Day Trippin' › New Mexico › From Santa Fe
From Santa Fe, El Rancho de las Golondrinas and the High Road to Taos are about 20 minutes away, Chimayo and Madrid under 40, Tent Rocks and Bandelier about 50, and Albuquerque's Old Town an hour. The best day trips from Santa Fe, by drive time.
84 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
National monument · 49 min west
Cone-shaped tent rocks of volcanic ash on Cochiti Pueblo land, with a slot canyon trail that climbs to a mesa-top view.
National monument · 52 min west
A canyon of cliff dwellings and village ruins carved into soft volcanic tuff, with ladders up to alcove rooms along the Pueblo Loop Trail in Frijoles Canyon.
Town · 59 min southwest
The city's 1706 birthplace, a walkable plaza ringed by adobe shops, restaurants and the San Felipe de Neri church dating to 1793.
Viewpoint · 58 min southwest
A 2.7-mile aerial tram that lifts you from Albuquerque's foothills to the 10,378-foot summit of the Sandias, with a restaurant at the top.
State park · 32 min southwest
Rolling hills of old turquoise and silver mines beside the village of Cerrillos, with about five miles of trails for hiking, biking and riding.
Museum · 40 min northwest
A free museum in Los Alamos about the Manhattan Project and the science done at the national lab.
Theme park · 52 min southwest
Albuquerque's hometown amusement park with thrill and kiddie rides, the New Mexico Rattler roller coaster and the WaterMania splash area.
Zoo · 1 hr southwest
Albuquerque's city zoo along the Rio Grande, with animal habitats and daily feeding times.
National park · 1 hr 17 min west
A huge volcanic caldera of open grass valleys ringed by forested domes, where elk herds graze and trails head out from the Cabin District.
National monument · 1 hr 28 min southwest
Thousands of images pecked into dark volcanic boulders on Albuquerque's West Mesa, reached by several short canyon trails plus a volcano day-use area.
Pueblo · 1 hr 30 min northeast
A living Pueblo village of multi-story adobe homes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site lived in for centuries.
Pueblo · 1 hr 56 min southwest
A centuries-old pueblo village built on top of a sheer mesa, visited on guided tours from the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak'u Museum.
Viewpoint · 1 hr 33 min north
A tall steel bridge on US 64 northwest of Taos with dizzying views straight down into the Rio Grande Gorge.
Hot spring · 1 hr 2 min north
A historic hot springs resort with a dozen mineral pools of different minerals, between Santa Fe and Taos.
Bike trail · 1 hr 1 min southwest
A 16-mile paved path through the cottonwood forest along the Rio Grande, with no road crossings.
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 1 min southwest
A small day-use park on the Rio Grande flyway with indoor and outdoor viewing of ponds, gardens and short trails.
Train · 2 hr 8 min north
A historic steam train ride of 64 miles between Chama and Antonito, Colorado, through aspen forest, over a high trestle and through two tunnels.
National monument · 2 hr 43 min west
A sandstone bluff where travelers carved names and messages for centuries, with a longer trail over the top.
Town · 2 hr 8 min north
A Western mountain village at about 7,860 ft, home of the steam train depot and fly fishing on the Rio Chama.
State park · 2 hr 14 min northeast
A narrow canyon on US 64 with tall granite palisades, trout fishing in the Cimarron River and forest trails.
Wildlife refuge · 2 hr 15 min south
A Rio Grande refuge where thousands of sandhill cranes, geese and ducks spend the winter, seen from a 12-mile gravel scenic drive.
Lake · 2 hr 27 min southeast
A lake on the grassy plains north of Fort Sumner for boating, swimming, fishing and birding.
Bike trail · 2 hr 29 min northeast
In summer the ski hill becomes a lift-served bike park, with scenic chairlift rides to over 10,000 ft, disc golf and fishing.
Scenic drive · 2 hr 4 min northeast
A mountain loop of about 84 miles around Wheeler Peak through Taos, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 87501 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.