Cave Loop Trail (35.6870, -106.4100)
© OpenStreetMap contributorsCave Loop Trail
The gentler of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument's two trails: a 1.2-mile loop along the base of the tent rock formations, passing a small cavate (cave) carved into the volcanic tuff. Same ticketed-entry and Cochiti Tribal Access Pass requirements as the rest of the Monument.
Access window: Thursday–Monday; entry 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.; all visitors out by 4:00 p.m.
Two separate fees. (1) BLM ticketed entry via Recreation.gov: $5/person over 16 (youth 16 and under free, but every visitor needs a reservation) plus a $1/ticket Recreation.gov fee. (2) Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Access Pass, sold separately by the Pueblo: $20/person over 16, $10 ages 2–16, free under 2.
Check in at the Cochiti Visitor Center (opens 7:45 a.m.). Pilot vehicles lead visitors into the Monument starting 8:00 a.m.; the last pilot car leaves at 1:00 p.m.
BLM: "following the GPS coordinates may take you through Tribal lands that are not accessible. Please follow the directions above and access the Monument from I-25." Use the signed route from I-25 exit 259 — do not trust GPS routing.
Closed December 15–January 31 annually. Cultural and holiday closures (re-verify each season): Easter Friday–Monday, May 3, July 13–14, July 25, November 1, Thanksgiving. The Monument may be closed without notice by order of the Cochiti Tribal Governor.
Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Access Pass
Co-managed with the Pueblo de Cochiti; the slot canyon and tent rocks sit on ancestral Cochiti land. Cultural closures are not negotiable — check the BLM page before traveling. The Monument also closes for flooding.
Sources & verification
- Last verified June 10, 2026 via Todo Nuevo México curated trails — Todo Nuevo México editorial