About 45 minutes south of Santa Fe on the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway sits one of New Mexico’s most interesting high-desert escapes: Cerrillos Hills State Park. It’s easy to focus on the galleries, shops, and cafes farther down the Turquoise Trail toward Madrid and miss what waits just outside the historic village of Cerrillos. Five miles of trails wind through old mining hills dotted with historic mine sites, wide-open sky, and views stretching toward the Sandia, Ortiz, Jemez, and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges. If you’re mapping out the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico for a scenic drive or looking for the best hiking near Santa Fe, this is a stop that belongs on your list.
When guests ask us where to go for day trips from Santa Fe, we recommend Cerrillos Hills State Park, but with so many fun things to do in Santa Fe, we also recommend activities closer to our Bed and Breakfast. Spend a day discovering the best museums in Santa Fe, explore the history and scenery of Pecos National Historical Park, wander the shops, galleries, and landmarks around the Santa Fe Historic Plaza, or plan your day around a meal at one of the best Santa Fe restaurants.
Whether you head out along the Turquoise Trail or stay closer to downtown, our Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe makes a convenient home base for exploring the area. From our quiet adobe compound in the historic district, you can easily head south toward Cerrillos Hills and the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway, then return to a location within walking distance of many of Santa Fe’s restaurants, galleries, museums, and historic sites. Book your stay, and let us help you plan the best Santa Fe itinerary!
Cerrillos Hills State Park: What to Know Before You Go
Cerrillos Hills State Park encompasses 1,116 acres of high-desert terrain south of Santa Fe, just off NM-14 along the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. It’s easy to treat the park as a quick stop while driving the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico, but the landscape and history deserve a longer visit. Five miles of trails cross elevations of roughly 5,900 to 6,100 feet, passing evidence of more than 1,100 years of mining history. Indigenous people mined turquoise and galena in these hills long before prospectors from around the world arrived during the territorial mining boom of the late 1800s.
What you’ll experience on the ground is a network of primitive trails winding through piñon-juniper hills and past historic mine sites that have been safeguarded and marked with interpretive information. The trail network includes short sections that can be combined into different routes, including the Mirador Trail, giving you flexibility depending on how much time you want to spend hiking. Depending on the season, you may also spot beautiful views of wildflowers and wildlife. Hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are allowed on designated trails, and Broken Saddle Riding Company offers guided horseback rides in the Cerrillos Hills area.
Cerrillos Hills State Park is a year-round, day-use park. New Mexico residents pay a small day-use fee per vehicle depending on the time of year, and non-residents pay a small fee year-round. The park’s visitor center is at 37 Main Street in Cerrillos. You’ll find exhibits, park information, brochures, and maps there, while the Amigos de Cerrillos Hills State Park operates a souvenir area with local books, minerals, and other small items. Before your trip, it’s worth downloading both the current park trail map and a Turquoise Trail map. Wear sturdy shoes, carry water, keep pets leashed, and stay on designated trails.
If you’re weighing state parks near Santa Fe for a day trip, or simply looking for good hiking near Santa Fe without committing to a long mountain drive, Cerrillos Hills is one of the easier options to work into an itinerary. It’s close enough to combine a hike with time in Cerrillos, NM, continue south to Madrid, and still return to Santa Fe for dinner.
For travelers searching for the best hiking near Santa Fe away from some of the area’s better-known mountain trailheads, the combination of mining history, desert scenery, and accessible trails makes this one of our favorite recommendations. It also fits naturally into a longer Turquoise Trail Santa Fe day trip if you want to explore more of NM-14 before returning to our Bed and Breakfast.
The Best Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe for a Day at Cerrillos Hills
After a day of exploring Cerrillos Hills State Park, you’ll want to return to a relaxing Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe. Our eight rooms and casitas sit within a traditional adobe compound in Santa Fe’s downtown historic district, tucked among gardens and patios. Amenities include private baths, quality linens, fluffy robes, in-room coffee service, and on-site parking, while many accommodations also feature private outside entrances and secluded patio spaces. For travelers comparing Bed and Breakfast Santa Fe lodging with conventional hotels, it’s the privacy, Southwestern character, and personalized hospitality that make our Bed and Breakfast a comfortable home base.
The next morning, we serve a generous homemade breakfast in our dining room or on the patio. Breakfast includes a hot entrée along with fresh fruit, cereals, yogurt, juices, tea, freshly brewed coffee, and a selection of home-baked goods. It’s a good way to fuel up before heading toward Cerrillos Hills State Park and the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway. With the Plaza, Railyard, museums, restaurants, galleries, and Canyon Road all within easy reach, staying at our Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe gives you a convenient home base for both the city and some of the best day trips from Santa Fe. Book your stay today!
