A hoodoo trek, now even better

If Alice slid down the rabbit hole in New Mexico, she might land at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. About halfway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, it’s an enormous wonderland of narrow slot canyons and hoodoos—and until now, it’d been almost impossible to get to. Now, the washboard dirt road that would make anyone fear for their axles is paved. And the 1.2-mile Cave Loop Trail has been widened, so it’s easy to wander around the base of the monument for that up-close look at geology at work. Of course, you still have to sweat for the best views: namely, hiking the steep 1.5-mile (one-way) Canyon Trail for a panorama of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, and Sandia Mountains. blm.gov/nm