A return to a hike Pat & I made 10 years ago.
The Drive In
Tsankawi Prehistoric Sites, a part of the Bandelier National Monument, is located on the way from Santa Fe via Pojoaque towards White Rock. From Pojoaque go west on NM 502 for 10 miles to the interchange with NM 4. Bear left onto NM 4 (signs point to Whiterock) for just over 1 mile to an intersection with East Hemez Road to the right and … the entrance to Tsankawi on the left. Turn left and in a short into the parking lot.
The Hike
Tsankawi Ruins Hike.Pat.2026-05-30
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line). Click on the image for a full-screen view.
This is a most interesting trail. Although not a great distance as hikes go, it is quite challenging with ladder climbs; sections of the trail that are narrow between rock face and vertical dropoff; and sections where the trail is a narrow groove worn into the soft rock; and in some areas the “groove” is more like a narrow waist deep passageway.
Press {Pause} below the photos to watch the slide show.
When we visited before, we were able to wander through the Pueblo ruins. On this visit, we were disappointed to find that access has now been blocked.
Highlight
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.98 miles
Elevation: start 6,496 ft, maximum 6,684 ft, minimum 6,493 ft
Gross gain: 191 ft. Aggregate ascending 518 ft, descending 521 ft
Maximum slope: 37% ascending, 37% descending, 7.2% average
Duration: 2:34, Average Speed: 0.8 mph, Shade: 0%
| GPS Track Files for Download | |
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| If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, give it a try. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get good idea of the hike and the terrain. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files. | |
Related Posts
Tsankawi RuinHike – 10/12/2016
References and Resources
National Park Service: Tsankawi
Tsankawi Trail Intro – the Best Resource w/ History
Pajarito Environmental Education Center: Tsankawi Loop Trail
New Mexico Outdoor Sports Guide: Hiking Tsankawi Pueblo
AllTrails: Tsankawi Village Trail
The Peaboxy: Tsankawi
An Inspired Cook: Tsankawi Prehistoric Site
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