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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

May 19, 2025 update:  Visitation to the Monument is by reservation only through Recreation.gov. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and make reservations early as tickets are limited. For more detailed information please go to the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument page.


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. The National Monument, on the Pajarito Plateau in north-central New Mexico, includes a national recreation trail and ranges from 5,570 feet to 6,760 feet above sea level. It is for foot travel only, and contains two segments that provide opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, geologic observation, and plant identification.

The cone-shaped tent rock formations are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago and left pumice, ash, and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick. Tremendous explosions from the Jemez volcanic field spewed pyroclasts (rock fragments), while searing hot gases blasted down slopes in an incandescent avalanche called a pyroclastic flow.

Precariously perched on many of the tapering hoodoos are boulder caps that protect the softer pumice and tuff below. Some tents have lost their hard, resistant caprocks, and are disintegrating. While fairly uniform in shape, the tent rock formations vary in height from a few feet up to 90 feet.

Please note that dogs are not allowed in the Monument.

Directions

All visitors must check-in at the Cochiti Visitor Center prior to entry into the Monument. Please be sure to make your first stop at the Visitor Center and wait for a pilot vehicle prior to entering the Monument. * **From Albuquerque,** head north on I-25 and take the exit for Santo Domingo/Cochiti Lake Recreation Area (Exit 259) off I-25 onto NM 22. Turn right into the Cochiti Visitor Center for check-in. * **From Santa Fe,** head south on I-25 and take the Cochiti Pueblo Exit 264 off I-25 onto NM 16. Turn right off NM 16 onto NM 22, and turn right into the Cochiti Visitor Center for check-in. * Note, following the GPS coordinates may take you through Tribal lands that are not accessible. Please follow the directions above and access the Monument from I-25.

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