Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Hike
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management is announcing a partial closure of the Slot Canyon Trail at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The necessary trail improvements will be conducted July 22-24 on the last half-mile section of the Slot Canyon Trail that climbs steeply out of the canyon to the mesa top. By providing these trail improvements, the BLM is striving to protect the fragile geologic features of this area and increase visitor safety.
Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail CLOSED is a 2.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Jemez Springs, New Mexico that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible year-round. Length 2.8 mi Elevation gain 751 ft Route type Out & Back. The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 miles long, rated as easy. The Slot Canyon Trail is a 1.5-mile, one-way trek into a narrow canyon with a steep (630-ft) climb to the mesa top for excellent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia mountains and the Rio Grande Valley. This quick out-and-back takes you through a narrow slot canyon and ends at an overlook of the Monument's namesake teepee (or tent) shaped rock formations. Of the two main trails at this trailhead for Kasha-Katuwe Tent Tocks National Monument, the Cave Loop Trail is the more difficult, but is also the more picturesque. You'll start off hiking among the Monument's unique tent-shaped hoodoos along a sandy trail, and then enter a narrow, but beautiful, slot canyon.
Due to the exposure, weather and consistent foot traffic, this section of trail is showing signs of erosion, making foot travel more difficult for visitors. The lower section of the Slot Canyon Trail will remain open to the public, as will the Memorial Overlook Loop Trail.
Like other monuments and public lands across the nation, the Monument has seen significant increase in visitation over the last five years. So far, in 2019, the Monument has had over 80,000 visitors. The BLM, in partnership with Pueblo de Cochiti, is currently researching additional ways to protect the Monument’s unique resources and the visitor experience through alternate visitor use management strategies. The decision to limit access in this area for maintenance is consistent with the BLM’s ongoing communication with the Pueblo.
For more information, or to inquire about alternate recreational opportunities in the area, please contact BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Jamie Garcia at 505-761-8787.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in the 11 Western states and Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.
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Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Hike South Rim
Join us on our Tent Rocks hike! Many of our intrepid and well-travelled clients have told us that Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks is indeed a marvel. They often compare it to Cappadocia, Turkey, where you can also view remarkable rock formations. This National Monument is called “Tent Rocks” because of the tent- or tepee-like shapes of the rock formations. The Tent Rocks were created 6.8 million years ago by volcanic eruptions in the Jemez Mountains. The nearby Pueblo of Cochiti call the place Kasha-Katuwe, which means “White Cliffs” in the Keresan language.
Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Hikes
Fun for adult and children, the hike takes you through a slot canyon that is quite narrow at times. Climb around and over boulders as you take in the beauty of the land. Tent Rocks is truly a magical hike.
As of May 2020, the trails at Tent Rocks are closed. Please call 505-988-4000 for updates.