6 Easy Hikes In New Mexico S National Parks

There are several national monuments and two national parks in New Mexico. They will show you some of the most beautiful areas of the Land of Enchantment. If you want to see the very best of these delightful parks (and also work in a bit of exercise at the same time!), look no further. Today, we’re going to take a look at some easy hikes in New Mexico that you can enjoy in some of our national parks and near our national monuments. Let’s take a look!

Aztec West Self-Guided Trail at Aztec Ruins National Monument: Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Rd, Aztec, NM 87410

Jasperdo/Flickr The easy 0.5-mile loop at Aztec Ruins National Monument is honestly less of a hike and more of an incredibly leisurely stroll. You’ll head up to the ruins and through them. Make sure to pick up a trail guide before you embark on the hike so that you can learn even more about the ancient Puebloans who once called this place home. This is one of the most scenic places in New Mexico, and if you love history, it’s a must-visit. Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Rd, Aztec, NM 87410, USA

Cerro La Jara Loop Trail at Valles Caldera National Preserve: 39201 NM-4, Jemez Springs, NM 87025

Thomas Shahan/Flickr This stunning natural preserve houses quite a few of the best trails in New Mexico. We like the Cerro La Jara Loop because it’s fairly easy and provides great views. The trail is well-marked, and if you head out in the spring, you’ll likely find plenty of wildflowers! The trail measures about 2.9 miles in length. Did you know this volcano in New Mexico is actually a supervolcano? Valles Caldera, New Mexico 87025, USA

Lava Falls Trail at El Malpais National Monument: 1900 E Santa Fe Ave, Grants, NM 87020

Jacqueline Poggi/Flickr Follow the rock cairns in a one-mile loop to find all kinds of incredible lava formations. Amazingly, these rocks date back just a few thousand years ago! El Malpais National Monument is one of our favorite places in the state thanks to its rugged beauty and gorgeous trails. El Malpais, New Mexico 87020, USA

Main Loop Trail at Bandelier National Monument: 15 Entrance Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87544

Don Barrett/Flickr Here’s another easy trail that will take you straight to ancient ruins in New Mexico. The main loop trail is about 1.2 miles and it will take you roughly an hour to complete. Make sure to give yourself time to explore all the alcoves and check out the many archaeological sites along the trail. You’ll definitely want to stop and examine the wonders you’ll see! Bandelier National Monument, 15 Entrance Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA

Pueblo Alto Trail at Chaco Culture National Historical Park

jim_mckenzie/Flickr To access this remote park, you’ll take one of the most scenic roads in New Mexico. The entire loop trail is a bit long, at 5.4 miles, but it’ll give you a great comprehensive overview of the park. You’ll get to see several ancient dwellings, including Pueblo Alto and Pueblo Bonito. The views here are incredible. Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA

Rinconada Canyon Trail at Petroglyph National Monument: Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120

David Swanson/Alltrails Want to check out some historic petroglyphs while getting a little hiking in? This 2.2-mile loop trail is fairly easy to traverse. You’ll see around 300 petroglyphs on the rocks that surround the trail. This park is one of the best places to see petroglyphs in New Mexico. Petroglyph National Monument, Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, USA

Want to explore more hiking trails around the state? If you are looking for some short-and-sweet trails in our state that are perfect for little legs, then you’ll want to check out our list of kid-friendly hikes in New Mexico.

Jasperdo/Flickr

The easy 0.5-mile loop at Aztec Ruins National Monument is honestly less of a hike and more of an incredibly leisurely stroll. You’ll head up to the ruins and through them. Make sure to pick up a trail guide before you embark on the hike so that you can learn even more about the ancient Puebloans who once called this place home. This is one of the most scenic places in New Mexico, and if you love history, it’s a must-visit.

Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Rd, Aztec, NM 87410, USA

Thomas Shahan/Flickr

This stunning natural preserve houses quite a few of the best trails in New Mexico. We like the Cerro La Jara Loop because it’s fairly easy and provides great views. The trail is well-marked, and if you head out in the spring, you’ll likely find plenty of wildflowers! The trail measures about 2.9 miles in length. Did you know this volcano in New Mexico is actually a supervolcano?

