Santa Fe Rail Trail

Last updated
Santa Fe Rail Trail
Sangre de cristo mountains.jpg
Length15 mi (24 km) [1]
Location Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
EstablishedJuly 2010 [1]
Trailheads Zia Road
Rabbit Road
Nine Mile Road
Avenida Vista Grande
Avenida Eldorado
Highway 285
Use Commuting, Hiking, Trail running, Mountain Biking
SeasonAll year
Hazards Dehydration
Surface paved, natural

The Santa Fe Rail Trail is a multi-use trail, part of the trail system in the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trail begins at the Santa Fe Depot, in the Railyard arts district, and ends at U.S. Route 285, near Lamy, New Mexico and the Lamy station. An example of Rails with trails, it parallels the New Mexico Rail Runner Express tracks to roughly I-25, where it then continues along the Santa Fe Southern Railway. The Santa Fe Rail trail is 15 miles long, is asphalted for the first 3.5 miles, and improved natural surface for 11.5 miles. The last few miles between Eldorado and US-285 is unimproved natural surface.

Contents

Trailheads, crossings and access

Santa Fe Rail Trail
BSicon BUS.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon fKBHFa.svg
BSicon TRAIN3.svg
Santa Fe Depot
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fCONTgq.svg
BSicon fTEEr.svg
Acequia Trail
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Saint Francis Drive
BSicon fLSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Cordova Road
BSicon fLSTR.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon fBHF.svg
BSicon TRAIN3.svg
South Capitol station
BSicon fLSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Alta Vista Street
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
W San Mateo Road
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
St. Michaels
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Siringo Road
BSicon fCONTgq.svg
BSicon fTEEr.svg
Arroyo de los Chamisos Trail
BSicon WASSERq.svg
BSicon fWBRUCKE1.svg
Arroyo Chamisos
BSicon fTEEl.svg
BSicon fCONTfq.svg
Gail Ryba Trail
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg
Zia Road
BSicon fBHF.svg
BSicon TRAIN3.svg
Zia Road station
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon WASSERq.svg
BSicon fWBRUCKE1.svg
Arroyo Medio
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Rodeo Road
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon RP4e.svg
BSicon MSTRq.svg
BSicon RP4oq.svg
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon RP4w.svg
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg
Rabbit Road
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon WASSERq.svg
BSicon fKRZW.svg
Arroyo Hondo
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fCONTgq.svg
BSicon fTEEr.svg
Spur Trail
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fTEEl.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg
Nine Mile Road
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Avenida Vista Grande
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg
Avenida Eldorado
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fmKRZ.svg
Spur Ranch Road
BSicon fSTR.svg
BSicon fENDEe.svg
BSicon cdRP4q.svg
BSicon cdRP4q.svg
BSicon cdRP4q.svg
US 285.svg US 285

The Santa Fe Rail Trail can be accessed via trailheads, connecting trails, and intersecting roadways in Santa Fe and Eldorado. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express has stops on the trail at the Santa Fe Depot, South Capitol station, and Zia Road station. Major connecting trails are the Arroyo de los Chamisos Trail (paved), the Spur Trail (improved natural surface), and Galisteo Basin trail system.

AccessMilepostDirectionsMap Coordinates
Santa Fe Depot 0410 South Guadalupe Street 35°41′03″N105°56′48″W / 35.68417°N 105.94667°W / 35.68417; -105.94667
South Capitol station 1 mi (1.6 km)1301 Alta Vista 35°40′23″N105°57′26″W / 35.67306°N 105.95722°W / 35.67306; -105.95722
Siringo Road crossing2.7 mi (4.3 km)connecting Arroyo de los Chamisos Trail
Zia Road station 3.4 mi (5.5 km)602 West Zia Road, parking available 35°38′47″N105°57′25″W / 35.6464°N 105.9570°W / 35.6464; -105.9570
Rodeo Road crossing4.2 mi (6.8 km)Rodeo Rd and Siringo
Rabbit Road Trailhead 5.0 mi (8.0 km)249-251 Rabbit Rd., parking available 35°37′40″N105°58′01″W / 35.62771°N 105.96681°W / 35.62771; -105.96681
Spur Trail 6.7 mi (10.8 km)connecting trail from Santa Fe Community College and
Nine Mile Trailhead 8.8 mi (14.2 km)parking available
Avenida Vista Grande11.8 mi (19.0 km)in Eldorado
Avenida Eldorado13.4 mi (21.6 km)in Eldorado, parking available
Spur Ranch Road14.9 mi (24.0 km)
US-285 Trailhead 16.7 mi (26.9 km)

Gail Ryba Trail

Small asphalted branch trail that connects the Rail Trail to shopping areas, neighborhoods, and a medical center. The Gail Ryba Trail starts at Saint Michaels near the Hospital, joins the rail trail thru an underpass at Saint Francis Drive, and ends at West Zia Road. Approximately 1 mile long.

