Take a Day and Create Your Own Adventure

Great and wonderful experiences abound beyond Santa Fe’s city limits. For active adventure, look at whitewater rafting, mountain biking or fly fishing. For road trips, try the Turquoise Trail or the High Road to Taos. And for authentic culture and sightseeing, check out the Indian Pueblos and Bandelier National Monument.

Turquoise Trail

One of the best traveling experiences in New Mexico is along the scenic back roads between destinations. The Turquoise Trail is a National Scenic Byway, linking Albuquerque to Santa Fe with incredible views and small towns nestled along the way. This day trip takes you through the historic mining towns of Madrid, Golden and Cerrillos, which have transformed into thriving communities for art, theater and music. Head for Sandia Peak and enjoy year-round recreation from winter skiing to the summer chairlift where surrounding views make a lasting impression. On your way back to Santa Fe, dine at a quaint restaurant such as The Mine Shaft Tavern, one of the last great roadhouses in New Mexico.

White Water Rafting, Mountain Biking, Fly Fishing

Experience the thrill and the quality of the region’s mountaisn, trails, rivers and streams. For outdoor adventures including whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, fly fishing, outfitting and peak climbing, New Mexico is an ideal destination for any age. The Eldorado recommends Known World Adventures, a local guiding service featuring various day trips as well as 2- and 3-day rafting tours, 3- and 5-day kayaking adventures, and even a 10-day mountain biking tour. Known World boasts fabulous food and great company for scenic journeys throughout New Mexico.

High Road to Taos

For a short road trip out of the city, take the High Road to Taos and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as you make your way through several small mountain towns dating back to the 1600s. As you venture past Espanola, visit the legendary Santurio de Chimayo, where pilgrims travel every year in hopes of curing their ailments. Pass through the rural town of Truchas, once a Spanish outpost, and on to Truchas Peak where you can enjoy the view of the Rio Grande Valley. Leaving Truchas, you enter the Carson National Forest and travel through several small towns including Trampas featuring the colonial San Jose de Gracia Church built in the 1700s. The High Road ends in Ranchos de Taos, where the San Francisco de Asis is regarded as an inspiration for painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Take Route 68 on to Taos, known for its artist colony and fantastic skiing. Complete your trip by traveling alongside the Rio Grande on Route 68 to Espanola, and then back to Santa Fe.
Indian Pueblos

Rich with culture and the timelessness of ancient people, many of New Mexico’s Indian Pueblos are just a short trip from Santa Fe. These communities have suffered great losses during their history, all the while producing authentic pottery, jewelry, textiles and other works of art. Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo is known around the world for her highly acclaimed black-on-black pottery, which revitalized the Pueblo economy in the early 1900s. These communities date back to the 13th century when the Anasazi drifted from their homes and developed Pueblo towns along the Rio Grande River, where they enjoyed the wealth of farming on fertile land. Today, the Pueblos continue their rich tradition of performing dances, producing fine works of art and craftsmanship, and educating visitors about the history of their people.

Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier National Monument’s Frijoles Canyon is a favorite destination for national park lovers, archeologists and those just out for a day of sightseeing. Located between Santa Fe and Los Alamos on Route 501, Bandelier is where the ancient Pueblo people lived and built their homes at the base of the valley. People inhabited this place for nearly 500 years prior to 1600 A.D. Rooms were built into the hillsides, carved out of rock and combined with a complex series of steps and handholds. A river winds through the canyon, providing for very fertile ground. Many of the rooms at Bandelier National Monument remain untouched, awaiting future research and excavation by archaeologists who have not yet arrived.