Valles Caldera, New Mexico 87025, USA

Jacqueline Poggi/Flickr

Follow the rock cairns in a one-mile loop to find all kinds of incredible lava formations. Amazingly, these rocks date back just a few thousand years ago! El Malpais National Monument is one of our favorite places in the state thanks to its rugged beauty and gorgeous trails.

El Malpais, New Mexico 87020, USA

Don Barrett/Flickr

Here’s another easy trail that will take you straight to ancient ruins in New Mexico. The main loop trail is about 1.2 miles and it will take you roughly an hour to complete. Make sure to give yourself time to explore all the alcoves and check out the many archaeological sites along the trail. You’ll definitely want to stop and examine the wonders you’ll see!

Bandelier National Monument, 15 Entrance Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA

jim_mckenzie/Flickr

To access this remote park, you’ll take one of the most scenic roads in New Mexico. The entire loop trail is a bit long, at 5.4 miles, but it’ll give you a great comprehensive overview of the park. You’ll get to see several ancient dwellings, including Pueblo Alto and Pueblo Bonito. The views here are incredible.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA

David Swanson/Alltrails

Want to check out some historic petroglyphs while getting a little hiking in? This 2.2-mile loop trail is fairly easy to traverse. You’ll see around 300 petroglyphs on the rocks that surround the trail. This park is one of the best places to see petroglyphs in New Mexico.

Petroglyph National Monument, Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, USA

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The OIYS Visitor Center

Easy Hikes In New Mexico April 02, 2022 Lisa Sammons What are the best national parks to visit in New Mexico? Did you know that you can visit some of the national parks in New Mexico for free? We love the Capulin Volcano National Monument in Capulin. New Mexico has so many unique landscapes that are filled with historic artifacts. In fact, it’s one of the best places in the country to see beautiful places with historical relevance. Our ancient civilizations are amazing and it’s incredible that you can still visit many of the ruins. What are some of the best hikes in New Mexico? There are some truly incredible hikes in New Mexico. Whether you’re looking for something long or something relaxed, there are a great many trails to explore. The Mexican Canyon Trestle in Cloudcroft is one of the best kid-friendly hikes and you really get a lot of bang for your buck. What are some more things to do outside in New Mexico? In a state with great weather like ours, there are plenty of things to do outside in the Land of Enchantment all year round. We love taking day trips in New Mexico. Whether you’re seeing one of our many national monuments or our museums, there’s always something to do here.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Easy Hikes In New Mexico

April 02, 2022

Lisa Sammons

What are the best national parks to visit in New Mexico? Did you know that you can visit some of the national parks in New Mexico for free? We love the Capulin Volcano National Monument in Capulin. New Mexico has so many unique landscapes that are filled with historic artifacts. In fact, it’s one of the best places in the country to see beautiful places with historical relevance. Our ancient civilizations are amazing and it’s incredible that you can still visit many of the ruins. What are some of the best hikes in New Mexico? There are some truly incredible hikes in New Mexico. Whether you’re looking for something long or something relaxed, there are a great many trails to explore. The Mexican Canyon Trestle in Cloudcroft is one of the best kid-friendly hikes and you really get a lot of bang for your buck. What are some more things to do outside in New Mexico? In a state with great weather like ours, there are plenty of things to do outside in the Land of Enchantment all year round. We love taking day trips in New Mexico. Whether you’re seeing one of our many national monuments or our museums, there’s always something to do here.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Did you know that you can visit some of the national parks in New Mexico for free? We love the Capulin Volcano National Monument in Capulin. New Mexico has so many unique landscapes that are filled with historic artifacts. In fact, it’s one of the best places in the country to see beautiful places with historical relevance. Our ancient civilizations are amazing and it’s incredible that you can still visit many of the ruins.

What are some of the best hikes in New Mexico?

There are some truly incredible hikes in New Mexico. Whether you’re looking for something long or something relaxed, there are a great many trails to explore. The Mexican Canyon Trestle in Cloudcroft is one of the best kid-friendly hikes and you really get a lot of bang for your buck.

What are some more things to do outside in New Mexico?

In a state with great weather like ours, there are plenty of things to do outside in the Land of Enchantment all year round. We love taking day trips in New Mexico. Whether you’re seeing one of our many national monuments or our museums, there’s always something to do here.