Spur Trail

Improved natural surface trail that branches from the rail trail to connect to the Santa Fe Community College. The Spur Trail trailhead is located at the intersection of Richards Avenue and Avenida del Sur ( 35°35′56″N106°00′05″W / 35.5988°N 106.0014°W / 35.5988; -106.0014 ). Approximately 3 miles long. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eldorado at Santa Fe, New Mexico</span> CDP in New Mexico, United States

Eldorado at Santa Fe, locally known as Eldorado, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,130 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamy, New Mexico</span> CDP in New Mexico, United States

Lamy is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 218 at the 2010 census. It is located approximately 18 miles (29 km) south of the city of Santa Fe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico Rail Runner Express</span> Commuter rail system in New Mexico, US

The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and the Rio Metro Regional Transit District, a regional transportation agency, while Herzog Transit Services currently holds the contract for the operation and maintenance of the line & equipment. Phase I of the system, operating on an existing right-of-way from Belen to Bernalillo that NMDOT purchased from BNSF Railway, opened in July 2006. Phase II, the extension of the line to Santa Fe, opened in December 2008. Daily ridership, as of February 2019, was 2,200 trips per day. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 584,400, or about 1,900 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Depot (San Diego)</span> Main railroad station for San Diego

Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, California, is a union station built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to replace the small Victorian-style structure erected in 1887 for the California Southern Railroad Company. The Spanish Colonial Revival style station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a San Diego Historic Landmark. Its architecture, particularly the signature twin domes, is often echoed in the design of modern buildings in Downtown San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamy station</span> Train station in Lamy, New Mexico, U.S.

Lamy station is an Amtrak station at Santa Fe County Road 33, 152 Old Lamy Trail in Lamy, New Mexico, United States. It is served by the Southwest Chief. It is also the southern terminus for the Sky Railway. The station was built in 1909 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Prairie Spirit Trail State Park is a rail trail that is a Kansas State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Southern Railway</span> Tourist railroad based in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Santa Fe Southern Railway is a short line railroad in New Mexico, United States. In addition to carrying freight on occasion, it also operates as a tourist railroad called Sky Railway that carries passengers between Lamy and Santa Fe: a distance of 18.1 miles (29.1 km). The Santa Fe Rail Trail, a multi-use trail, parallels its route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Grande Trail</span> Proposed trail in New Mexico, United States

The Rio Grande Trail is a proposed long distance trail along the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The river extends over 1,800 total miles, some 700 miles (1,100 km) of which pass through the heart of New Mexico. It is the state's primary drainage feature and most valuable natural and cultural resource. The river and its bosque provide a wide variety of recreation, including hunting and fishing, birdwatching, river rafting, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The river also flows through or beside numerous spectacular and geologically interesting landforms, the result of extensive volcanism and erosion of the valley within the Rio Grande Rift. Although some trail advocates would like to see the trail extended the full distance through New Mexico, from the Colorado border to the United States–Mexico border, the portion proposed for initial development extends 300 miles (480 km), from Bernalillo south to Las Cruces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe, New Mexico</span> Capital city of New Mexico, United States

Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. With a population of 87,505 at the 2020 census, it is the fourth-most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Santa Fe County. Its metropolitan area is part of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Las Vegas combined statistical area, which had a population of 1,162,523 in 2020. Human settlement dates back thousands of years in the region. The city was founded in 1610 as the capital of Nuevo México, replacing previous capitals at San Juan de los Caballeros and San Gabriel de Yunque; this makes it the oldest state capital in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Depot (Santa Fe, New Mexico)</span> Train station in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.

