Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, New Mexico

The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks are located near Cochiti Pueblo, approximately 40 miles (65 kilometres) southwest of Santa Fe. ‘Kasha Katuwe’ means ‘White Cliffs’ in the Keresan Pueblo language. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks was designated as a national park in 2001, but the area and rock formations themselves are more than 7,000,000 years old.The ‘tent rocks’ get their name from how they look – literal tent-like cones made from layers of soft pumice and tuff that have eroded into this shape over time; the rock is very similar to what you see at Tsankawi. Some of the tent rocks are very short but others can reach upwards of 90 feet!When you walk on the 1.2 mile (1.9 kilometre) trail, you’re eventually led through a slot canyon that opens at the base of a rocky lookout that requires you to climb up a series of stairs. Once you reach the top, you get an magnificent view of the Tent Rocks.When you’re at the top, make sure you look down at the area around you, because you may just find some ‘Apache Tears’ – little round bits of obsidian that were formed during the pyroclastic flow, just like the Tent Rocks themselves. When you walk through the slot canyon you can sometimes see them embedded in the ‘walls’.It was a hot walk the day we went, so make sure you bring water with you and that you wear a hat. It’s a great spot if you’re looking for more intense hiking, as some of the trail through the slot canyon is very steep and rocky – lots of climbing! It is not recommended that you go when it is raining because slot canyons are prone to flash-flooding.

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