The Galisteo Basin Preserve is one of my favorite places to hike near Santa Fe. There are a few reasons why:

• It’s close (only a 25-minute drive from the Plaza)
• It’s beautiful
• There are miles of multi-use trails, many of which intersect
• It’s relatively little-used
• It can be hiked year-round (though it gets hot in the summer)

For these reasons the Galisteo Basin Preserve makes a perfect “fallback” spot for when your original plans fall through, or you just haven’t made day-hike plans at all. I end up hiking Galisteo Basin when I feel the need to get out at the last minute or want a quick hike after work.

Here’s the nitty-gritty on Galisteo Basin:

Where: Galisteo Basin Preserve is located off of HWY 285, near Lamy, New Mexico. From Santa Fe, take I-25 N to the Clines Corners exit, and drive about 5.5 miles to Astral Valley Rd. It’ll be on your right, just past the railroad tracks. There are three well-signed trailheads on roads branching off from Astral Valley, and each one makes for

a good starting spot to explore the Preserve.

 

Difficulty: Easy. There is little elevation gain, just rolling hills. The hike can be as long or short as you want.

Landscape: Open, desert hills and arroyos. Few trees, but a mix of desert shrubs and cacti.

When To Go: Year-round. The (relatively) low elevation at the Galisteo Basin Preserve makes it ideal in colder months. In summer, the Preserve is exposed to the sun, so use caution when hiking in warm weather.

Dog-Friendly?: Yes, on a leash or under voice control.

Trail Map: Here you go!

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Hike Report:

As I mentioned, Galisteo Basin Preserve is my go-to fallback hike when I inevitably forget to plan. The expansive and interconnecting trail system makes it easy to create hikes of varying lengths. You can go for a quick three-mile loop hike or a 10-mile day hike.

My experiences with hiking the Galisteo Basin have been uniformly positive. I never get tired of the 360-degree views and abundant wildlife (rabbits, lizards, and rattlesnakes are all common sights in the Galisteo Basin). Unlike other hike reports where I recap a specific trail/loop, I’m going to leave this one open-ended. Half of the fun of hiking the Galisteo Basin is cobbling together your own hike from the interconnected trails. Go out and have an adventure exploring the hills and arroyos!