Things to do in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks in New Mexico

Have you ever heard of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks? Neither did we until we visited New Mexico. Kasha-Katuwe means “white cliffs” in the nearby Pueblo de Cochiti people’s traditional Keresan language. Here are things to do in Kasha Katuwe Ten Rocks National Monument.

The Native Americans considered this a special place. We were happy we did this detour into this otherworldly landscape.

Getting There

Located 35 miles(56 km) from Santa Fe and 52 miles (84 km) from Albuquerque, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks became a National Monument in 2001 “to protect its geologic, scenic and cultural values”.

There is a vast geologic process that formed and shaped these unique rock formations into cones and tents of all sizes.

Rock Formations

Pictures don’t do them any justice. Like many of the National Parks we’ve visited, seeing these for the first time made us gasp in awe.

A volcanic eruption 6 to 7 million years ago produced these rock formations. The leftover white and silvery-gray pumice and ash formed an igneous rock called tuff. The fragments of light gray to red were results of another igneous rock called rhyolite from other volcanic eruptions.

Layers of volcanic material that have formed over the years show the various colors of grey, beige and hints of pink colored rocks on the cliffs. The rock layers were a mixture of volcanic activity and wind and water erosion.

The Tent Rock Formations

Some of the tent rocks had boulder caps protecting the softer pumice and tuff below it from wearing away. It was an amazing and surprising landscape.

There were a lot of whimsical shapes that would make even Dr. Seuss proud. We were baffled at these naturally sculpted perfect cone shapes.

Some of them precariously balanced and look about ready to topple over.

These deposits can be over 1,000 feet thick. The tent rocks are also known as hoodoos but look very different from the ones we’ve seen at Bryce Canyon National Park.

The Trails

Humans have inhabited this area for 4,000 years from archaeological recordings. Native Americans settled here in the 14th and 15th centuries. They close the park due to Pueblo de Cochiti tribal activities. The Pueblo and Tribal Land are located right outside the park.

We got there around 10 AM on a Sunday morning and we had the trail to ourselves. It was wonderful to stand there and listen to the sounds of nature and hike in solitude.

The trails weren’t paved and made mostly of gravel and sand. There were make-shift benches along the way for resting. The rattlesnake warning signs were enough to make my inquisitive kids stay on the trails and very close to us.

Cave Loop Trail

We hiked the fairly easy 1.2 mile (1.93 km) Cave Loop Trail. There is also the Slot Canyon Trail which is 1.3 miles (2.09 km) one way through a narrow canyon and involved a steep climb. We had other plans in Santa Fe that day so we regrettably passed on the canyon and enjoying a scenic view from the top.

We passed a variety of shrubs, desert plants and blooming cacti along the way.

One of the highlights for my kids was spotting this Western Scrub-Jay (according to our bird guide). We heard its noise long before we saw it. It was also the only wildlife we saw inside the park.

The end of the trail was a human-formed cave or caveats (cave-ate) carved into the volcanic rocks.  Archaeologists believe this was carved by using sticks or sharp stones. Soot from fires could be seen inside the cave.

We liked how this trail gets visitors close enough to see the tent rocks and marvel at their size. The tent rocks’ height are from a few feet to 90 feet (27 m).

We enjoyed our hike more due to the gentle breeze and the sun shining. It was another good reason to visit in the off-season.

These trails get crowded and temperatures sometimes soar to over 100 degrees during the summer.

We passed by one of these tent rocks on the trail and couldn’t resist doing this shot.

The end of the trail looks out into a few tent rocks on the ground and away from the cliff face. This looked like a campground of cemented tents.

The Land of Enchantment

New Mexico’s nickname is the Land of Enchantment. It was amazing places like this that showed why it clearly earned its well-deserved name. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks was an unexpected treat.

This beautiful and lesser known park deserves a visit if you’re ever in this area. We loved our visit and would love to return to do the trail we missed.

 Tips for Visiting Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks

•  Admission: Private Vehicles – $5; Free with America the Beautiful Parks Pass.
• Hours: November – mid-March (8 AM – 5 PM); mid-March – October (7 AM – 7 PM)
• Since it’s a small park, there was no visitor’s center or Junior Ranger activities for the kids. Restrooms and picnic tables at the parking area.
• No drinking water available so bring a lot of water. The nearest food, water and gas is 15 minutes away at Cochiti Lake.
• No dogs are allowed on the trails.
• Bring binoculars to see the birds up close.
• Get the Plant and Bird Guide before the hike from one of the kiosks. It’s a great way for the kids to be involved with the hike. My kids loved trying to match the plants along the way and guess the few birds we saw flying.
• Keep your eyes out for a few buffalo along the Rio Grande River before turning on the main road to the park.

*Have you visited and explored the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks? Would you make a detour?

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