- Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks Campground
- Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks Lake
- Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks Az
- Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks National Park
Photos
The park’s most distinctive feature? The tent-shaped rocks that gave the park its name, as seen in the photo above. The park has two primary trails: Slot Canyon Trail and Cave Loop Trail. The latter of the two is handicap accessible, making this park a wonderful family destination for travelers of all hiking abilities.
Quicklinks
Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks Campground
Fees
- Monument Fee Booth - 505-331-6259
- Private Vehicles - $5
- Groups:
Up to 25 individuals - $25
25-100 individuals - $100 - Schools:
No fee. Day-use permit required from BLM.
Educational Permit Request Form - Commercial Tours, Non-Profit Organizations, Commercial Filming, and Commercial Photography:
Specials-use permit required from BLM. Please contact Rio Puerco Field Office at 505-761-8700.
The Slot Canyon trail is a one-way trail covering 1.5 miles (2.4 km) through a slot canyon and up a climb of 630 feet (190 m) to a lookout point where the tent rocks may be viewed from above. The Cave Loop trail is approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and leads past the base of the cliffs, near some of the tent rocks and a small cavate similar to those found at the nearby Bandelier National Monument. The slot canyon at Tent Rock is unique in that it is carved into volcanic ash – or tuff. As we hiked, there were times the slot came to a point beneath our feet — the trail became just wide enough for one shoe. Eventually, the slot canyon opened up and it was time to climb. 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. Then at the junction, turn left, and you’ll be on your way along the fairly level ground to the cave for which this trail is named.
Season/Hours
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks has changed its hours of operation.
The Monument gates will be open 8am to 4pm, and the Monument will fully close at 5pm.
The Monument gates will be open 8am to 4pm, and the Monument will fully close at 5pm.
Hours of Operation
Entry into the Monument between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Closing procedures begin at 3:30 p.m. to clear the Monument by 5:00 p.m.
Entry into the Monument between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Closing procedures begin at 3:30 p.m. to clear the Monument by 5:00 p.m.
Visitors must be out of the fee booth gated area by closing time.
During the summer months, the Monument experiences increased visitation. Please be aware that visitors may experience entrance delays starting at 9am due to increased visitation and lack of available parking. Wait times may range from 30 to 90 minutes. As parking is made available, new visitors will be allowed entry.
Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks Lake
Notice
To allow for Pueblo de Cochiti cultural observances and routine BLM maintenance, the Monument will be closed on:
New Year’s Day (January 1)
January 6
Friday before Easter
Saturday before Easter
Easter Sunday
Monday after Easter Sunday
May 3
July 13
July 14
July 25
November 1
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve
January 6
Friday before Easter
Saturday before Easter
Easter Sunday
Monday after Easter Sunday
May 3
July 13
July 14
July 25
November 1
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve
Accessibility
There are ADA compliant rest rooms, picnic facilities, kiosks and parking.
The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 miles long and is rated as easy. While the trail is gravel/sand there are a few sections that are accessible to wheelchairs.
At the Veterans' Memorial Overlook you will find ADA-accessible picnic areas, rest rooms, trails and facilities.
Trail Information
The national monument includes a national recreational trail. It is for foot travel only, and contains two segments that provide opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, geologic observation and plant identification. Both segments of the trail begin at the designated monument parking area.
Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks Az
The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 miles long, rated as easy. The more difficult Canyon Trail is a 1.5-mile, one-way trek into a narrow canyon with a steep (630-ft) climb to the mesa top for excellent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia mountains and the Rio Grande Valley. Both trails are maintained; however, during inclement weather the canyon may flash flood and lightning may strike the ridges.
The Veterans Memorial Trail is a 1-mile long loop trail, rated as very easy and is wheel chair accessible. The Veterans Memorial is located at the end of a 3 mile long gravel surfaced road overlooking picturesque Peralta Canyon and Jemez Mountain peaks. Picnic tables, shelters and toilets are available at both sites.
Prohibitions and Restrictions
The Monument is closed to dogs, excluding service animals.
Day Use Only
![Canyon Canyon](/uploads/1/3/4/6/134647617/432777217.jpg)
No open fires, shooting, alcoholic beverages, glass containers or climbing on the 'tent rocks.'
