explanation
Section 1 thru-hike route
Section 2 thru-hike route
Section 3 thru-hike route
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
complete the thru-hike in two weeks
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The Santa Fe to Taos thru-hike goes from the Santa Fe Plaza all the way to Taos Plaza over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is 132 miles long, spans four counties – Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Mora, and Taos – and crosses the Santa Fe National Forest, The Pecos Wilderness, and Carson National Forest.

Maps and route

See Gaia GPS maps documenting every step of the thru-hike. A complete zipped GPX file of the route is here. Or see the route page and individual section pages for details on the route and turn-by-turn directions for the route.

From Plaza to Plaza in 52 photographs. Each photograph is from one of the 50 subsections that make up the route.

Santa Fe Plaza
Enchanted Small Falls along the Santa Fe River Trail
Along the Santa Fe River corridor trail, Section 1-2 of the Santa Fe to Taos Thru-Hike
Chasing Dreams abandoned car in Arroyo Polay
View from Little Tesuque Trail, Section 1-4.
oaks in Juan Canyon, Section 1-5
S1-6 Winsor Trail and Big Tesuque Creek
Along Winsor Trail, Section 1-7
Along Winsor Trail, Section 1-7
S1-9 Going up Winsor Trail
S2-1 Be Here Now sign going up Winsor Trail
S2-1 Be Here Now sign going up Winsor Trail
View of Truchas Peaks from the saddle en route to Lake Katherine, Section s2-3
Lake Katherine in the Pecos Wilderness, Section 2-4
S2-5 New views along Skyline Trail
S2-6 Coming down Cave Creek Trail
S2-7 End of the climb up Dockweiler Trail
Dockweiler Trail
S2-9 Pecos Baldy Lake
S3-1 Trailriders Wall
S3-2 Skyline Trail
S3-3 Lower Truchas Lake
S3-4 Santa Barbara Divide
S3-5 Middle Fork Trail with Truchas Peaks in the distance
S3-6 Rio Santa Barbara
S4-1 Indian Canyon
S4-2 Trail up to Ripley Point
S4-2 Trail up to Ripley Point
S4-4, Comales Trail
S4-5 Rio del Pueblo
S4-6 Interpretive trail off Rt 518
s4-7 La Cueva Field
S4-8 view from La Cueva Cutoff Trail
s4-9 View from Forest Road 442
S5-1 view from Forest Road 442
S5-2 view from FR 442 after the burn
s5-3 intersection of Forest Road 440 and the connector
S5-4 Forest track along the connector
S5-5 Forest Road 438
s5-6 Bernardin Lake
S5-7 Forest Road 478
S6-1 Rio Chiquito Bridge
S6-2 Forest Road 437
S6-3 Forest Road 437
S6-4 Entrance to Drake Canyon
S6-5 view of Taos Mountains from unnamed trail
S6-6 El Nogal
S6-7 view from Kit Carson Road
Taos Plaza
Santa Fe Plaza
Santa Fe Plaza
Plaza to Plaza Thru-Hike Thumbnail Summary Map Section 1-1
S1-1 Santa Fe River Trail
From Section 1-1
Enchanted Small Falls along the Santa Fe River Trail
Plaza to Plaza Thru-Hike thumbnail map Section 1-1
S1-2 Santa Fe River Corridor
From Section 1-2
along the Santa Fe River Corridor
Plaza to Plaza Thru-Hike thumbnail map - Santa Fe River Corridor Trail
S1-3 Chasing Dreams beyond Arroyo Polay Trailhead
From Section 1-3
Chasing Dreams along Arroyo Polay
Plaza to Plaza Thru-Hike thumbnail map - Chasing Dreams along Arroyo Polay
View from Little Tesuque Trail, Section 1-4
From Section 1-4
View from Little Tesuque Trail
Plaza to Plaza Thru-Hike thumbnail map - Little Tesuque Trail view
oaks in Juan Canyon, Section 1-5
