This place is amazing. A hidden little treasure indeed. It is on the Pueblo Reservation just South of Santa Fe, NM off I-25. I had never even heard of this National Monument. It is so amazing. Probably my favorite park so far in the New Mexico area. There are several hikes here. One of the hikes is about 5 miles round trip. It weaves in and out of canyon walls that remind me of something you would only find in a Sifi movie. There are so many alien looking features. The hike to the top is strenuous. If you have knees like mind bring knee braces and poles for the decent back down. Once you reach the top the view is absolutely inspiring. I was so glad to have plenty of water and a snack. It is a windy trail to the top. There is shade along the way but sunscreen is a must for my fair Irish skin. I would not recommend hiking this trail in the summer. I went in April and it was a nice cool breeze but summer would be brutal. If you are not up for such an intense and amazing hike, then I recommend the Cave Loop it is moderate and one gets to see a great deal of tent shaped rocks, that to me resemble a Hershey Kiss gone slightly wrong. They are amazing to view and remind me of the area you might come across the sand people in Star Wars. The Cave itself was a bit disappointing to me, because I use to teach caving. But it is a nice little hole in the wall. I would give this park stars and return again and again. If you aren't up for hiking there is a road you can take to the top of the mesa. It is paved for a while then turns to dust. I had no trouble getting up this curvy dirt road with lots of rocks. For those of us who drive a Yaris or other compact car if you take it slow you can make it with no problem. It has a wonderful view of the canyon. One can really see the tent peaks from this vantage point. Tent Rocks is an fantastic park if you want to really explore all the trails and drive to the top give yourself several hours to be there.
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