A beautiful lake and campground. Quiet. Turquoise blue waters. Able to see deer and eagles on your…read moredrive up here. Just wish that the lake levels haven't been so low the past few years to the point where it was impossible to use the boat ramp. Also, having water close to Albuquerque is a necessity and makes the 6 hour roundtrip day trip worth it

This is a nice place to go hiking and kayaking/canoeing. There are several campgrounds in the area…read morebut most of them are closed due to Covid. The hiking and water activities is worth the trip!

Now this was my by far favorite hike/picnic in New Mexico…read more On the way from Valles Caldera to Santa Fe, we noticed few cars parked on the side off NM State Highway 4. I read about this trailhead but was also sure we'll probably miss it since location was not very detailed. There are two smaller parking areas (both on the left side of the road if you're driving to Santa Fe) and they fill out fast. This trailhead provides access to the East Fork Jemez River and views of lush meadows, gorgeous wildflowers and animals on the way. The trail is rated as easy for the first 2 miles and than moderate for the rest of the way to the East Fork Trailhead ( 5 miles). We only walked 1.5 miles, took some food with us and had a lunch on the banks of the East Fork Jemez River. It was mesmerizing. I wish we had more time to walk the whole trail, maybe some other time.

Easiest day trip everrrrr. We left Albuquerque around 7am, and pulled in around 8:10ish. We spent…read moreabout 2 hours fishing at the lake, and then drove up a few miles and found a great chill spot to fish the river the rest of the day. This is a fishing only lake, no swimming or boating, no campfires or camping allowed. Fishing licenses are required for anyone 12 years or older (if you're fishing, of course), no license required to chill. They are open 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset, and there are portable toilets on site. Owned by the Benedictine monastery, public access is leased from the monastery by the NM Dept of Game and Fish through the Open Gate Program. There is a small dirt trail around the lake, and the lake itself covers six acres and is appx. 20 feet deep. The pond is regularly stocked, and provides good handicap access. It's a nice little spot, it wasn't crowded, even the day before 4th of July, and it was truly an enjoyable morning spent.

What a fun day to go fishing or for some outdoor enrichment! If you are in the Albuquerque or the…read moresurrounding area and interested in fishing or walking around the great outdoors, Monestary Lake is a nice day trip to go check out. The the best of catch spots but serene nonetheless. Of course there is no liquor or glass items but you can bring your dog for an on leash trail walking or food for a picnic. The lake itself is small and there is a larger crowd but enough space to have some privacy but you will hear the joy from others when they catch a fish! Located in the Pecos, as you continue from Monestary Lake there are other fishing opportunities. If you are day tripping or hitting up different fishing spots to your destination, check out Monestary Lakes!

My partner and I often tried to find different outdoor places to go for a walk..especially during…read morethis COVID time. I'm glad we found this open space along Alameda road..and based on how many cars we saw parking spots in the few times that we had been there, it seemed some locals also agreed with how great this place was as well. I loved that you could take a walk after finding yourself a parking spot in a lot. And even though it seemed there were many cars in the parking spaces...when we went for our walk, we barely ran into or had to interact with anyone at all. The walk was a leisurely relatively flat level walk..and you can pretty much feel safe walking around as the roads were quite well paved..and there were homes..heck even horse farms nearby! I loved that you could pretty much do whatever activities you desired there. For instance, we saw a couple of people taking their horses for a ride along the paved road, some people running along a small river stream, families and dogs just walking for exercises and even some people on a bike/going for a run, too. Overall, I enjoyed getting a fresh air away from my home area..and liked that the place wasn't too crowded despite what it's parking spaces may suggest. It's a good place to get your own exercise in and have good, private conversations with those you go with without worrying about people eavesdropping onto your conversations or disrupting the peace from whatever activities you try to do.

I really love this access point, awesome for a morning stroll. Whether you're walking solo, with a…read morecrew, staging a photography shoot, walking the dogs, hopping on your bicycle to Tingley Beach and back, or beyond, or just looking to throw a fishing line in, have a picnic, or jump on a raft and float the day away, this is such an effortless spot to do so. Little places like this bring such a smile to my face, it's the simple pleasures in life dahlings, and we're blessed to have so many in our neck o' the woods.

Take a walk, y'all! What a joy to take this easy stroll across the primo Santa Fe pedestrian…read moredistrict. A sweet little path abuts the sweet little canal, with lovely trees and seating areas, and seamless transition to Plaza window-shopping. Parking opportunities line the walk (at least where we were), some by the plaza, metered, but others farther off are free. Honestly, it was a delightful way to spend 4 miles and a leisurely Tuesday afternoon in Santa Fe. You should take a walk too!

Not much of a river. Also a lot of graffiti still there leftovers from 2020 protest period. It…read moretakes away from the city s beauty.

Beautiful place for a hike! We did the moderate level…read moreChamisa trail. It had elevation and rocky sections. Definitely not for beginners. If doing this trail, ensure you are wearing hiking shoes/boots and bring plenty of water.

(September 27):…read more What a great drive! I've always wanted to see the Fall Foliage in Santa Fe. I absolutely loved the breathtakingly refreshing views and crisp air. Every turn was better then the first and there are a few pull outs, nice to take pictures. Can't wait to go back.

