canyon, the trail opens up and the climbing begins. Think of it like a gentle stair master for just over a mile until you reach the rewardingly expansive and unique views at the top of the mesa.

Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo Colorado

Since Bethany is on a continual quest for “treasure,” whether that be shark teeth on the Venice, FL coast, sea glass, or sand dollars, it was fun to take her treasure hunt to the desert. Along the hike, we found hundreds of small volcanic glass pebbles, often referred to as “Apache Tears.”

Here is the view of the narrow entrance to the slot canyon.

And a short video of what it feels like to walk through the slot canyon before it opens up.

Getting There:

• From I-25, take Exit 264 onto NM 16. Turn right onto NM 22 and follow signs for the Cochiti Pueblo. While you’re in the area, learn about the devastating effect the Cochiti Dam (one of the world’s largest earthen dams) on the Rio Grande, had on the native peoples of this area. Day Use Only ($5), but your National Parks Pass will get you in free of charge.

Now we have a week’s worth of work before heading to Utah for some mountain biking and to visit friends en route to the Pacific Northwest, but stay tuned for a snapshot of our time in New Mexico. Keep following along on instagram.

Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo State Park

Between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico is the Cochiti Pueblo and Indian Reservation. On the Reserve is the Kashe-Katuwe [pron. ??? - I'll guess at KAH-shay KAH-too-way and means White Cliffs] Tent Rocks National Monument, an area of volcanic tuff and hardened pumice eroded into tent or cone shapes. Only two trails are open - the Cave Loop Trail and the Slot Canyon Trail; the Veteran's Memorial Scenic Overlook and upper Loop Trail are closed due to the recent flooding. As we hike, not only are we treated to the incredible tent rock formations, but also magnificent views of the valley and surrounding mountains as we hike up the slot canyon to the top of one of the mesas. What a truly enchanted land.

Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo Bonito

	Cochiti Lake, flooded after the rains of mid-September. That's debris washed down the Rio Grande in the foreground and the roofs of picnic table huts and a washroom in the background!
The Tent Rocks from the Slot Canyon Trail.
The layers of various rock and pumice left by the volcanic eruptions and eons of time.
Brad and Marilyn near the top of the Slot Canyon Trail.
Strange erosion
From the Cave Loop Trail looking up onto the top of the Slot Canyon Trail where we had previously stood. It's hard to see in a small photo, but the Ravens are catching the thermals near the peak in the middle of the photo.