ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management is announcing a partial closure of the Slot Canyon Trail at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The necessary trail improvements will be conducted July 22-24 on the last half-mile section of the Slot Canyon Trail that climbs steeply out of the canyon to the mesa top. By providing these trail improvements, the BLM is striving to protect the fragile geologic features of this area and increase visitor safety.

Due to the exposure, weather and consistent foot traffic, this section of trail is showing signs of erosion, making foot travel more difficult for visitors. The lower section of the Slot Canyon Trail will remain open to the public, as will the Memorial Overlook Loop Trail.

The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a remarkable outdoor laboratory, offering an opportunity to observe, study, and experience the geologic processes that shape natural landscapes. After a dreary and rainy day, the sun rose behind the hills signaling a warmer day at Pueblo de Cochiti. In the mid-morning, when the temperature rose to about 50ºF, we headed to the nearby Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument for a hike. We were here in April of this year and was captivated by its fairy tale landscape.

Like other monuments and public lands across the nation, the Monument has seen significant increase in visitation over the last five years. So far, in 2019, the Monument has had over 80,000 visitors. The BLM, in partnership with Pueblo de Cochiti, is currently researching additional ways to protect the Monument’s unique resources and the visitor experience through alternate visitor use management strategies. The decision to limit access in this area for maintenance is consistent with the BLM’s ongoing communication with the Pueblo.

For more information, or to inquire about alternate recreational opportunities in the area, please contact BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Jamie Garcia at 505-761-8787.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in the 11 Western states and Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located approximately 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, near Cochiti Pueblo. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it was established as a U.S. National Monument by President Bill Clinton in January 2001. Kasha-Katuwe means 'white cliffs' in the Pueblo language Keresan.^[2] The monument is a unit of the BLM's National Conservation Lands.

Geology[edit]

Kasha-Katuwe is located on the Pajarito Plateau between 5700 and 6400 feet (1737–1951 m) above sea level. The area owes its remarkable geology to layers of volcanic rock and ash deposited by pyroclastic flow from eruptions within the volcanic field of the Jemez Mountains that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago. These rock layers are assigned to the Peralta Tuff. Many of the layers are light in color, which is the origin of the monument's Keresan name. Over time, weathering and erosion of these layers has created slot canyons and tent rocks. The tent rocks are composed of soft pumice and tuff. Most of the tent rocks have a distinctly conical shape and some retain their caprocks of harder stone. The tent rocks vary in height from a few feet to 90 feet (27 m).^[2]

Recreational activities[edit]

The BLM maintains hiking trails as well as parking and restrooms at the site. The Slot Canyon trail is a one-way trail covering 1.5 miles (2.4 km) through a slot canyon and up a climb of 630 feet (190 m) to a lookout point where the tent rocks may be viewed from above. The Cave Loop trail is approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and leads past the base of the cliffs, near some of the tent rocks and a small cavate similar to those found at the nearby Bandelier National Monument. The Veterans' Memorial Scenic Overlook, dedicated in 2004, includes a 1 mile (1.6 km) loop trail and views of Peralta Canyon and the Jemez Mountains. The overlook is located at the end of a gravel road approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of the tent rocks and may not be accessible depending on road and weather conditions.

The monument is open for day use only and may be closed by order of the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Governor. Considerations for hiking include the possibility of flash flooding in the slot canyons and the high altitude of the monument. The monument is closed to dogs.^[2]

In popular culture[edit]

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Map

The science fiction television series Earth 2 filmed scenes at the monument.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'National Monument detail table as of April 2012'(PDF). Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
2. ^ ^abc'Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument'. Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved September 24, 2018.

External links[edit]

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument Visitors Center

Slot Canyon Tent Rocks National Monument New Mexico