SFNF Scenic Byway, Tesuque Village-Santa Fe Road

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Santa Fe, NM, US

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Route Overview

We Ride 4

Nonprofit addressing child obesity and healthy lifestyles by getting more kids riding bikes

43 mi.

5,199 ft.

Take a ride along the Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway up to the parking area of Ski Santa Fe. Climb through piñon, juniper, and ponderosa pine forests, offering stunning views of the Rio Grande Valley and the distant Jemez Mountains.

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Route Details

As you leave downtown Santa Fe, you’ll make a right onto Artist Road, which after about 100 feet, turns into Hyde Park Road. The road starts off on a ridge overlooking downtown. Continue for 3.5 miles where you’ll pass [10 Thousand Waves Spa](https://tenthousandwaves.com/spa), a Japanese spa and popular getaway for those looking for a relaxing experience.

After you pass the Spa, the road continues to climb and you enter the Santa Fe National Forest. From here you will start to notice the landscape is changing from desert to pine forest. As you continue you will see numerous pull-outs along the road, marking the start of trailheads for hikers, mt bikers, and horseback riders.

Just before mile 8 you’ll pass the @photo[Visitor's Center](16407324) for @poi[Hyde Memorial State Park](135511017). You will find restrooms and water here if needed. Although a relatively small state park, with about 50 campsites and a couple of miles of hiking trails, it’s popular for tube sledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in the winter months.

After the state park, you’ll once again enter the Santa Fe National Forest. The road starts to climb more and the curves get a bit sharper. Before reaching the parking lot for the ski area you will pass two overlooks offering great views of the valley and Santa Fe. The first at @point[mile 11](d,17929.88) (@photo[The IV Overlook](16407740)), the next at @point[mile 13.5](d,21618.19) (@photo[Aspen Vista](16407827)), and the third at @poi[mile 14.5](135511015) (@photo[Vista Grande Overlook](16407828)).

After a long 15 mile climb, the route tops out at the parking area for @photo[Ski Santa Fe](16407410). Follow the road counter-clockwise around the parking area. At mile 15.5, you will find @poi[restrooms](134812280). The ski area is closd in the Summer so unfortunately, there is nowhere to fill water bottles at the top. From the parking lot you are surrounded by Tesuque Peak, Santa Fe's highest Peak. After resting at the top, head back down Hyde Park Rd the way you came up for a nice 15 mile descent.

When you get back to the intersection with Washington Ave, you can turn left to head back into Santa Fe or turn right to start the climb up and over to @poi[Tesuque Village](134812282).Founded in 1740, the village is dotted with numerous buildings that date back to the mid 1800's. The most notable is the @photo[Tesuque Village Market](16407358) which is both a restaurant and a grocery store. You can stop in and fill water bottles or grab a snack and use the restrooms.

From the market, the route turns left onto Tesuque Village Road where the route follows a gentle ascent (Avg 2.4%) for 4 miles. Once you @point[cross over Hwy 84 the 2nd time](d,64145.68), the route starts descending for the remaining 3 miles back into Santa Fe.

**[Ski Santa Fe](https://skisantafe.com/)** is a popular ski resort located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, about 16 miles northeast of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. It has been in operation since 1947 and features over 80 trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. The resort’s highest peak is Tesuque Peak, which sits at an impressive elevation of 12,075 feet, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

SFNF Scenic Byway, Tesuque Village-Santa Fe Road

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