The Santa Fe Trail by Bicycle

by Elaine Pinkerton, an end to end of the trail guide useful not only for the long distance bicycle tourist, but also for those with limited time.

Excerpt:

Day One
SANTA FE TO LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO 72 miles

Highlights:

* Santa Fe Plaza
* Civil War Site -- Battle of Glorieta Pass
* Pecos National Monument
* Old Town Plaza, Las Vegas

Today’s course, moderate and gently hilly, will dip south and northeastward. Before you leave Santa Fe, be sure to spend some time exploring the Santa Fe Plaza. For the first Santa Fe Trail adventurers, this was the destination. After the trail was established, wagon train traffic constantly flowed east- and westward. For those who start the trek in Santa Fe, this is the beginning.
If you’re able to arrive in Santa Fe a day or two early, make sure to include a visit to the Palace of the Governors. Dating back to 1610, it is as old as the city itself. Seat of the Spanish government that reigned for many decades, occupied by Indians for 13 years, the Palace of the Governors today is a repository of New Mexico history and art. Also visit the Fine Arts Museum, noteworthy for its auditorium and art collection. Last but not least, make special notice of the stone plaque near the southeast corner of the plaza marking the end of the Santa Fe Trail.

After a final check of gear and bidding farewell to any friends and loved ones who may be on hand for your historic leave taking, mount up and begin the biking adventure of a lifetime! Leaving the Plaza, walk your bike on Old Santa Fe Trail past La Fonda Hotel. (This block is one-way, going into the Plaza.) At the end of the one-way block on Water Street, mount up. Take a left on Water Street, then an immediate right on Old Santa Fe Trail.
Heading out from the Plaza, note three historic churches, all on your left: St. Francis Cathedral, a towering Romanesque structure built by Archbishop Jean Baptist Lamy; Loretto Chapel, with its winding “miraculous staircase” (it was built without nails or visible means of support); and San Miguel Chapel, reputedly the country’s oldest church.

Santa Fe has many charms, but courtesy to cyclists is not one of them, so watch very carefully as you pedal out of town. After the Plaza, Santa Fe Trail is narrow and heavily traveled, so you’ll want to use your rear view mirror and avoid weaving. If you are with others, now is a good time to ride single file (“drafting”). At the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta, about 1/2 mile along your way, note “The Roundhouse,” New Mexico’s capital building, designed after the Pueblo Indian Zia symbol and recently remodeled. The road narrows beyond this intersection, and for a bit less than a mile, you will be pedaling gradually uphill. You will come to a Y, which indicates that Santa Fe Trail veers off to the left. Go right on Old Pecos Trail.

Stay on Old Pecos Trail and travel east about 3 1/2 miles to a traffic light at the juncture of Pecos Trail and Rodeo Road. At this point, turn left to get on the frontage road, Old Las Vegas Highway. Exercise extreme caution at the intersection: even though there is a traffic light, it may be necessary to walk your bike across the Old Pecos Trail to the Old Las Vegas Highway.

Mildly hilly terrain and lovely views of the Sangre de Cristo foothills make this stretch enjoyable, but the narrowness of the road requires vigilance. Traffic, however, will have thinned considerably well before you reach the 10-mile point and turn right to get onto Interstate-25. Pedal to the underpass beneath I-25 and then take a sharp left up a ramp onto I-25.

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