“While you are in New Mexico, you should stop at the rocks that look like upside down ice cream cones,” my mother-in-law told KC over the phone. We were driving through New Mexico on our way to visit a friend in El Paso, Texas and wanted a short hiking stop to break up the long hours of driving. “I think they are called Tent-Rocks,” she added. I did a quick search on my phone and found the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, near Albuquerque. We plotted the course to the National Monument.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

A view of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico, as we approached the park

We parked the car and checked out the trail map. There were two trails, a Cave Loop Trail and the Slot Canyon Trail. The Slot Canyon Trail was easy, short (three miles out and in), beautiful, and fun. You follow the trail through a narrow canyon, then start climbing the hillside till you get to the overlook (600ft elevation gain). Along the way, you see some amazing hoodoos and valley views. This trail is best shown through pictures.

KC at the start of the Slot Canyon Trail

A view of the Tent Rocks Canyon, before it becomes narrow

Looking up at the upside down ice cream cone… after staring at it for a while, I started craving mint ice cream…

In a weird turn of events, KC took a selfie with me in the background

KC starting to get to the narrow canyons

Beautiful Canyon Walls

More views of the unique rock formations at the Tent Rock National Monument

The view from the overlook

When we got back to the main trail, we decided to quickly do the Cave Loop for good measure. After seeing the spectacular canyons and hoodoos on the slot trail, the Cave Loop just seemed like nothing special. Just a longer walk back to the car and the cave was more a hole in the rock wall than a cave. All that to say I didn’t take pictures.

This was an amazing stop that we would have driven by if my mother-in-law had not suggested it to us before hand. If you find yourself driving through New Mexico and are in need of a driving break, I would recommend the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument for a stop.

“Well, what did you think?” my mother-in-law asked over the phone. “It was amazing, thanks Bev!” I said.

You can check out more photos on our New Mexico Geological Formations Photo Journal Page

More Information

You can check out more information about the national monument on the BLM website.