From Santa Fe Plaza to Taos Plaza – A Trail Worth Following
Some adventures require flights, logistics, and months of planning. Others begin close to home yet still manage to surprise you.
In August 2025, my husband Alan and I thru hiked the Santa Fe to Taos Trail, a 132-mile route through the mountains, forests, rivers, and high alpine terrain of Northern New Mexico. We walked from Santa Fe Plaza to Taos Plaza over eight days and seven nights, carrying everything we needed on our backs.
At the time, we did not know we would be among the first five people ever to complete the entire route. What we did know was that something about this trail felt personal. It ran through our backyard. It promised solitude, water, wildflowers, and long quiet miles. That was all we needed.
It felt pretty special to be part of something so new, especially in a place we call home.
From Talk to Trek
We first heard about the Santa Fe to Taos Thru Hike at Pam Neely’s presentation at The Travel Bug bookstore in Santa Fe, NM. Pam created the trail in 2018 and released her first edition guidebook in May 2025. I’ve linked her inspiring presentation here if you’d like to watch it.
That presentation lit a spark.
Alan and I sat there listening, exchanging looks, knowing immediately that this was something we wanted to experience. What drew us in immediately was how local and untamed the trail felt. A brand new thru hike, right in our backyard. A trail through mountains we cherish, and backcountry we had not yet explored. It also offered something else we love: a long, continuous walk through wild places without permits, heavy crowds, or complicated logistics.
Just a couple of months later, we were standing at Santa Fe Plaza with backpacks on, watching the city wake up as we took our first steps north towards Taos Plaza. The adventure was on.
Miles, Mountains, and Magic
The Santa Fe to Taos Thru Hike covers 132 miles with over 22,000 feet of elevation gain and nearly the same amount of loss. The highest point reaches just over 12,200 feet and the lowest dips a little above 7,000.
We averaged 16.5 miles per day, with our longest day coming in at 23.3 miles and our shortest at just over 13. The trail is best hiked between June and September, outside of snow season, and no permits are required.
One of the biggest surprises was water. About 28 percent of the trail stays close to water, passing lakes, ponds, creeks, rios, and rivers. It felt lush and alive, not what most people expect when they think of hiking in New Mexico. But this is Northern New Mexico, and it delivers.
How We Approached the Hike
We started hiking on August 6 and finished on August 13. Originally, we planned nine days, but finished a day early.
We kept our itinerary flexible and did not lock ourselves into specific campsites each night. We knew roughly how far we wanted to hike each day, but left room to adjust based on how we felt. That freedom made the hike more enjoyable.
Logistics were easy. We dropped a car in Taos ahead of time and took an early morning bus from Los Alamos to Santa Fe on day one. We also stashed a resupply bucket halfway along the route in Pam Neely’s Tres Ritos resupply locker. In hindsight, we packed way too much food and did not actually need the resupply, but that locker was a gift. A comfy chair, charging outlets, and thoughtfully stocked just-in-case items made it a welcome oasis. Pam Neely gets thru hikers and knows exactly how to take care of us.
Navigation was straightforward thanks to Pam’s guidebook and GPX files. The trail is well described and easy to follow, especially for such a new route.
Days on Trail
Each day brought steady climbing, long descents, and constantly changing scenery. Some climbs were steep and tough, especially with fully loaded packs at elevation, but standing at the top reminded me why I keep choosing hard things.
Three sections really stood out. The scenery around Lake Katherine exceeded every expectation and delivered on a bucket-list dream I’d carried since moving to Northern New Mexico. The Santa Barbara Divide section was rugged and rocky, offering unique views at every turn, while the Rio Chiquito Bridge section was pure magic thanks to the beavers. Their massive dams created wetlands stretching as far as the eye could see. Watching a beaver swim through a landscape it had built was a highlight of the trek.
Truchas Lake, and several unnamed alpine lakes were equally stunning. Wildflowers carpeted entire meadows, often towering as high as I am. The wildflowers alone are reason enough to come back.
Memorable Nights Under the Stars
Some campsites stick with you long after the trek ends.
On night four, we pitched our tent near the Middle Fork of the Rio Santa Barbara. We soaked our feet in the cold water, admired the bridge nearby, and fell asleep to the sound of the creek.
On night six, we camped beside the Rio Grande del Rancho. The shallow water was perfect for rinsing off and easing sore legs. The forest road nearby didn’t disturb the peace—we were the only ones there.
We also loved camps that set us up for morning climbs. Cooler temperatures and fresh legs made those early ascents much more enjoyable.
Wildlife Along the Way
We saw plenty of wildlife throughout the hike. The beaver was my favorite, but we also spotted coyotes, cows, rabbits, snakes, deer, marmots, squirrels, chipmunks, elk, and grouse. Bighorn sheep are often seen near Truchas Lake, but we must not have been interesting enough to make the cut that day.
One unforgettable moment came when I nearly ran into an elk. It spooked, charged, then veered away at the last second. I ran screaming down the trail toward Alan, heart pounding and legs shaking.
We did not see any bears, but we saw plenty of bear scat and stored our food in bear bags every night. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, made sure they were noticed. I wore rain gear more than once simply for protection.
Trail Conditions and Challenges
For how remote this hike feels, trail conditions were generally pretty good. Burn scar areas required extra attention due to downed trees, but nothing felt overly technical.
The Santa Barbara Divide section was especially rocky and hard on my tired feet. We crossed several creeks and rivers, most of which were manageable. One crossing near Santa Barbara campground was trickier and served as a good reminder to slow down and take crossings seriously.
What This Hike Taught Us
Every long hike teaches you something. This one reinforced a few key lessons:
- We packed too much food.
- Backpacking chairs are not worth the extra weight.
- Cold-soaked lunches save fuel and time.
- You don’t always have to travel far for that bucket list adventure.
- Morning dread is real, but getting out of the tent immediately helps.
- There is clarity in simplicity.
Our favorite lunches were cold-soaked lentils or beans with rice wrapped in tortillas. Our preferred dinners were Peak Refuel backpacking meals, especially the butternut dal, chicken teriyaki, and chicken coconut curry, along with Backpacker’s Pantry vegetarian lasagna.
Parting Words from the Santa Fe to Taos Trail
This trek was a gift from start to finish.
The scenery is beautiful, the route is well curated, and Northern New Mexico really shows off along this trail. Walking from Santa Fe Plaza to Taos Plaza under our own power was deeply satisfying and reminded us why we love long-distance hiking.
Being among the first to complete the Santa Fe to Taos Thru Hike made it even more meaningful. It felt like participating in the early chapters of something special.
I feel immense gratitude toward Pam Neely for dreaming this trail into existence and sharing it with the rest of us. This route offers solitude, beauty, challenge, and joy in equal measure, and her guidebook makes it approachable and rewarding.
If you feel even a flicker of curiosity reading this, listen to it.
This is one worth walking.
Other pictures from the trek…
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