As part of our Dream Trail series, in partnership with Visit Santa Fe and Santa Fe County, we present the Pacheco Canyon Gravel Ride. Read on for everything you need to know to get rolling!

DREAM TRAIL – Pacheco Canyon Mixed Terrain Ride Overview

Santa Fe is, without a doubt, a mountain bike destination, but don’t rule out gravel riding here. Pacheco Canyon Road is a local’s favorite, offering shade and cooler temperatures during the summer months. This secluded gravel road follows a deeply embedded canyon before wrapping around the mountains to Hyde Park Road. From there, either take on the Red Chile climb up to the radio towers above town or descend back down to town on Hyde Park Road. Add in some extra Dale Ball central singletrack to spice things up!

Pacheco Canyon Quick Hits

Difficulty: Intermediate/Hard
Bike: Gravel, Mountain Bike – Rigid, Hardtail
Distance: 35 miles (Green Chile), 48 miles (Red Chile)
Elevation: 4000′ (Green Chile), 6400′ (Red Chile)
Estimate time: 3-4 hours (Green Chile), 6-8 hours (Red Chile)
Best time of year: Late Spring through Fall
Pacheco Canyon Gravel – LINK TO GPS ROUTE GREEN CHILE
Town to Towers – LINK TO GPS ROUTE RED CHILE

Need to Know

Weather: During the summer months, monsoon rainstorms build all morning before breaking in the early afternoon. They can last anywhere from twenty minutes to multiple hours long. Be sure to check the local weather, as well as the Tesuque Peak weather before embarking on this ride. Don’t forget a rain jacket and if you do get caught in a thunderstorm, seek shelter.

Water: There are several perennial streams, as well as multiple springs along the route, so bring a water filter.

Routing: To pedal from town, we recommend starting in the Railyard, then head up along the Old Taos Highway into the village of Tesuque, make your way across badlands, and climb up into the Santa Fe National Forest along Pacheco Canyon Road, aka Forest Service #102.

You’ve got a few options with this ride. We’ve highlighted our Town to Towers route here as the Red Chile ride but you can omit the climb to the towers and continue down Hyde Park Road as the Green Chile option. Or you can even descend the Winsor trail back down to Tesuque if you’d like.

It’s also possible to make this an overnighter, camping along either Pacheco Canyon Road, Aspen Ranch, or Winsor.

The Green Chile Climb is categorized as an HC by Strava and is approximately 12 miles long with an elevation gain of over 3,000′. The Red Chile Climb is categorized as an HC by Strava and is approximately 18 miles long with an elevation gain of over 6,000′. Remember, you’re at elevation, too, so expect it to be a bit harder than it appears on paper.

Pacheco Canyon – Town to Towers – Red Chile

Pacheco Canyon Mixed Terrain – Green Chile

See the gallery for more stunning vignettes from this Dream Trail ride, and be sure to check out our Radavist Cycling Guide to Santa Fe for more rides!

Please, as with all trail activities, observe the Leave No Trace Principals, yield to uphill traffic, be nice, say hi, and in general, when you’re visiting new locales, be nice to the locals. :-)