Cerrillos Hills State Park

Highlights

A close-to-Santa-Fe day ride with style, history, and just enough rugged beauty to feel like a curated desert detour.

Riding

On horseback, expect rolling terrain, old mining traces, piñon-scented air, and a surprisingly photogenic blend of cultural landscape and open-country riding. About 5 miles of designated equestrian trail through piñon-juniper hills, old mining country, and wide-open high-desert views The experience is more about atmosphere, scenery, and quality of movement than racing from landmark to landmark.

Rideable terrain

5 miles

Trailer parking

Horse-friendly arrival is refreshingly simple here, with trailer parking and hitching posts at the park’s entrance area and direct access to the signed equestrian route.

Horse regulations

Stay on the designated horse trail and respect all signed route boundaries. Because the park is compact and multi-use, considerate passing, controlled stock behavior, and careful parking habits all matter. Standard trail etiquette still applies: stay on open routes, yield thoughtfully, and leave staging and camp areas cleaner than you found them.

Getting here

Arrival is best when you arrive early, use the dedicated trailer parking, and expect a straightforward day-ride setup rather than a full-service horse camp. Horse-friendly arrival is refreshingly simple here, with trailer parking and hitching posts at the park’s entrance area and direct access to the signed equestrian route. It is the kind of place where a little preparation keeps the start of the ride calm and polished.

Planning your visit

This is a wonderful shoulder-season ride and an especially good choice for travelers building a Santa Fe itinerary around one memorable saddle day. Bring water, expect sun exposure, and treat the experience as quality over quantity. A quick conditions check before departure is always worthwhile, especially where weather, road access, or seasonal management can change the experience.

Where to stay

There is no overnight horse camping, so Cerrillos works best as a polished day outing. The reward is proximity to Santa Fe, where great dining, design-forward lodging, and a genuinely elevated overnight are easy to layer in afterward. That day-ride format often suits premium travel planning beautifully, because you can keep the horse day focused and let the evening shift fully into comfort.