News and Articles

Santa Fe County and The City of Santa Fe Close Trails Due to Extreme Fire Danger

Santa Fe, NM – July 1, 2011- Due to the extreme fire danger, the Santa Fe County Fire Marshal and City of Santa Fe Fire Marshal have jointly closed the foothill areas and City and County trails.  The following trails are CLOSED until further notice: 

• Dale Ball Trail System - The Dale Ball Trail System consists of a series of trails including the Natural Conservancy Trail,  Dorothy Stewart Trail and a portion of the Atalaya Trail along the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the eastern edge of the City and in the County. The trail network includes both City and County Properties

• Rio en Medio Open Space  - located just past the village of Rio En Medio along State Road 592, approximately 6 miles northeast of the Village of Tesuque. The trail follows the stream for about a mile and connects with a Forest Service trail, and ultimately with Forest Service Road 412 and Pacheco Canyon.

• Little Tesuque Creek Open Space -  located off Hyde Park Road, at the bottom of the hill after "nun's curve" on the way to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. The trail connects to Bishop's Lodge to the west and to National Forest trails and Big Tesuque Creek to the north.

The Santa Fe Rail Trail has not been closed at this time.  Signs have been posted at the trailheads cautioning users about the extremely dry conditions and the current ban on fireworks, open fires and smoking.  Eldorado has not closed their greenbelts that connect to the Rail Trail.  Santa Fe County is in communication with the Eldorado Community Improvement Association (ECIA) and will coordinate with them if closure becomes necessary.

“The extreme fire danger combined with lack of precipitation and the surrounding fires highlight the severity of the situation, we need to take every necessary precaution to ensure we have trails to enjoy in the future,” said County Fire Marshal David Sperling.

For more information on the closures contact Colleen Baker, Santa Fe County Open Space and Trails Program Manager at (505) 992-9868 or Fabian Chavez, City of Santa Fe Park Division Director at (505) 955-2106