Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t

Albuquerque Area

Cedro Peak

Located east of Albuquerque near the town of Tijeras, the Cedro Peak area has miles of trails for hikers and bikers. The 1.4-mile long trek to the top of Cedro Peak has an easy grade that rises only 416 feet to its highest point. Along the route are pinon and juniper trees, limestone rocks and natural staircases. From various points on the trail there are good views of the Manzano Mountains, Tijeras Canyon and Albuquerque.

To get to the trailhead, take the Tijeras exit off 1-40. Go 5 miles south on NM 337 and follow signs to the Cedro Group Campground. The trail begins approximately a mile and a half past the campground.

Foothills Trails

The Foothills Trails in the Elena Gallegos Open Space Park in Albuquerque are located below the Sandia wilderness area. None of the trails are very steep, which makes them popular with both cyclists and hikers. The trails north of the Embudito trailhead, which is east of Montgomery and Tramway, are primarily rock-free. There are plenty of nice views of Albuquerque and the Rio Grande Valley along the different routes.

For a map of the Open Space trails. visit http://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/open-space/facilities-map.

Boundary Loop Trail

Two trails form the Boundary Loop Trail- the East Jaral Canyon Trail (#204) and the West Jaral Canyon Trail (#3A). This four-plus mile hike goes through Jaral Canyon, a seldom-visited area of Albuquerque’s western foothills north of Tramway. The trail begins by following a slope up to a ridge. Much of the trail follows a ridge that overlooks the valley below. Parts of the trail are steep and rocky and require good hiking boots.

To find the Boundary Loop Trail, go north of the Tram and take a right turn onto FR 333. Park at the small lot past the second cattle guard. The trailhead is on the north side of FR 333.

Santa Fe Area

Chamisa Trail

The Chamisa trail is an easy, 4.8-mile round trip hike that’s located six miles from the Santa Fe Plaza. The trail has many switchbacks that pass through rolling terrain, meadows and large stands of evergreen trees. While the very beginning of the trail requires some steep climbing through a pinon, pine and juniper forest, hikers eventually descend into a small grassy meadow by Tesuque Creek where the Chamisa Trail meets the Windsor Trail.

To get to the Chamisa Trail, follow the Santa Fe Sk Basin road for 5.6 miles to a wide canyon with two prominent parking areas on the south and north sides of the road. The trail begins on the north side of the road.

Atalaya Mountain Hiking Trail

The Atalaya Mountain Trail, which is one of the most popular hiking trails in Santa Fe, is accessible from the St. Johns College parking lot at 1160 Camino De Cruz Blanca. It’s an approximately 7 mile, round-trip hike to go from the parking lot to the top of Atalaya Mountain.

The first few miles of the trail are relatively easy, but it becomes increasingly steep and strenuous as you near the mountain’s summit. Hikers can turn around at any time. There are great views at the top.

Dale Ball Trail System

The Dale Ball Trail system has a number of different hiking opportunities within its more than 22 miles of interconnected trails across the foothills east of Santa Fe. All trails lie within pinon and juniper woodlands that have an occasional cactus and yucca along the way.

One of the most popular hiking sections is located off Hyde Park Road, about three miles from the Santa Fe Plaza. The parking lot on the north side of the road is the place to start an easy and enjoyable 1.8-mile round trip trail.

Jemez Mountains Area

Tsankawi Trail at Bandelier

The Tsankawi Loop Trail is a 1.5-mile loop that passes through Pueblo ruins in a detached section of Bandelier National Monument. Ladders take hikers to the top of a mesa that has outstanding views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The mesa’s south-facing cliffs have numerous cave dwellings that housed the Tewa people in the 1400s. These cliffs overlook a valley where residents farmed corn, beans and squash.

The trailhead is 11 miles northeast of the turnoff to the main Bandelier Visitor Center along New Mexico Route 4.

Ancho Rapids

Located in the Jemez Mountains near White Rock, Ancho Rapids trail is an easy all-season hike during dry years. Part of the trail is a dirt, power line maintenance road. This 4-mile, desert plateau and canyon hike to the Rio Grande River starts on high desert terrain and descends along switchbacks until reaching the sandy banks and smooth black boulders bordering the Rio Grande.

From White Rock, drive southwest on NM 4. The beginning of the trail is at gate #4, which is about 3.3 miles from the intersection of NM 4 with Pajarito Road.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Tent Rocks, which is located on the Pajarito Plateau in north-central New Mexico, has a national recreation trail that meanders through cone-shaped rock formations produced by volcanic eruptions. Both segments of the trail begin at the parking area. The Cave Loop Trail is an easy 1.2-mile trail, while the Canyon Trail is a 1.5-mile, one-way trek through a narrow canyon that culminates in a steep climb to the top of the mesa. During the winter months, the final part of the climb can be icy. There are expansive views at the top.

To get to Tent Rocks, take the Cochiti Pueblo exit off I-25 and follow the signs.