Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
175
popular fishing holes are Cochiti and Abiquiu lakes as well as the Rio Chama, Pecos
River, and the Rio Grande. A world-renowned fly-fishing destination, the
San Juan
River,
near Farmington, is worth a visit and can make for an exciting 2-day trip in com-
bination with a tour around
Chaco Culture National Historic Park
(see chapter 6).
Check with the
New Mexico Game and Fish Department
(
&
505/476-8000;
www.
wildlife.state.nm.us) for information (including maps of area waters), licenses, and fish-
ing proclamations.
High Desert Angler,
453 Cerrillos Rd. (
&
505/988-7688;
www.
highdesertangler.com), specializes in fly-fishing gear and guide services.
GOLF
There are three courses in the Santa Fe area: the 18-hole
Santa Fe Country Club,
on
Airport Road (
&
505/471-2626;
www.santafecountryclub.com); the often-praised
18-hole
Cochiti Lake Golf Course,
5200 Cochiti Hwy., Cochiti Lake, about 35 miles
southwest of Santa Fe via I-25 and NM 16 and 22 (
&
505/465-2239;
www.pueblode
cochiti.org); and Santa Fe's newest 18-hole course,
Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe,
205 Caja del Rio (
&
505/955-4400;
www.linksdesantafe.com). Both the Santa Fe
Country Club and the Marty Sanchez Links offer driving ranges as well. North of Santa
Fe on Pojoaque Pueblo land, the
Towa Golf Resort
(Buffalo Thunder Resort, 12 miles
north of Santa Fe on US 285/84;
&
877/465-3489
or 505/455-9000; www.towagolf.
com), offers 36 holes, 27 of them designed by Hale Irwin and William Phillips, set with
views of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains.
HIKING
It's hard to decide which of the 1,000 miles of nearby national forest trails to tackle. Four
wilderness areas are nearby, most notably
Pecos Wilderness,
with 223,000 acres east of
Santa Fe. Also visit the 58,000-acre
Jemez Mountain National Recreation Area.
Infor-
mation on these and other wilderness areas is available from the
Santa Fe National
Forest,
P.O. Box 1689 (1474 Rodeo Rd.), Santa Fe, NM 87504 (
&
505/438-7840;
www.fs.fed.us).
If you're looking for company on your trek, contact the Santa Fe branch of the
Sierra
Club,
1807 Second St. (
&
505/983-2703;
www.riogrande.sierraclub.org). A hiking
schedule can be found in the local newsletter; you can pick one up outside the office.
Some people enjoy taking a chairlift ride to the summit of the
Santa Fe Ski Area
(
&
505/982-4429;
www.skisantafe.com) and hiking around up there during the sum-
mer. A popular guide with Santa Feans is
Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area,
put out by the
local branch of the Sierra Club. The most popular hiking trails are the
Borrego Trail,
a
moderate 4-mile jaunt through aspens and ponderosa pines, ending at a creek, and
Aspen Vista,
an easy 1- to 5-mile hike through aspen forest with views to the east. Both
are easy to find; simply head up Hyde Park Road toward Ski Santa Fe. The Borrego Trail
is 8
1
/
4
miles up, while Aspen Vista is 10 miles. In recent years an energetic crew has cut
the
Dale Ball Trails
(
&
505/955-6977
), miles of hiking/biking trails throughout the
Santa Fe foothills. The easiest access is off Hyde Park Road toward Ski Santa Fe. Drive 2
miles from Bishop's Lodge Road and watch for the trail head on the left. If you're looking
for “outspiration” (versus inspiration) on a guided day-hiking experience, call
Outspire
(
&
505/660-0394;
www.outspire.com). They'll set you up with a guide and design just
the hike for your ability level and interest. A 3- to 4-hour hike runs at a flat rate of $150,
with prices going up from there. Outspire also guides snowshoeing trips.
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