I recently rode the Santa Fe Rail Trail (also known as the Santa Fe bike trail). It was one of the best mountain bike trails I’ve ever ridden. But you should know that it is very different than other rails-to-trails projects. So I’ve come up with a list of important information about the Santa Fe Rail Trail:
- It is 15.1 miles long.
- It is 3.5 miles of paved trail followed by 11.6 miles of dirt single-track mountain bike trail.
- It starts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- It can easily be accessed by using the Rail Runner commuter train that runs between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM.
- You should plan on using a mountain bike on this trail.
- The trail is more of a “rail beside trail” as opposed to rail-to-trail.
- It is a pretty darned good trail during the spring & fall but can get beastly hot during the summer and quite cold during the winter.
- It is best accessed via the South Capitol Rail Runner station.
- It has a microbrewery (Second Street Brewery) located alongside the trail, but not many other refreshment stops.
- One of the easiest hotels from which to access the trail is The Santa Fe Suites near St. Francis and Zia streets.
- Spending a little time in Santa Fe before and/or after your ride is highly recommended.
- You will see lots of cactus on your bike ride.
- You may see coyote or road runners while on the bicycle path.
- The best place to get trail information, a Santa Fe Trail map, and bike trail pictures is at the Santa Fe Rail Trail web page on trailsnet.com.
