Accommodation convenient for hiking around Santa Fe in May

In the begining of May I鈥檇 love to spend 3-4 days hiking in NM. I read lots of posts here and did some independent searching on many different areas for hikes and now I need some help. I can鈥檛 locate any cabins, small rental houses, apartments, anything for those few nights. I wouldn鈥檛 mind camping but I just learned I have to get a new tent so camping is not an option now. I prefer not to stay right in Santa Fe. I鈥檓 not interested in shopping, walking streets, window shopping but would like to spend one afternoon visiting a museum or two and then stay for a nice elegant dinner in town. Any suggestions for the area where I should look for a decent lodging convenient to hiking trails? I know it is about 40 miles from Santa Fe but would love to hike at least on one trail in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Then closer to Santa Fe I like descriptions of Aspen Vista, Chamisa, Atalaya Mountain, Borrego - Bear Wallow - Winsor Loop trails. Please suggest where to stay and what trails to take. I love hikes with breathtaking scenery, wildflowers, birds, no crowds. I have only 2 or 3 full days for hiking. Thanks

Accommodation convenient for hiking around Santa Fe in May

Unfortunately, cabins are almost non-existant in the Santa Fe area. (I love them too!)

I do not have the specific information on the trails you mentioned, but Tent Rocks is a really cool place for hiking, as is Bandelier National Monument.

The museum at the Palace of the Governors, on the Plaza is interesting, as is the International Folk

Art Museum. It is almost unique in the world from what I understand, and a favcrite of mine. If you love the history of the Northern New Mexico area, try to take in the Old Cienega Village Museum, a.k.a. El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, about 12 miles SW of Santa Fe (behind the racetrack). This is a living history museum, which includes a good mile, perhaps two, walk between ';villages.'; They have festivals during the year, check to see if one is being held in early May.

I%26#39;ll let our Santa Feans recommend places to stay, and specific hikes in the immediate Santa Fe area.

Accommodation convenient for hiking around Santa Fe in May

The only accommodations in the mountains are tents! No cabins near any of the places you want to hike. I know you can get an inexpensive tent at our local Coleman outlet.

Tent Rocks is not a difficult drive from Santa Fe and most of the trails you mentioned are up the ski basin road.

Up that road are a few Nat Forest CG and Hyde Memorial State Park, which has tent sites. It may be a bit chilly at night (30-40%26#39;s) in May for camping.

Staying near the Plaza area is still your best bet. There are a few small places and B%26amp;B%26#39;s that have casitas.

Fort Marcy Suites are up a hill about 4 blocks or so from the Plaza and on the road to the ski basin. Check www.allseasonsresortlodging.com

Also visit www.santafe.org for more info on the area.

Visiting either Palace of the Governors museum on the Plaza or the Indian Art and Culture Museum on Museum hill would be a great visit for you.

You may also want to hike at the Randolph Davey Audubon Center at the top of Canyon Road.

NM_Photojournalist and CasaAzul, you helped me last time while I planned my drive from Silver City to Oklahoma City. Your suggestions were fantastic and I followed many of them. In a couple months I鈥檓 returning to the area and you already gave me a number of new ideas. Thank you so much for your great help.

NM_Photojournalist, too bad about no cabins. I love all the wilderness cabins available in Alaska. Maybe one day NM and other states can have similar system of cabins. Anyway, I completely overlooked Bandelier National Monument. Need to do more reading about it. Are hiking trails in this park easily accessible from Santa Fe? Thank you for suggestions what museums to visit. Now I have the Palace of the Governors and the International Folk Art Museum in my itinerary. Have to do more homework and learn about the Old Cienega Village Museum before adding it to my list.

Casa Azul, I鈥檓 so grateful you reminded me of a local Coleman outlet. There is one not too far away from where I live now. I have to get a new tent before my summer trip to Alaska anyway. Still I have to rethink an idea of camping at a high elevation and low temperatures. I need lodging with kitchen facilities or at least with a little kitchenette. Usually when returning after all day hiking I don鈥檛 feel like going out for a meal. I rather prepare something very simple and quick before getting ready for a next hike.

I鈥檒l take a closer look at Fort Marcy Suites and check the websites you included in your post. The Indian Art and Culture Museum on Museum Hill sounds very appealing.

