Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Great slot canyon hike - See 1,562 traveler reviews, 1,919 candid photos, and great deals for Cochiti Pueblo, NM, at Tripadvisor. The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument covers 5,042 acres near Santa Fe. You'll find it on the Pajareto Plateau, and it's home to some of the most unique geological features in the state - the Tent Rocks. The scenic Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (Monument) was designated in 2001 for protection of its unique geologic landscapes, cultural, and biological features of interest. The 4,645-acre Monument is known for its light-colored, cone-shaped tent rock formations that are the result of explosive volcanic eruptions that occurred. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Slot canyon goodness! - See 1,562 traveler reviews, 1,919 candid photos, and great deals for Cochiti Pueblo, NM, at Tripadvisor. The Kasha-Katuwe National Monument, which is 8 miles from the Town of Cochiti Lake, was established in 2001 to protect the unique geological features - tent rocks or hoodoos. There are nice picnic facilities and two trails in the park. The Cave Loop Trail is relatively flat and is a loop through massive tent rocks and includes many cliff views.

Slot Canyon Trail Kasha-katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument New Mexico

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.

Slot Canyon Trail Kasha-katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument State Park

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.

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.

Slot Canyon Trail Kasha-katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument Visitor Center

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.