Boutique Hotel for Hiking & Snowshoeing in Santa Fe

Santa Fe can hold its own with any other city in the country for the fantastic outdoor recreation at its doorstep. The incredibly varied Southwestern landscapes of its hinterland, from canyons and mesas to high plateaus and alpine mountains, are breathtaking; they call to sightseers and adventurers both.

Stunning and inspiring as this countryside is to simply drink in on scenic drives, it yields special rewards to those who enter it on foot. With a boutique casita at La Posada de Santa Fe, you have the perfect springboard for hiking and snowshoeing adventures amid the spectacular terrain that enfolds New Mexico’s capital.

Hiking & Snowshoeing Destinations

You’ve got a lifetime of outdoor destinations to explore on the doorstep of Santa Fe with a La Posada home base. They include the fragrant conifer forests and high peaks of the Sangre de Cristos to the east of the city: the southernmost range of the Rocky Mountains, which include the great 12,000- and 13,000-foot peaks of the Pecos Wilderness. Westward rises the Pajarito Plateau and the Jemez Mountains, a ravishing realm that includes such nationally renowned attractions as Bandelier National Monument, with its ancient indigenous cliff dwellings, and the Edenic parkland of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Then there are the sublime savannas and sandstone outcrops of the Galisteo Basin Preserve, the evocative summits of the Ortiz Mountains, the colorful heights of the Sandias: lovely and wild places that tug at the soul.

In winter, you’ve typically got both lower-elevation hiking and snowshoeing in the higher country to pursue: either activity all the more delightful knowing you’ve got the cozy lavishness of La Posada de Santa Fe, including a well-earned meal and libation at one of our onsite restaurants and the rejuvenation offered at our spa, awaiting you after your day’s adventures!

Guided Hikes & Snowshoes

Multiple outfitters provide guided outdoor adventures out of Santa Fe. We’ll profile one great example in this post: Outspire, which leads both hikes and snowshoes across a broad swath of the city’s great big backyard. Destinations include White Rock Canyon, Tsankawi Mesa, Bandelier, Valles Caldera, the Pecos Wilderness, and the Sangre de Cristos, among others.

Outspire provides a daypack, snacks, water, poncho, and adjustable trekking poles for those joining its hikes, while snowshoers get a pair of fitted snowshoes, gaiters (which buffer your legs and keep snow out of your boots), and poles. For a sample of the geological and ecological wonders and gorgeous backcountry of the Santa Fe area, Outspire’s an awesome choice given you get everything you need to explore with and benefit from the local knowledge and skills of your private guides.

Whether on an independent adventure or a guided foray with a company such as Outspire, we hope you’ll dedicate some time to experiencing the world-class hiking and snowshoeing routes available to you as a La Posada guest!