The Randolph Davey Audubon Center is a place I would be very interested in visiting and maybe see some birds too. I couldn鈥檛 find more detailed information about this place but maybe I didn鈥檛 look too hard. Need to try again.

Casa, do you know whether the Rancho Jacoma would be a convenient place to stay for all hiking I鈥檓 planning to do? It looks like there are suites with kitchens.

Thank you both for all your help.

You can rent cabins if you go to the Jemez Mountains. There are lots of trails in that area and it%26#39;s quiet. If you do prefer to stick to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Ten Thousand Waves which is on the way to the ski basin offers lodging.

Here%26#39;s the link to the Audubon Center: www.nm.audubon.org/center/index.html

Rancho Jacona was a place I was going to recommend, located north of Santa Fe in Pojoaque (away from most of the trails you are interested in)

Another lodging option is Santa Fe Suites (used to be Camel Rock Suites) located on St Francis Road. www.thesantafesuites.com Fairly inexpensive with a full kitchen. Also right nearby is a large grocery store, a take n bake pizza place and a Japanese takeout kind of place. Also across the street from a soon to be opened Railrunner station where you can catch a train to Albuquerque if you wish.

CasaAzul, thank you so much for your fantastic help. In my previous post I listed all those hiking trails which looked very appealing but I knew I won%26#39;t be include majority of them in our short visit. Now I narrowed down to hiking in Bandelier National Monument one day. The second day we would like to spend in Tent Rocks. Do you know if the road to Tent Rocks, which I read is unpaved, is in a decent condition for a regular car? The third day - we are talking about going to Audubon Center in the morning and then spending a few hours in town.

Do you think Rancho Jacoma would be OK location for this itinerary or should I tray to book at Santa Fe Suites? Both are very appealing for different reasons.

Hathor, thank you for suggesting Ten Thousand Waves. Unfortunately, this is not lodging I would be interested in on this trip. I was thinking about cabins similar to the Alaskan wilderness cabins some times located in remote areas accessible only by boat or floatplane and seldom by road. They are often located in extremely scenic areas of national forests and state parks. They are simple cabins with bunk beds and heating stove. You need to bring your food, sleeping bags, camp stove, fire wood or heating fuel. It is a great way to camp out without a tent in a rainforest of Alaska and stay dry. We also enjoyed staying in a cabin built by CCC men located in Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas. They are more luxurious and more expensive but was hoping there are maybe cabins in NM similar to those in Alaska or Texas.

Dear Places,

I know of the type of accomodation you are looking for, I%26#39;m just not sure if it%26#39;s close enough to Santa Fe to suit you....I believe it%26#39;s an hour away. I do know that the scenery is very beautiful in this area and that there are many hiking trails to take very close by as you will be in the Sangre de Cristo mountains and I believe the Pecos wilderness. There are also hot springs and the Montezuma Castle nearby. This is absolutely my favorite scenic area in NM, but frankly the cabins are a bit too rustic for me and my family. They are IN the mountains and not in a populated area. They have beds/bath/kitchen and cooking supplies/shower.The bare minimum though. They are all equipped with wood-burning stoves for heat. Seriously, we love the scenery and if they are still renting these cabins, they are very private. If you are looking for a place for wonderful hiking this would be THE area. Here%26#39;s the link for the cabins. They are owned by locals who have lived there all their lives. It%26#39;s been about 7 years since I%26#39;ve been there but the following link has the phone number that you can call them direct.

ibegin.com/directory/鈥?/a>

www.dupontcastle.com/castles/montezum.htm

Hi tsth, I added your information to my file. Thank you for it.

Meanwhile I reserved one casita at Rancho Jacona. All reviews are very positive and it is not too far from Santa Fe and Bandelier National Monument.

I am not certain how long is a drive from Rancho Jacona to Tent Rocks National Monument and what is a road like to this park.

NM_Photojournalist, do you think I should plan on visiting El Rancho de Las Golondrinas on the same day after hiking in Tent Rocks?

I%26#39;m driving to Rancho Jacona north of Santa Fe from the Grants area. Maybe I should visit El Rancho de Las Golondrinas on the way but to fully enjoy a visit I need a safe place to park our car. We%26#39;ll have all our belongings in it.

On the way to our lodging where is a supermarket I can pick up all stuff needed for our stay in Rancho Jacona?

Thanks

NM_Photojournalist and CasaAzul