FROM SECTION 1-5
oaks in Juan Canyon
S1-6 Winsor Trail and Big Tesuque Creek
From Section 1-6
Winsor Trail and Big Tesuque Creek
Section 1-7 Along Winsor Trail
From Section 1-7
Along Winsor Trail
Section 1-8 Field near Winsor / Borrego intersection
From Section 1-8
Field near Winsor / Borrego Trail intersection
S1-9 Going up Winsor Trail
Section 1-9
Going up Winsor Trail
S2-1 Be Here Now sign off Winsor Trail
Section 2-1
Going up Winsor Trail
Section 2-2 Climbing toward Puerto Nambe on Winsor Trail
From Section 2-2
Climbing toward Puerto Nambe on Winsor Trail
Section S2-3 View of Truchas Peaks from the saddle en route to Lake Katherine
From Section 2-3
View of Truchas Peaks from the saddle en route to Lake Katherine
2-4 Lake Katherine
From Section 2-4
Lake Katherine
S2-5 New views along Skyline Trail
From Section 2-5
New views along Skyline Trail
S2-6 Coming down Cave Creek Trail
From Section 2-6
Coming down Cave Creek Trail
S2-7 End of the climb up Dockweiler Trail
From Section 2-7
End of the climb up Dockweiler Trail
2-8 Dockweiler Trail toward Rito Perro
From Section 2-8
Dockweiler Trail
S2-9 Pecos Baldy Lake
From Section 2-9
Pecos Baldy Lake
S3-1 Trailrider’s Wall
From Section 3-1
Trailriders Wall
S3-2 Skyline Trail
From Section 3-2
Skyline Trail
S3-3 Lower Truchas Lake
From Section 3-3
Lower Truchas Lake
S3-4 Santa Barbara Divide
From Section 3-4
Santa Barbara Divide
S3-5 Middle Fork Trail with Truchas Peaks
From Section 3-5
Middle Fork Trail with Truchas Peaks in the distance
S3-6 Rio Santa Barbara
From Section 3-6
Rio Santa Barbara at Santa Barbara Campground
S4-1 Indian Canyon
From Section 4-1
Indian Canyon
S4-2 Trail up to Ripley Point
From Section 4-2
Trail up to Ripley Point
S4-3 Jicarita Peak from Ripley Point
From Section 4-3
View of Jicarita Peak from Ripley Point
S4-4 Comales Trail
From Section 4-4
Comales Trail
S4-5 Rio del Pueblo
From Section 4-5
Rio del Pueblo
S4-6 Interpretive trail off Rt 518
From Section 4-6
Interpretive trail off Rt 518
S4-7 La Cueva Field
From Section 4-7
La Cueva Field
S4-8 view from La Cueva Cutoff Trail
From Section 4-8
view from La Cueva Cutoff Trail
s4-9 View from Forest Road 442
From Section 4-9
view from Forest Road 442
s5-1 View from Forest Road 442 before burn
From Section 5-1
view from Forest Road 442
s5-2 View from Forest Road 442 after burn
From Section 5-2
view from Forest Road 442 beyond the burn
S5-3 intersection of Forest Road 440 and the connector
From Section 5-3
intersection of Forest Road 440 and the connector
S5-4 Forest track along the connector
From Section 5-4
Forest track along the connector
S5-5 Forest Road 438
From Section 5-5
Forest Road 438
s5-6 Bernardin Lake
From Section 5-6
Bernardin Lake
S5-7 Forest Road 478
From Section 5-7
Forest Road 478
S6-1 Rio Chiquito Bridge
From Section 6-1
Rio Chiquito Bridge
S6-2 Forest Road 437
From Section 6-2
Forest Road 437
S6-3 Forest Road 437
From Section 6-3
Forest Road 437
S6-4 Entrance to Drake Canyon
From Section 6-4
Entrance to Drake Canyon
S6-5 view of Taos Mountains from unnamed trail
From Section 6-5
view of Taos Mountains from unnamed trail
S6-6 El Nogal
From Section 6-6
El Nogal trailhead
S6-7 view from Kit Carson Road
From Section 6-7
view from Kit Carson Road
Taos Plaza
Taos Plaza
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