13 Best Sights in Day Trips from Santa Fe, New Mexico

This small, frontier, adobe church has a fantastically carved and painted reredos (altar screen) and is built on the site where, believers say, a mysterious light came from the ground on Good Friday in 1810 leading to the discovery of a large wooden crucifix beneath the earth. The chapel sits above a sacred pozito (a small hole), the dirt from which is believed to have miraculous healing properties. Dozens of abandoned crutches and braces placed in the anteroom—along with many notes, letters, and photos—testify to this. The Santuario draws a steady stream of worshippers year-round—Chimayó is considered the Lourdes of the Southwest. During Holy Week as many as 30,000 pilgrims come here. The shrine is is surrounded by small adobe shops selling every kind of religious curio imaginable and some very fine traditional Hispanic work from local artists. A smaller chapel, Santo Niño de Atocha, was built in 1857 and lies 200 yards away. As at the more famous Santuario, the dirt in this place of worship is said to have healing properties.

In 1945 Georgia O'Keeffe bought a large, dilapidated late-18th-century Spanish-colonial adobe compound just off the plaza in Abiquiú. Upon the 1946 death of her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz, she left New York City and began dividing her time permanently between this home, which figured prominently in many of her works, and one in nearby Ghost Ranch. The patio is featured in Black Patio Door (1955) and Patio with Cloud (1956). O'Keeffe died in 1986 at the age of 98 and left provisions in her will to ensure that the property's houses would never be public monuments.

Highly engaging 75- to 90-minute tours are available by advance reservation through Santa Fe's Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, which owns the house and operates the tours from early March through late November. Costs range from $60 for a standard tour to $200 for "Pita's Tour," which is led by Pita Lopez, who served as O'Keeffe's former secretary and companion and shares fascinating first-hand anecdotes about the artist. All of the tours focus on O’Keeffe’s distinctly modern decorating style, which drew on Indigenous and Spanish influences. Tours depart by shuttle bus from the welcome center beside the Abiquiu Inn. Book well ahead in summer, as these tours fill up quickly.

From Chimayó to Peñasco, the High Road is home to a number of mostly low-key but generally high-quality art galleries, many of them run out of the owners' homes. During the final two weekends in September each year, more than 30 artists show their work in the High Road Art Tour; for a studio map, or plenty of useful information on galleries open not just during the tour but year-round, visit the website.

Nestled under mature shade trees down a dirt lane near Dixon's quaint village center, this producer of first-rate wines is the oldest vintner in the northern part of the state. La Chiripada's Viognier, Special Reserve Riesling, and Dolcetto have all earned considerable acclaim. Also consider a tasting of the nicely crafted New Mexico Port, which pairs well with dessert. There's a small art gallery, and tastings are also offered a few miles away at Blue Heron Brewery.

Set amid cottonwood trees, fertile fields, and lush gardens that back up to the Rio Grande, this beautifully preserved 148-acre ranch just off the Low Road between Española and Dixon is one of the region's underrated gems. After getting oriented and talking with the knowledgeable staff in the Spanish-colonial visitor center, you can pick up a self-guided tour map or use your phone to scan QR codes for a virtual ranger tour and explore the extensive grounds, which include a stately Territorial-style hacienda, a chapel dating back to the 1700s, a farmyard and barn, and short walking trails through the woodlands. There's also an apple orchard and a pond that attracts all kinds of wildlife, from migrating waterfowl to occasional beavers and otters. It's easy to spend at least a couple of hours here without running out of engaging things to explore.

This angular, contemporary nature center stands out as much for its dramatic design as for the engaging exhibits within. Families appreciate the interactive Children's Discovery Area and the giant scale model of the Pajarito Plateau that kids are encouraged to play on. There's also a high-tech planetarium with astronomy shows or films most weekends, nature trails, wildlife and conservation exhibits, and gardens with local flora and plenty of visiting birdlife.

Members of the Santa Clara Pueblo lead guests on one- to two-hour tours of the dramatic cliffs and ancient volcanic-rock dwellings that were inhabited by the tribe's ancestors from the late 900s to 1580. Start by viewing historic photos and cultural displays in the Exhibit Hall, which occupies a restored 1930s guesthouse that was the only lodging ever built by the famed Fred Harvey Company on Native-owned land. Visiting the dwellings—which include a 140-room kiva—and the cliff top with its eye-popping 360-degree vistas are by guided tour only (these last one to two hours, depending on which one you book). The entrance to the dwellings is about 15 miles northeast of Los Alamos.

Los Alamos National Laboratory's public showcase, the Bradbury provides a balanced and provocative examination of such topics as atomic weapons and nuclear power. You can experiment with lasers; witness research in solar, geothermal, fission, and fusion energy; learn about DNA fingerprinting; and view fascinating exhibits about World War II's Project Y (the Manhattan Project, whose participants developed the atomic bomb).

Established as a state park in 2009, this patch of undulating hills dotted with piñon and juniper contains 5 miles of hiking trails, some of them leading to historic mines, as well as interpretative signs related to the 1,100 years of mining history along the Turquoise Trail. The park itself is just north of the historic village center of Cerrillos, where you'll find a small visitor center ( 37 Main Street) that's typically open weekends or by appointment and contains further exhibits and information on the park.

Across the street from Ashley Pond and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center, this engaging museum has indoor and outdoor exhibits about the region's Ancestral Puebloan history dating back to the 14th century, the Boy Scout–influenced prep school for young men from prominent families (including Gore Vidal and William S. Burroughs) that operated here before World War II, the Manhattan Project, and more recent times. A few doors away, the mid-century modern Hans Bethe House depicts home life for the top-level scientists working on the atomic bomb, and next door you can view the exterior of J. Robert Oppenheimer's home (which remains a private residence). Be sure to visit the neighboring Fuller Lodge Art Center (free), a massive log building designed in 1928 by famed New Mexican architect John Gaw Meem as part of the prep school, before it was purchased and converted into the base of operations for the Manhattan Project. Inside there's an art gallery and shop that presents rotating exhibits throughout the year.

In the heart of this community that's a must for anyone interested in the history of the atomic age, this small visitor center can help you learn what to see and do around town. Start with an orientation film on the people and events that led to the creation of the atomic bomb, then pick up a self-guided tour of the town's notable historic sites. It's beside the Los Alamos Visitor Center, which also has free and excellent brochures on local hiking trails as well as both the town's and the surrounding area's attractions.

Part of the rambling 1890s complex that houses the beloved Mine Shaft Tavern, this fascinating trove of local history recounts Madrid's legacy as a booming mining town and then a ghost town. Memorabilia from the mine operations, old photos, and the historic Engine 769 make this a fun diversion, especially with kids.

"Vivác" means "high-altitude refuge," and that's a fitting name for this popular winery located at the junction on NM 68 (the Low Road) and NM 75 (which leads to the High Road). The family-owned vineyards and charming tasting room, with an adjacent patio, are surrounded by the dramatic sheer cliffs of the Rio Grande Gorge. The elegant, generally dry wines, feature a mix of mostly old-world grapes, including Dolcetto, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grüner Veltliner. The tasting room also sells artisanal chocolates, cheese-and-charcuterie plates, jewelry, and contemporary art.