Slot Canyons and Cliff Dwellings: Stunning Sights in New Mexico Destination & Tourism Jim Byers June 28, 2018 Hiking Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a fantastic way to enjoy New Mexico. Located on the Indian reservation of Cochiti Pueblo, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is about a 50-minute drive west from the city of Santa Fe and an hour northeast of Albuquerque. We arrived by 9 a.m., feeling lucky for a cloudy day, and started on the slightly longer of the two hikes—the Tent Rocks Canyon Trail, a total of 3 miles.

One of the truly classic hiking trails in the United States, let alone the world, Buckskin Gulch swerves through a subterranean paradise for the senses. Attempt this visually-arresting walk as a day trip, or walk the entire 20 miles over the course of four days.
Located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (near Kanab, Utah) and Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness (Arizona), Buckskin Gulch trails takes hikers through the veritable layer cake of the Colorado Plateau's geographical wonderment. It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest and offers obstacles like rock jams, pools, quicksand, and the potential for flash floods. Yet a day hike option via Wire Pass Trail is moderately easy, and should be a must-do tour on any hiker's list.

Slot Canyons Near Albuquerque

Slot Canyon Albuquerque New Mexico

Note: there are multiple trailheads that provide access to Buckskin Gulch. Wire Pass Trailhead offers the most direct access for a day hike. This is not to be confused with the Buckskin Trailhead, which follows a wash for several miles before intersecting with Wire Pass Trail and then the confluence with the Paria River.