Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks

This national monument, forty miles southwest of Santa Fe, looks like the backdrop for a movie that’s set on a distant planet: giant cone- and mushroom-shaped rock formations soar into the sky (the region owes its unique geology to thick layers of rock and ash deposited by a volcanic eruption millions of years ago). There are two trails to choose from: the easy 1.2-mile-long Cave Loop Trail and the more challenging Canyon Trail, which takes visitors deep into the narrow canyon formed by the rocks, whose height varies from a few feet to more than ninety; it ends with a steep climb to the top of the mesa, where you are rewarded with spectacular views across the Rio Grande Valley.