The historic manhattan casino event hall st. petersburg fletersburg fl. Petersburg Event Hall The Historic Manhattan Casino provides the perfect venue for a variety of special events, with legendary musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, James Brown and Nat King Cole having also once performed at this venue.
Do not trespass on tribal, private, or state land.
Access to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks may be closed by order of the Cochiti Tribal Governor. Closures will be posted at the gate.
No motorized vehicles or mountain bikes are allowed.
Protect live trees and shrubs. You may not cut green trees or firewood without a permit.
No collecting of plants, rocks, obsidian 'apache tears,' or wildlife.
Please stay on designated roads and trails.
Geocaching is prohibited.
Please, do not feed the wildlife
Hunting and recreational shooting is not allowed in the Monument.
Brochures, Maps, and Publications
![Rocks Rocks](/uploads/1/3/4/6/134647617/816081888.jpg)
Rocks Rock!Hit the Trails Learning Education Initiative
Located about 50 miles north of Albuquerque, this place is one of my favorite locations in the entire state. I’ve done the hike several times and the level of amazement and wonder at the beauty to be found there has not yet waned. The Slot Canyon Trail at the Kasha-Katuwe* Tent Rocks National Monument is an opportunity to marvel at what the passage of time can do to a landscape.
*Kasha-Katuwe means “white rocks” in Keresan, a pueblo language. The national monument is located near the Cochiti Pueblo.
The name “Tent Rocks” comes from the cone-shaped rock formations (also called hoodoos) created from a volcanic explosion over 6-7 million years ago. The monument includes several areas for hiking and sightseeing, including the Veteran’s Memorial Scenic Overlook, Shelter Cave, the Cave Loop, and the Slot Canyon Trail.
The trail is a three-mile loop that is easily done in about two and a half to three hours. It is a beginner-level hike, which is great for someone like me who isn’t a hiker but enjoys the great outdoors. Both the Cave Loop and Slot Canyon Trail begin at the same place, just off the parking lot. The Cave Loop trail circles the base of the tent rocks and is a mile loop, dotted with juniper trees and posted information about the geology and history of the area. At the half mile point of the loop, the Slot Canyon Trail breaks off to the right.
As the trail winds through the canyon, a large tree with gnarled roots big enough to hide behind acts as your portal to a sacred place. Once past the tree, the canyon walls rise up and the trail gets narrow. The modern world and all its trouble and worries disappear within this place as you wind past boulders and rocks and view trees and bushes that literally grow and survive off the sides of the canyon. The weight of time and the past pull you from your worries and cares as you begin to understand the temporariness of your place in the universe.
The first part of the Slot Canyon Trail is a gradual easy increase in elevation. Around the mid-point, the trail gets steep. Free satoshi casino. You have to scramble over boulders and rocks as the path continues to rise. Railroad ties placed within the side of the mesa assist in the ascent, but it is still a steep journey. For someone afraid of heights (like me) there is always a big fear of just how temporary my place in the universe might actually become, but at Tent Rocks I always push past that, which is a sign of how wonderful this place is.
When you reach the top you’ll experience some truly beautiful views, as it seems you see the entire northern part of the state from here. After taking some time to rest and experience the beauty of the area, you’ll go back down the way you came, but you’ll be changed. And if you’re not changed, you’re not doing it right.
Tips for Your Visit
- There is a $5 fee to get into the area. Check out their site to ensure they are open the day you visit.
- Try to get there as early as possible (the monument opens at 7 a.m. in the spring and summer and 8 a.m. in the fall and winter). The Slot Canyon Trail is narrow in certain spots, and at the midpoint of the loop it you have to climb over some rocks and boulders as the elevation increases. If you go earlier, you don’t have to wait for other hikers, and you’ll save yourself the embarrassment of being overheard by anyone as you wail about the heights and curse openly at Little Trickster for talking you into this trip (but maybe that’s just me).
- Bring your own drinking water, as there isn’t any running water at monument. Also, if hiking in the spring or summer, be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen, as there is pretty much no shade.
- Be sure to bring proper footwear. While the hike is easy, it’s not flip-flop easy.
- Dogs are not allowed on the trail.
Slot Canyon Trail Tent Rocks National Park
Visit the official site for Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks.