Santa Fe

When it comes to outdoor adventure, Santa Fe is a four-season destination. Low humidity and, thanks to the high elevation, cool temperatures—even in summer, for the most part—make north-central New Mexico a mecca for hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, rafting, and golfing from late spring through autumn. During the winter months, snow sports dominate in the mountains above the city, and at renowned ski areas like Taos and Angel Fire, which are both within day-tripping distance (although better suited to overnight excursions).

Santa Fe National Forest lies right in the city's backyard and includes the Dome Wilderness (more than 5,000 acres in the volcanically formed Jémez Mountains) and the Pecos Wilderness (about 225,000 acres of high mountains, forests, and meadows at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains chain). The 12,500-foot Sangre de Cristo Mountains (the name translates as "Blood of Christ," for the red glow they radiate at sunset) fringe the city's east side. To the south and west, several less formidable mountain ranges punctuate the sweeping high desert. From the Plaza in the center of the city, you’re within a 10-minute drive of truly rugged and breathtakingly beautiful wilderness.

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  • Bicycling

    You can pick up a map of bike trips—among them a 38-mile round-trip ride from Downtown Santa Fe to Ski Santa Fe at the end of NM 475—from the...

  • Bird-Watching

    Randall Davey Audubon Center. At the end of Upper Canyon Road, at the mouth of the canyon as it wends into the foothills, the 135-acre Randall...

  • Fishing

    There's excellent fishing from spring through fall in the Rio Grande and the mountain streams that feed into it, as well as a short drive away...

  • Golf

    Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe. This outstanding, reasonably priced municipal facility has a beautifully groomed 18-hole layout and a shorter...

  • Hiking

    Hiking around Santa Fe can take you into high-altitude alpine country or into lunaresque high desert as you head south and west to lower elevations...

  • Horseback Riding

    New Mexico's rugged countryside has been the setting for many Hollywood Westerns. Whether you want to ride the range that Gregory Peck and Kevin...

  • Multipurpose Sports Center

    Genoveva Chavez Community Center. The expansive, well-maintained community recreation center on the south side is a reasonably priced (adults...

  • River Rafting

    If you want to watch birds and wildlife along the banks, try the laid-back floats along the Rio Chama or the Rio Grande's White Rock Canyon...

  • Skiing

    You may want to rent skis or snowboards in town the afternoon before the day you hit the slopes so you don't waste any time waiting during the...