Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument

Posted on 4/13/2022 admin

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Visitor Center
Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Visitors Center

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico Posted on March 2, 2019 by Daniel Gillaspia Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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The trail at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is not your average hike - but the rock formations, slot canyon, and views are fantastic!
The Cave Loop/Slot Canyon Trailhead is about an hour from Albuquerque and a little less from Santa Fe. Entry to the monument is $5 per car. I arrived at about 7:15 on a Sunday morning, and there was plenty of parking. There are pit toilets and free maps at the trailhead.
National Conservation Lands - Cochiti Lakes, NM GPS coordinates: 35 36' 52.0', N106, 21' 33.2'W If you find yourself in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, New Mexico do yourself a favor and visit the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. This monument includes 5610 acres of public land located 35 miles south of Santa Fe and 52.

Fees

Monument Fee Booth - 505-331-6259
Private Vehicles - $5
Groups:
Up to 25 individuals - $25
25-100 individuals - $100
Schools:
No fee. Day-use permit required from BLM.
Educational Permit Request Form
Commercial Tours, Non-Profit Organizations, Commercial Filming, and Commercial Photography:
Specials-use permit required from BLM. Please contact Rio Puerco Field Office at 505-761-8700.

Season/Hours

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks has changed its hours of operation.
The Monument gates will be open 8am to 4pm, and the Monument will fully close at 5pm.

Hours of Operation
Entry into the Monument between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Closing procedures begin at 3:30 p.m. to clear the Monument by 5:00 p.m.

Visitors must be out of the fee booth gated area by closing time.

During the summer months, the Monument experiences increased visitation. Please be aware that visitors may experience entrance delays starting at 9am due to increased visitation and lack of available parking. Wait times may range from 30 to 90 minutes. As parking is made available, new visitors will be allowed entry.

Notice

To allow for Pueblo de Cochiti cultural observances and routine BLM maintenance, the Monument will be closed on:

New Year’s Day (January 1)
January 6
Friday before Easter
Saturday before Easter
Easter Sunday
Monday after Easter Sunday
May 3
July 13
July 14
July 25
November 1
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve

Accessibility

There are ADA compliant rest rooms, picnic facilities, kiosks and parking.

The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 miles long and is rated as easy. While the trail is gravel/sand there are a few sections that are accessible to wheelchairs.

At the Veterans' Memorial Overlook you will find ADA-accessible picnic areas, rest rooms, trails and facilities.

Trail Information

The national monument includes a national recreational trail. It is for foot travel only, and contains two segments that provide opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, geologic observation and plant identification. Both segments of the trail begin at the designated monument parking area.

The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 miles long, rated as easy. The more difficult 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. Both trails are maintained; however, during inclement weather the canyon may flash flood and lightning may strike the ridges.

The Veterans Memorial Trail is a 1-mile long loop trail, rated as very easy and is wheel chair accessible. The Veterans Memorial is located at the end of a 3 mile long gravel surfaced road overlooking picturesque Peralta Canyon and Jemez Mountain peaks. Picnic tables, shelters and toilets are available at both sites.

Prohibitions and Restrictions

The Monument is closed to dogs, excluding service animals.

Day Use Only

No open fires, shooting, alcoholic beverages, glass containers or climbing on the 'tent rocks.'

Do not trespass on tribal, private, or state land.

Access to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks may be closed by order of the Cochiti Tribal Governor. Closures will be posted at the gate.

No motorized vehicles or mountain bikes are allowed.

Protect live trees and shrubs. You may not cut green trees or firewood without a permit.

No collecting of plants, rocks, obsidian 'apache tears,' or wildlife.

Please stay on designated roads and trails.

Geocaching is prohibited.

Please, do not feed the wildlife

Hunting and recreational shooting is not allowed in the Monument.

Brochures, Maps, and Publications

Rocks Rock!Hit the Trails Learning Education Initiative

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Location	Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Nearest city	Cochiti Pueblo, NM
Coordinates	35°39′37″N106°24′30″W / 35.66028°N 106.40833°WCoordinates: 35°39′37″N106°24′30″W / 35.66028°N 106.40833°W
Area	5,402 acres (21.86 km²)^[1]
Established	January 17, 2001
Governing body	U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Website	Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

A narrow section of the slot canyon

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located approximately 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, near Cochiti Pueblo. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it was established as a U.S. National Monument by President Bill Clinton in January 2001. Kasha-Katuwe means 'white cliffs' in the Pueblo language Keresan.^[2] The monument is a unit of the BLM's National Conservation Lands.

Geology[edit]

Kasha-Katuwe is located on the Pajarito Plateau between 5700 and 6400 feet (1737–1951 m) above sea level. The area owes its remarkable geology to layers of volcanic rock and ash deposited by pyroclastic flow from eruptions within the volcanic field of the Jemez Mountains that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago. These rock layers are assigned to the Peralta Tuff. Many of the layers are light in color, which is the origin of the monument's Keresan name. Over time, weathering and erosion of these layers has created slot canyons and tent rocks. The tent rocks are composed of soft pumice and tuff. Most of the tent rocks have a distinctly conical shape and some retain their caprocks of harder stone. The tent rocks vary in height from a few feet to 90 feet (27 m).^[2]

Recreational activities[edit]

The BLM maintains hiking trails as well as parking and restrooms at the site. The Slot Canyon trail is a one-way trail covering 1.5 miles (2.4 km) through a slot canyon and up a climb of 630 feet (190 m) to a lookout point where the tent rocks may be viewed from above. The Cave Loop trail is approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and leads past the base of the cliffs, near some of the tent rocks and a small cavate similar to those found at the nearby Bandelier National Monument. The Veterans' Memorial Scenic Overlook, dedicated in 2004, includes a 1 mile (1.6 km) loop trail and views of Peralta Canyon and the Jemez Mountains. The overlook is located at the end of a gravel road approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of the tent rocks and may not be accessible depending on road and weather conditions.

The monument is open for day use only and may be closed by order of the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Governor. Considerations for hiking include the possibility of flash flooding in the slot canyons and the high altitude of the monument. The monument is closed to dogs.^[2]

In popular culture[edit]