Are you looking for a fun day trip from Santa Fe, New Mexico? Pecos National Historic Park provides enjoyable hikes and lots of history to explore that is an easy thirty minute drive from the city.
This is the thirteenth post in our series about New Mexico parks!
We actually stopped at this park on our way to Santa Rosa State Park, which I will review next week, so we were towing our trailer. The parking lot had plenty of spots available. Make note of the park hours, which are currently 8am to 4:30 pm. We got there a little too early and had to wait for them to open the gate. Entrance to the park is free. Take time to go inside the visitor center. We found the trail brochures inside available for a small fee to be very helpful. Also, if you want to take the Glorieta Pass Trail, you have to get instructions from the rangers at the visitor center!
Ancestral Sites Trail
This 1.25 mile loop trail begins at the visitor center. You need to wear sunscreen and a hat, as well as bring some water along because the trail has very little shade.
We enjoyed reading about the history in the well-written trail guide as we walked among the ruins.
Glorieta Battlefield Trail
This 2.25 mile trail is NOT located in the same area of the park where the visitor center is. You will need to drive to get there. Plus, the gate is locked, so you will need to get the code from the ranger in order to access the trail. As you can see from the photo, we didn’t have an issue parking with our trailer. We did have another hiker or two in the parking lot while we were there. This area is remote, but pretty close to Santa Fe, so I am not sure how crowded it would get on weekends.
Inside the gate is a nice picnic area and a bathroom.
Although they do have interpretive signs along the way, I would still encourage you to buy the $2 trail guide at the visitor center to get better historical insight for the trail. This moderately strenuous trail spends most of the time in the forest.
Also, there are ways to make the trail shorter. If you want to just see the main display and viewpoint (11 on the map below), you can go straight from the picnic area and then back for a very short hike. Also, that section of the trail is wheelchair accessible. We chose to go left and then when we got to number 11, we walked the wheelchair accessible trail back to the parking lot. We needed to make our way to where we would camp for the night, but that way we saw most of the displays.
Other Options
The park also offers a 3.6 mile South Pasture Loop Trail. In addition, you could take some of the hikes with a ranger! Check here for the schedule. You can also fish in the park; however, it requires a fee and you must make reservations. Click here for more information.
If you are visiting Santa Fe, you should definitely make the 30 minute drive to this historical park!