Slot Canyon Tent Rocks

1. If the steep ascent and dizzying heights of the Canyon Trail cause your courage to waver like the Cowardly Lion, fear not. The Cave Loop Trail (1.2 miles long) will still provide you with an excellent opportunity to explore Tent Rocks. From the parking lot, you follow the same trail toward the slot canyon for the first half-mile.
2. Take an imaginary trip to another planet, at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National monument. Above all, this area is worthy of a Sci-Fi movie and it’s probably the reason why they filmed the tv series Earth 2 here. By far, the coolest part of this site Slot Canyon is.
3. Before long, we hit the slot canyon portion of the trail. Found in many places in the Southwest United States, slot canyons are formed as water rushes through the rock. The slot canyon at Tent Rock is unique in that it is carved into volcanic ash – or tuff.

1. Slot Canyon Tent Rocks Slot Canyon
2. Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail New Mexico
3. Slot Canyon Tent Rocks New Mexico
4. Slot Canyon Tent Rocks
5. Slot Canyon Tent Rocks
6. Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo

Colored Cliffs and Tent Rocks at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

After a dreary and rainy day, the sun rose behind the hills signaling a warmer day at Pueblo de Cochiti. In the mid-morning, when the temperature rose to about 50ºF, we headed to the nearby Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument for a hike. We were here in April of this year and was captivated by its fairy tale landscape. We came back to revisit it like old friends. The sun cast lights to the multi-colored cliffs behind the drifting clouds from time to time, changing the hues and shades of the cliffs. The fast moving fluffy clouds above the cliffs made this picturesque landscape more dramatic. A small garner snake and a tarantula crossed the trail. What a beautiful day for a hike!

The Amazing Slot Canyon Trail at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument Vivien October 11, 2018 Pictures, Posts No Comments Colored Cliffs and Tent Rocks at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.

Volcanic eruptions from Jemez spewed rock fragments and ash over here 6 to 7 million years ago. Layers upon layers of volcanic debris deposited here and were fused to rocks. Erosion from water, ice, and wind carved this unique landscape. The Slot Canyon Trail is a one mile trail to the summit. There were several tall ponderosa pine trees in the canyon. An old ponderosa pine has an exposed root system about 6 feet above the ground. At some section, the Slot Canyon is so narrow that only one person can walk through. As I walked through the Slot Canyon, a narrow sunbeam lit up the channel among the towering canyon walls, and a small patch of the sky could be seen above the canyon. Water carried debris down the canyon and carved the walls with grooves and concaves.

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks Slot Canyon

Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail New Mexico

Ducked down and went through a wide hole in the canyon, we came out of the narrow section of the canyon. Up on the hillside stood an army of cone shaped tent rocks. Lines, grooves, and holes present on this group of tent rocks. Some of the tent rocks have cap rocks that resist to erosion and protect the rock below. The trail zigzags up the canyon. A couple of cone shaped tent rocks stood right by the trail. Further up, a hoodoo sits on top of a layer cake shaped rock formation. Sometimes the trail narrows to one foot wide.

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks New Mexico

Climbing up the hill, we observed the giant tent rocks at eye level within short distance. The whimsical shapes of the tent rocks are unique. As we climbed higher, the group of tent rocks in the canyon looked like castles. Cream, tan, and copper colored wavy bands decorate the cliffs. The most difficult part of the trail is a drop about 3 feet tall. Only one person could cross that drop at a time. After that, the trail is on the hillside. Just a short hike up the hill is the summit. The wonderful vista is the reward after walking across the ridge to the tip of the mesa. Looking down there lies the Cave Loop Trail below. Looking to the side are the multi-colored cliffs surrounding the trail. In the distance are Cochiti Lake, Jamaz, and Sandia mountains. On the horizon looms the Sangre De Cristo above Santa Fe.

Sunshine on the Tent Rocks in Slot Canyon

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks

Walking back and getting close to the edge of the cliff, guided by the sunlight, my eyes traced the rock formations highlighted by the moving sunbeams. I was mesmerized by this place again. It is a geological treasure indeed.

queezing through two tall vertical waves of rolling white rock, I squinted my eyes as I emerged from the shadows and into a sun-baked, fossilized grove of gargantuan gnome hats that protruded up to 90 feet skyward from the solid earth. I was breaking out in a sweat, but every successive step I took resulted in my peeling lips spreading into an ever-growing smile across my reddening face. Sharing space with structures I would have never imagined existed in nature, my mind was open to whatever I was about to encounter next.

The Southwest is full of strange surprises. You don't need mescaline to experience otherworldly visions. The land provides that in spades — as long as you know where to look.

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in northwest New Mexico is one of the more peculiar landscapes I've encountered in my travels. It feels foreign and alien, like you're walking on the surface of another planet. But instead of being unnerving, the place is downright captivating as it pulls you farther into its curious crevices. There's only one other place in the world I'm aware of that has the “fairy chimney“ rock formations similar to Kasha-Katuwe (which means “white cliffs“ in the Keresan language of the Pueblo), and you have to travel to Turkey to find it.

Tent Rocks Slot Canyon Trail Cochiti Pueblo

The national monument feels remote, but it's easily accessible at just 44 miles from Santa Fe and 58 miles from Albuquerque. It'd be easy to spend the morning and early afternoon hiking the trails of the park and then hitting the road for an evening in the city. I camped at nearby Tetilla Peak Recreation Area (27 miles away) on a Friday night in early May and woke up with the sun to beat the Saturday crowd. And trust me, there will most likely be crowds if it's a nice weekend in the spring or summer. The parking lot is small and fills up quickly. The secret is apparently out on this place.