cerrillos hills state park

We made a day trip down Hwy 14 while visiting Santa Fe, and stopped for a hike at Cerrillos Hills on the recommendation of someone at our hotel. It's a great, pretty vigorous hike- mostly steep and rocky with some switchbacks. Beautiful views of the endless New Mexico sky and surrounding hills. Lots of raptors riding the thermals; we were there in the fall and I would bet rattlesnakes are common in the warmer months. There are several abandoned mine shafts to peer into along the way as well. Near the end of the hike, the fluffy white clouds began piling up and turning dark, and big fat raindrops began to fall. We jumped in the truck and peeled out, just in case the wash flooded, but it didn't rain that heavily.

My daughter and I went Horseback riding with a local stable earlier that morning and wanted to see a little more. It's a bit of a roughed track if you get off the trails but the history of Cerrillos NM is very interesting. Do your homework and it will be a walk back in history!

The hiking was wonderful and the views are forever. This is a must for a day trip from Santa Fe. Route 14 is a scenic drive to Cerrillos and Madrid. Hiking in the park is a wonderful way to stretch your legs and take in nature and the fresh air. Enjoy the quaintness of the towns and the vastness of the landscape.

We had a great afternoon here, hiking about a mile up and down steep, rocky trails, then down the road, back to the parking area - this took us about two and a half hours. The views are wide open, and you can see to the horizon. This area was heavily mined in the 1879, and pit mines can be seen, as well as mine shafts that have been backfilled and fenced. There are great information signs posted at the major mining locations - we saw three on our one mile hike. Native Americans mined turquoise here long before this time; this land has been in use for hundreds of years.Cerrillos Hills has a visitor center in the town of Cerrillos, about 1/2 mile away, but the visitor center is only open a very few hours - 2-4 pm when we were there, although it never looked like they 'opened', so do not count on it. There is a pit toilet just after entering the park, and you are strongly encouraged to pay your $5 daily fee before heading to the toilet. It is tucked behind some shrubs, so a bit hard to see from small parking area. You have to cross a dry wash to reach it. This park is not accessible to anyone with difficulty in walking. I mention this, as there are signs all over main street of Cerrillos - 'no public bathroom' - not that any buildings appear to have viable businesses operating at this time.Rain is rare in this part of the world - should it be raining, do not visit the park. The road and parking areas are IN the dry wash, and there is a really large dry wash between the town of Cerrillos and the park.This does not seem to be a heavily used park - no lakes, no water, no services of any kind. Yet, if you want a very quiet day of hiking, with exceptional information posted appropriately, this might be your park. Do wear sneakers or hiking boots, as trails are dusty/rocky - you will have dust inside your shoes when you are done. Carry your water, wear a hat to keep sun at bay, and have your camera ready ... though now and again, it will be best to put your camera away so you can pay attention to footing as you go up or down steep trail sections.If you know what to expect, and are prepared to hike, this is a great park.

We were taking the Turquoise Trail (M14) between Albuquerque and Santa Fe and saw the signs for the state park once we were in Cerrillos. It's a short drive from the visitor center in Cerrillos. The park is honor system for admission of 5 dollars. We enjoyed a few hours of easy to moderate hiking on well marked trails away from the crowds of Madrid. There is a primitive toilet at the entrance to the trails. You won't find a park office or rangers. This is just you and the trails and an occasional other hiker.

Cerrillos is on the back road ( Route 14) between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The windy road is a beautiful drive and a favorite for motorcyclists and sports car drivers. The hiking trails at the state park are one of the recommended hikes in the book "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles Albuquerque." The full loop hike is about 6 miles - but shorter hikes are available. I made the hike in late September on a Saturday afternoon and had the trails to myself. There is almost no shade and suppose that the trails would be very hot at midday between May 15 and September 15. The trails have mostly modest ascents but are at about 6000' (flatlanders may do some huffing and puffing).

The Cerrillos Hills State Park is a good place to stop for a break to stretch your legs. Nice hiking area.

The previous review is actually for the town of Cerillos. Cerillos Hills State Park is a natural area located about half a mile outside the town. We stopped at the State Park during our drive on the Turquoise Trail. To find it, drive into the small town of Cerillos, and you'll see signs pointing the way to the park. The road to and into the park is gravel and a bit rough in spots, but suitable for all vehicles....except possibly RVs or buses.The park has pit toilets close to the entrance, and a brochure about the park (including hiking info). There is a small fee to get in; it was self-pay when we visited. It wasn't very much; I don't remember the exact amount but I think $5. The scenic drive through the park was a disappointment because it was so short. I don't think it was even a mile long. It dead-ends and then you have to turn around and drive back the same way you came. We didn't see any wildlife, but did enjoy the views of the hills. I hiked a ways on a trail called Jane something or other. It was a nice hike; it goes gradually uphill. Very doable for just about anyone who can walk a reasonable distance. At one point the trail branches off to an old mine site. It's completely fenced over for safety reasons (understandable, it looks like it could be deep) so that makes it almost impossible to take a picture of it.I also did a short hike near the toilets, it led to a little gazebo. I saw a pretty blue bird when walking along the trail.The State Park makes a nice stop if you want to stretch your legs a bit along the Turquoise Trail.