Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument

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  1. The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago Visit my website for.
  2. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, Cochiti Pueblo Picture: Slot Canyon Trail - Check out Tripadvisor members' 2,136 candid photos and videos.
Slot canyon tent rocks national monument visitor center

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument New Mexico

Quicklinks

Fees

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a small park between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was a 230 mile drive to take our RV there from Aztec Ruins National Monument. The beginning of the hike.

  • 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.

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument

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.

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Map

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management is announcing a partial closure of the Slot Canyon Trail at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The necessary trail improvements will be conducted July 22-24 on the last half-mile section of the Slot Canyon Trail that climbs steeply out of the canyon to the mesa top. By providing these trail improvements, the BLM is striving to protect the fragile geologic features of this area and increase visitor safety.

Due to the exposure, weather and consistent foot traffic, this section of trail is showing signs of erosion, making foot travel more difficult for visitors. The lower section of the Slot Canyon Trail will remain open to the public, as will the Memorial Overlook Loop Trail.

Like other monuments and public lands across the nation, the Monument has seen significant increase in visitation over the last five years. So far, in 2019, the Monument has had over 80,000 visitors. The BLM, in partnership with Pueblo de Cochiti, is currently researching additional ways to protect the Monument’s unique resources and the visitor experience through alternate visitor use management strategies. The decision to limit access in this area for maintenance is consistent with the BLM’s ongoing communication with the Pueblo.

For more information, or to inquire about alternate recreational opportunities in the area, please contact BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Jamie Garcia at 505-761-8787.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in the 11 Western states and Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Visitors Center

Release Date

Organization

Office

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Visitor Center

Contacts

Cathy Garber