Tent Rocks National Monument, Cochiti Lake, New Mexico
April 24-26, 2010
The Tent Rocks National Monument is operated by the Bureau of Land Mangement (BLM). They are a remarkable outdoor display of cone shaped tent rock formations created by volcanic eruptions 7 million years ago. The hoodoos vary in sizes from a few feet to 90 feet. Perched on many of the hoodoos are boulder caps that protect the softer pumice and tuff below. Some tents have lost their hard resistant boulder caps and are now disintegrating. It was a great walk through the valley and up to an amazing view point overlooking the "land of the hoodoos".
Our Accommodations - Cochiti Lake Campground
We were really happy to find a nice campground just minutes down the road from the location of the Tent Rocks called
Cochiti Lake Campground. It had just been newly renovated which was a nice bonus.
Tent Rocks National Monument
The Tent Rocks were formed by the forces of a volcanic explosion and the subsequent hot gases that flowed out. They continue to be shaped by the natural environment. The rocks themselves are a "A frame" shape with a "rock cap". As the rock caps are destroyed, the Tent Rocks are slowly eroding. There are two main trails but the most popular is called The Canyon Trail which is a 3 mile round trip hike passing through a slot canyon and then opens up to the main grouping of Tent Rocks for a close up experience. The trail continues to the top of the mountain for a fantastic visual experience!