Santa Fe Depot is the northern terminus of the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line. The station was originally built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, and until 2014 served as the northern terminus, offices, and gift shop of the Santa Fe Southern Railway, a tourist and freight carrying short line railroad. It is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico at 410 Guadalupe Street, within an area of urban renewal referred to as the "Railyard". Rail Runner service to the station began on December 17, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Capitol station</span>

South Capitol is a station on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico at 1301 Alta Vista, between St. Francis Drive and Cerrillos Road, near the South Capitol Governmental Complex. It opened to service on December 17, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zia Road station</span>

Zia Road is a station on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The station is the first Rail Runner stop to be constructed on private land. Officials had scheduled it to open in August 2011, following an agreement from the city's finance committee that the stop will open if the owners construct parking and transit facilities for the station and the station opened in April 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe County/NM 599 station</span>

Santa Fe County/NM 599 is a station on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line, located southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in Santa Fe County. It opened August 1, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NMDOT Park and Ride</span>

NMDOT Park and Ride is the name given to a network of intercity buses in New Mexico and Texas, operated by the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The network is composed of eleven routes, including eight intercity routes and three local shuttle routes in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the fifth largest public bus transit operation in New Mexico based on ridership, with a yearly ridership of 315,738 for 2014. Service is provided in the morning and evening peak hours, with no service during midday, and buses operate on weekdays only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Central Regional Transit District</span>

The North Central Regional Transit District operates a network of several local and intercity bus routes in northern New Mexico, serving Santa Fe, Española, Taos, and many smaller communities along a network of 25 fixed routes and one demand-response route, one dial-a-ride and complementary Paratransit service in the Taos area. Routes operate Monday through Friday only, with the exceptions of the "Taos Express," which operates only on weekends, the Mountain Trail route to the Santa Fe National Forest and Ski Santa Fe, which operates daily, and seasonal daily service from the Town of Taos to Taos Ski Valley. All routes are fare-free, with the exception of the Taos Express and Mountain Trail route which are premium fare-based routes. The service is supported primarily by transit gross receipt taxes, which provides approximately 70% of the RTD's revenues. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 119,700, or about 300 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friendship State Trail</span> Recreational trail in Wisconsin

The Friendship Trail is a recreation trail in northeastern Wisconsin. The trail is used by walkers, hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and snowmobilers during the winter months. Two sections of the trail are complete: ~14 miles from Winchester east to Fox Crossing and ~4.4 miles from Forest Junction southeast to Brillion. The route consists of asphalt, crushed stone, and wood surfaces. The entire route is located in Winnebago County and Calumet County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spurline Trail</span>

The Spurline Trail is a multi-use urban rail with trail which connects the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Its northern trailhead is at the point where the CN Waterloo Spur crosses Laurel Creek; it connects to the Laurel Trail there, and is close to Uptown Waterloo. Its southern trailhead is at Ahrens Street West near its intersection with Breithaupt Street, close to Kitchener station and downtown Kitchener. The trail is 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) long, the entirety of which is paved. For its whole length, the trail runs parallel and to the north of the CN Waterloo Spur, stopping just short of where the Waterloo Spur joins the GO Transit Guelph Subdivision mainline at a junction just east of Kitchener station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Ball Trails</span> Hiking trail system

The Dale Ball Trail system is located at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. A popular destination for hiking, trail running, and mountain biking, these trails vary in difficulty. Sections can be challenging for users not acclimatized to the altitude or climate. The trail system is well marked, junctions include section maps and arrows to nearby junctions.

Arroyo de los Chamisos Trail a trail in Santa Fe, New Mexico, connecting parks, schools, shopping and a community center. The trail is asphalted, approximately 3 miles long, and an important part of the Santa Fe urban trails system. It connects to the Santa Fe Rail Trail at its Northeast end near Siringo Road. At the Southwest end it branches into smaller local neighborhood trails, Villa Linda Park, and a local Mall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach Cities Greenway</span> Rail trail in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, California

The Beach Cities Greenway in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, California is a 3.9-mile (6.3 km) rail trail. The greenway is a linear park on the median between Valley Drive running along the west side and Ardmore Avenue on the east.

References

  1. 1 2 "Rail Trail". Santa Fe Conservation Trust.
  2. "Rail Trail Map" (PDF). Travel Bug. Retrieved 24 April 2020.