La Bajada Hill

At this formidable landmark, with a dramatic 1300-foot ascent to Santa Fe, the Spanish divided their colonies into the Rio Arriba (Upper River) and Rio Abajo (Lower River). Traversing La Bajada Hill Road was once an arduous trip but, in the 1930s, the Highway Department moved the road three miles to the east to the same route currently used by I-25. You can still see petroglyphs, wagon ruts, and the initials of drivers who climbed the hill in the early 1910s and 1920s, remnants of the long history of travel up the hill.

Driving Directions
Take I-25 to the Cochiti Pueblo exit/NM-16. Travel west on NM-16 for 3.5 miles. Turn right on the Tetilla Peak Recreation Area road. After one mile, turn right onto an unmarked dirt road, continue 1.5 miles, and park past the bridge over the Santa Fe River. The old road turns right from the bridge.