Wildflowers and wildlife just a few short miles from downtown Santa Fe in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
The Dale Ball Trail system, covers a wide swath of terrain between Santa Fe County, the City of Santa Fe, the National Forest, and The Nature Conservancy with a 22 mile network of trails in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Located a short distance from downtown Santa Fe, it is the quickest way to get from the city into the mountains. It offers great opportunities for beginners and advanced hikers alike, along with amazing views of both the surrounding wilderness and back towards the city.
The trail features a unique numbered sign system at each trail junction to provide easy navigation, as well as connecting to other local trails, including the Nature Conservancy, Dorothy Stewart and Atalaya Trails.
To get there take Upper Canyon Road from downtown Santa Fe about a mile and a half to the Cerro Gordo Trailhead.
Learn more at the Santa Fe Conservation Trust.
Note that some of the trail may be closed in winter and spring due to snow.
The Dale Ball Trails were featured in The Outbound's Santa Fe County is Adventure True - Summer Lookbook 2019.