Explore Things to Do: Outdoors

One of Santa Fe's best kept secrets is that a bicycle ride around town can be one of the highlights of a visit here. Sometimes visitors will put off cycling “for another time” due to a tight schedule. The funny part is, there is no better way to shop, eat, or save time than to ride a bicycle in our magnificent city, and the magical hills that surround it. Cycling avoids parking hassles like running out of quarters and searching for a space and makes navigating the old, winding streets of Santa Fe a simple pleasure. We think it's the easiest way to get around downtown and Canyon Road, and a lot more fun than getting back in the car.



Golfing in New Mexico might seem to be an oxymoron at first. But experienced visitors know that New Mexico features some of the best courses in the U.S., challenging enough for any pro or weekend duffer. Golf courses around Santa Fe embrace the rugged terrain to create exciting and creative tests for any golfer's game. A short drive south of Santa Fe you can find a sparkling diamond in the rough New Mexico landscape, the Pueblo de Cochiti golf course.

The Pueblo de Cochiti Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II and redesigned by Jones again in 2000, lies gently admid the exquisite foothills of the Jemez Mountains. Soul-stirring views surround this challenging a...

Rafting Season runs late April through parts of September with high water typically running in May and June.

Ever gone swimming in the washing machine when it was spewing out sudsy water? How about sitting in a boat through a car wash? That's the problem with trying to describe the froth and mayhem of paddling down whitewater rivers to someone who hasn't experienced the real thing. It's like trying to describe a river that is the real thing, a 16-mile stretch of the Rio Grande through what's known as the Taos Box near Taos, New Mexico.

It's called “The Box” because of the steep walls that make the canyon nearly impassable without a raft. If you leave something at home or back at the motel, or even at the put-in, forget it.

When visiting or moving to a new city finding new routes or loops is often a runner's top priority. There is always the standby of the High School or College track, but running 1/4 mile oval loops is not everyone's cup of tea. We've assembled several options for road and trail runners in Santa Fe.

State lawmakers are considering making 16 the minimum age for operating all-terrain vehicles.

The move is one of dozens of recommendations made in a recently released report that lawmakers see as a potential blueprint for overhauling the state’s landmark 2005 ATV law.

Critics say the law has failed to address the growing concerns of ranchers, farmers and outdoor enthusiasts who say motorized vehicles tear up the land and shatter the peace and quiet.

“This is a crisis that we gotta address now,” Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, said Wednesday during a Roundhouse meeting on the report’s findings.

Among other things, the 2005 law, backed by Feldman, req...