Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Santa Fe area

Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The City of Santa Fe is located in the north-central portion of the State of New Mexico and is the state capitol. Tucked up into the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range, it is a one-hour drive north of Albuquerque. Other destinations in this area are the resort town of Taos, the City of Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument. The elevation of Santa Fe is 7,199, so if you are visiting from out of town, you may want to take it easy for a day or to to acclimate to the thinner air. Santa Fe has a semi-arid climate with chilly, but not frigid, winters and warm sunny summers. The best times to visit Santa Fe is in the spring or fall.

Santa Fe is the center of southwestern art and culture, with hundreds of galleries and world renown artists. It is also the home of the Santa Fe Opera. The charming architecture of Santa Fe is that of adobe and pine logs, which lends to wonderful photographic opportunities.

There are several paved recreational trails in Santa Fe if you want to take in a stroll to experience the unique high desert environment. There are also many locations with hiking trails into the nearby foothills if you are prepared for the high altitude desert.

River Trail

River Trail is a 3-mile long paved path that follows the banks of the Santa Fe River as it flows through the north side of the city. The northwest end of the trail is at Sandoval Street and W Alameda Street at De Varga Park. De Vargas Park is located just southwest of all of the shops, galleries and restaurants in the center of Santa Fe.

River Trail heads to the west from De Vargas Park along the greenbelt adjacent to W. Alameda Street. The Santa Fe River is to the south of the trail. There are several bridges to cross the river to get to the residential neighborhoods south of W. Alameda Street. The river trail goes through or nearby several parks along its route, such as: Footbridges Park, Santa Fe River Park West, Bicentennial Alto Park, John F. Ray Griego Park, Rio Vista Park and Frenchy's Field.

The southwest end of River Trail is at Camino Carlos Real. You can head south to the trails at Frenchy's Field where there is parking and other amenities. Frenchy's Field is located on Agua Fria Street

Read more about the River Trail

Santa Fe Rail Trail

The Santa Fe Rail Trail is 15.5-mile long paved and unpaved pathway located to the south side of Downtown Santa Fe. The route of the trail follows alongside the active railroad line for the Rail Runner Express.

Inside the city, the 3.5-mile long Santa Fe Rail Trail is wide and paved. The north end of the trail is along Alta Vista Street just south of the downtown area. Along the route in town, the Santa Fe Rail Trail intersects the Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail at Siringo Road near Santa Fe High School then takes a wide loop eventually reaching Interstate 25 to the west of S. St. Francis Drive. The pavement ends at the south side of the interstate.

The remaining 12 miles of the Santa Fe Rail Trail extends south from Interstate 25 and is unpaved. It travels along side the railroad tracks through scrub brush and piñon pine trees. The southernmost portion of the trail travels through the residential neighborhoods of Eldorado at Santa Fe.

Read more about the Santa Fe Rail Trail

Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail

The Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail is a 3.6-miles long paved trail that follows the arroyo as it runs through the southwestern portion of Santa Fe. The arroyo is often little more than a dry river bed, except in the winter or after recent rains. The Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail connects to the Santa Fe Rail Trail at Siringo Road near Santa Fe High School.

The Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail passes through residential neighborhoods and crosses under Rodeo Drive near Zarafano Drive. The route of the trail is located away from busy streets and there are relatively few street crossings.

Read more about the Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail

Tierra Contenta Trail

The Tierra Contenta Trail is a 2.5-mile long paved path located on the southwest side of Santa Fe.

The southwest end of the trail is located at Swan Park which can be reached by travelling west on Jaguar Drive. From this point the trail heads east and wanders along next to the arroyo and through the piñon pines and scrub brush below the neighborhood along Jaguar Drive. There are three access trails off of Jaguar Drive that lead down to the main trail.

Heading farther east, the trail crosses Jaguar Drive at a point 0.1 mile east of the intersection with Country Club Road. The Tierra Contenta Trail continues traveling northeast to cross Paseo Del Sol and Avenida Contenta at street level. The trail continues for about 0.2 miles past Avenida Contenta.

Gail Ryba Trail

The Gail Ryba Trail is a 1-mile long paved trail that follows S. St. Francis Drive on the east side of Santa Fe. The north end is located on St. Michaels Drive and the south end is at W. Zia Road near Capshaw Middle School. Another spur of the Gail Ryba Trail goes over to the intersection of W. Zia Road and S. St. Francis Drive. If you cross the street, you can hook up with the Santa Fe Rail Trail to head downtown or going to the south side of town.

Acequia Trail

The Acequia Trail is a 3/4 mile long paved trail near Cerrillos Road and S. St. Francis Drive. It connects to trails in Santa Fe Railyard Park.

Eldorado at Santa Fe Trails

There are 14 miles of paved trails that follows the roads through the community of Eldorado at Santa Fe. These trails allow the residents to travel about through the community without having to walk along the roadway. Eldorado at Santa Fe is a community of 2500 homes located on Highway 285, 11 miles south of Downtown Santa Fe. The unpaved Santa Fe Rail Trail also travels north/south through the community.

Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails for bike riding and walking in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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