good-times-rollin: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Santa Fe Skies RV Park

Santa Fe, NM

August 28, 2026

NM-16 entering the Cochito Reservation

About 30 miles from Santa Fe Skies is the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Take I-25 south, exit at #264 NM-16 and you find yourself entering the Cochiti Reservation. At a little over 8 miles make a left turn onto NM-22. You will see the Pueblo de Cochiti Visitor Center.

Entry into the monument is by reservation only...Thursdays - Mondays between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm and you are asked to exit by 4:00 pm. Reservations (a small fee required) with the pueblo are made on-line and the America Beautiful Pass are needed to enter.

Reservations are checked at the VC upon arrival and a pilot car leads you to the entrance kiosk where you are greeted with a big smile and given a map, instructions for parking, and any questions you have are answered. It might seem complicated, but it is for the protection of a gorgeous and unique piece of our country and well worth the effort.

Being early birds, we were up and on our way and the first ones to arrive at the VC. This made parking easy and close to the trailhead.

There are two trails located in the designated monument parking area. The Canyon Trail is a 1.5 mile one-way (moderate/difficult) trek into a narrow slot canyon with a steep climb to the mesa. The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 mile easy hike.

We chose the Canyon Trail...

It is 0.5 miles from the parking lot to the Canyon trailhead which counts as part of the 1.5 one way. There are kiosks along the way telling about this Geological Treasure from its fiery past which began approximately 6.8 million years ago to its final stage which is all up to the weather and ongoing.

Smelling the sweet vanilla scent of the Ponderosa pines is one of nature's precious gifts. While we enjoy the smell of nature's bakery, it is the same chemicals that act as a defense to keep harmful insects away.

It took a few minutes to check out this giant Ponderosa pine tree. The roots have been exposed from years of rushing water. But with great determination, it sends its life line, the tap root, up to 36 feet deep. That's deep enough for them to grow 300 to 600 years before succumbing to natural decay or environmental stressors.

The front of the tree entering the canyon

and the back of the same tree exiting the canyon.

From here to the end of the slot canyon, it was one WOW after another...looking up, looking ahead, and looking down.

Lots of twists and turns, one foot in front of the other in the narrowest of places, dark and deep slots, and bolder climbs made this an exciting and fun adventure.

We have always enjoyed our walks in slot canyons and Tent Rocks is no exception. To say it is beautiful is an understatement. The photos do not do it justice. I am not sure if it is the time of day we were there or the season, but it was a perfect morning with only a few folks. It's nice to take your time...stopping to ooooh and aaaah, and take a kazillion pictures with just the canyon walls, the gorgeous blue sky, the giant ponderosas, and my honey!

Keresan is the native language of the Pueblo de Chochiti people in New Mexico. Kasha-Katuwe translates to "white-cliffs" in their language.

After our walk, we took the 3 mile (one way) dirt/gravel road up to an overlook. It's a twisty road that leads to the overlook, a short hike (which we did not do), a picnic area (where we had a snack), and a Veterans's Memorial.

The "tents" or hoodoos have "caps" called differential weathering and erosion. This hard resistant rock acts as a protective shield for the softer rock beneath it. The wonders of nature at work!

What a wonderful morning! Even if you are not a walker, there are several picnic areas, and very short walks that will get you close enough to see the tent rocks and cliff walls. The drive to the scenic lookout is vehicle friendly with no special requirements needed. I rarely ever make recommendations, but I hope if you are ever in the area, you will add Tent Rocks to your "to do" list.

Back at the Belle...