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Santa Fe, NM-On April 10, 2024, Santa Fe County acquired 160 acres of piñon-juniper forest at the base of the San Pedro Mountains near Golden, NM. The new open space is adjacent to the existing 160-acre San Pedro Open Space and BLM Land. The acquisition was recommended by the County Open Lands Trails and Parks Advisory Committee (COLTPAC) and approved by the Board of County Commissioners on August 14, 2023.

Karen Yank, President of the Turquoise Trail Regional Alliance, and Mike Madden, Co-founder of the East Mountain Regional Trails Council, expressed excitement about this addition, “Thanks to the support of neighboring communities and the willingness of Campbell Farming Corporation to sell the land for preservation, we now have 320-acres of contiguous county open space, which will create access through a series of trails to 2,000 acres of BLM land which comprise most of the San Pedro Mountains. The County envisioned this area as a regional trails hub, providing New Mexicans and tourists alike opportunities for outdoor recreation, leisure, and human renewal." The property, purchased for $534,075.52 will now undergo a master plan for the development of passive recreation trails.

In another noteworthy acquisition, Santa Fe County acquired 2 acres of land known as 10 Little Hills near Cerrillos Hills State Park in Cerrillos, NM. This property, featuring a trail easement to the State Park, was generously donated by the previous landowner. Ross Lockridge, President of the Cerrillos Hills Park Coalition, expressed gratitude for this acquisition, "We would like to thank Santa Fe County Open Space and Trails, as well as the generous landowner, for working together to acquire this important piece of the Cerrillos Hills State Park trails system."

Cerrillos Hills State Park is owned by Santa Fe County and managed by the State Parks Division. 10 Little Hills, which is not part of the State Park, is located north of Yerba Buena Road and can be accessed via the Elkins Canyon Trail. For more information and a map of the trails, refer to the Cerrillos Hills State Park brochure: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/CerrillosHills_2021trailsmap.pdf.

For more information, contact Adeline Murthy, Open Space & Trails Planning Team Leader at 505-995-2774 or amurthy@santafecountynm.gov.

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