Santa Fe, New Mexico offers locals and visitors an amazing array of hiking trails. The Dale Ball Trails, located a short distance from Santa Fe in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is easy to access. The mountain trails are slightly further but it is a pleasant drive up Hyde Park Road to the Chamisa or Borrego Trails. Higher up, there are trails at Aspen Vista and near the Ski Basin.
With the myriad trails to choose from, it is difficult to list our favorite trails. We love them all for different reasons. Listed below, however, are our 3 favorite Santa Fe hiking trails.
Norski Trail – located near the Santa Fe Ski Basin, this is an easy 2.5 mile loop through the aspen forest. It’s a lovely trail year round but it’s truly magical in the Fall. In the winter, if there’s enough snow on the ground, it’s the perfect place to cross country ski. What we love most about this trail is that you can do the entire loop or hike a short portion. There are multiple cross over points allowing you to hike whatever distance you’re comfortable with.
Alamos Vista – this is a challenging trail but so worth it if you can make it to the top. The trail starts at about 10,000 feet and climbs to 11,167 feet. The first portion of the trail is steep, taking you through another magical grove of aspens to Carl’s Meadow. This is a beautiful and serene place to stop, take a breather, and enjoy the views. The final push is also challenging, rocky in some areas, but when you reach the top, where the Santa Fe Ski Lift drops off, you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains.
Upper Rio en Medio – the beauty of this trail is that you can start at the top, near the Santa Fe Ski Basin, or drive to Aspen Ranch and hike a different segment. We also love it because the trail follows the Rio en Medio – perfect for hiking with our dog, Murjo. The trail is usually not busy allowing you to enjoy the sounds of nature and breathe Santa Fe’s fresh mountain air. The trailhead near Aspen Ranch is harder to get to but the trail is slightly easier at this section. From the Ski Basin, it’s a steep and rocky trek down. From either trailhead, you can decide how far you want to hike up or down the trail.