I don't know what's going on here?I I walked in after knocking on the window and walking around the…read morebuilding at 9:35 on 7/23/2026 to find an angry owner who said he was on the "shitter"!!! the he opened the door, I apologized for the awkward situation and proceeded to tell him I wanted to go fish the Pecos river and got the response of I should have fucking been there 2 hours ago! WOW! I told him while I was taken aback at his demeanor that I needed to rent some boots because I misplaced mine since I haven't been out to the river for a bit because of a heavy work schedule, his reply was I don't rent! only to glued trip guests! This guys Tone I found out later to be the owner Jarrett is out of bounds when talking to clients!! This man is straight RUDE AS HELL! and seems to be in some type of grumpy state of mind that makes one unable to communicate in a viable manner to do business,How in the world does this store stay open with a jerk owner like this chasing clients away?? I see these reviews on Yelp and seem to wonder....were they paid for? I WARN EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS GUY! He is aggressive in tone and disgusting to try to do business with! why would I give money to a business that treats you so bad? I ended up leaving and went to The REEL LIFE at devagas mall and spent my 250.00 on gear there and was treated like a king. I also heard fro them that they get a lot of complaints about High Desert angler there and how rude they are treated. Thank you so much for a great day on the river thanks to The REEL LIFE at devagas mall and I will never ever set foot in High desert angler again! STAY AWAY UNLESS YOU FEEL LIKE BEING TREATED BADLY. F WORD was used by him 5 times to a customer who just wanted to do business in one visit before I left.

Walked in after driving by to drop my wife at the Capitol building. They had a great selection of…read moregear and flies and are knowledgeable about all the local waters. Make sure you pay some attention to the shop dogs, they love good pets.

Visiting is a little more complicated than some other parks/monuments, but if you just read the…read morewebsite you'll get it figured out! The key is that reservations are required, both from the NPS and from the Cochiti Pueblo. Get the NPS reservation first, and only then get the Cochiti Pueblo one (link to that is on the NPS site!). Don't drive to the trailhead, drive to the Cochiti Pueblo visitor center first, check in there, then follow the guide car (runs pretty much continuously all day) to the NPS entrance. The trailhead has multiple pit toilets, all of which were well maintained. The hike through the slot canyon and up onto the ridge is absolutely stunning. There really aren't words to do justice, nor do the pictures really convey things either. The hike into and through the slot canyon isn't steep, although there are some pretty big steps required to clamber over some rocks here and there, and it can be narrow and is often sandy. There's not a lot of elevation change though until you get through the slot canyon, then you just switchback straight up a couple hundred feet onto the ridge. That section isn't terribly long though, and the views from the top are well worth it. The first third of the hike and the last third are pretty exposed to the sun, so make sure you apply that sunscreen and bring plenty of water!

Incredible. Reservation was easy. Gov Rec Ticket and Cochiti Tribal Pass, so two tickets. Worth…read moreevery penny. We got our tickets about 5 days out from visit. Check in at Visitor Center on arrival to check off your name on the list. Visitor centre has good restrooms, snacks and a few gifts and some very pleasant staff. Next Line up behind the white pilot vehicle and he will guide you in for a few miles where they will check your pass. After that its another few miles to a small carpark with restrooms and then off your go. We did slot canyon. Half a mile walk through amazing scenery/narrow passages through the stone and some climbing over rocks. I found it quite easy but do go before the sun comes out. We started at 9.30 am. After this section, which took us about 40 minutes due to lots of photo ops you will see another sign saying 1 mile to overlook. We almost gave up as the first climb looked hard - its not, just go on. We are in our 60's with dicky knees and it was not issue, just use your bottom when you have to. A light pair of garden gloves would be handy for when your hands scrape the boulders. All practical stuff here, the views speak for themselves. it's stunning and because of the limited access you meet few people along the way. As always with State Parks, check the website for any passes required or closures.

The Ranger was friendly! $20 per car, cash or card. The hike trails are both about 1/4 of a mile…read more Prepare to get your shoes and legs wet if you go through the bottom trail. Top trail has a few steep sections. We spent a little over an hour (hiking both trails). Got some good pictures and enjoyed nature!

This waterfall blew my mind! I didn't know that such a large waterfall existed in NM! I'm so glad…read morewe hiked it, and I'll be back! The water was pretty frigid, but still fun!

Great group of guides! Even served a nice fruit snack after we got out of the water. It was a bit…read moremore work than I expected but had a great time

This was a last minute addition to my recent trip to Taos. I was looking for a short, easier…read moreexcursion on my last day in the area and the half day Orilla Verde raft trip was a perfect choice. This section of the river is calmer so its perfect for a relaxing float where you can spot wildlife and enjoy the grandeur of the gorge. You can opt to paddle a "funyak" on your own rather than go in the group raft. It's basically an inflatable kayak and my boyfriend and I chose that. It worked out well since there was only one other person in our group and they also chose a funyak. Check in is easy at the cafe in Pilar, about 20 minutes south of Taos and then you meet your guide at the gorge's visitor center across the street. Zac was our guide and he was a chill, cool guy but also focused on our safety and helped us navigate some shallow areas and one, small, class two rapids. He shared some stories about the river and its people and plant life. We got to see sheep climbing down the gorge to come drink in the river, a great blue heron and lots of ducks. It was a slow pace but that's what I was looking for. The funyaks were a little more challenging to navigate than regular kayaks (to me anyway.) They were lighter and seemed to spin and meander more. It was still a pleasant journey-just took a bit more concentration to paddle-especially with the two person boat we chose. Safety helmets and life jackets are provided and required. At the end, we shuttled back to the visitor center and our cars and Zac brought some apples, cookies and chips for the group. What a fun and memorable way to end my time in Taos. Los Rios is fun, friendly, easy to work with and I'd absolutely go again! Don't forget to tip your guide and also be ready to get a little wet, even on a more mellow trip. Had an awesome time on the river!