Explore Over 8 Miles Of Hiking Trails At City Of Rocks State Park in New Mexico

If you’re in the mood to go hiking, City of Rocks State Park has over eight incredible miles of trails to explore. Strike out for a day trip to check out the unusual volcanic rock foundations, and don’t forget to pack your sunscreen! This is a great park to explore with the whole family.

There’s a stunning state park located in Faywood, New Mexico.

If you’re looking for a great day outing with your friends or family, this spot is the perfect place to go. It’s situated in the southwestern region of New Mexico, halfway between Silver City and Deming.

It encompasses one square mile in the Chihuahuan desert.

It sits at 5,200 feet elevation, and offers incredible views of the surrounding area. This is a great place to bring your camera, so you can capture this stunning scenery!

The area is named after the volcanic eruptions rock formations that tower up to 40 feet above you.

They are separated by paths, and resemble a city street. These rock formations were created almost 35 million years ago.

A very large volcano erupted, and the lava eventually hardened.

After millions of years of erosion, the pinnacles that you see are what is left. One of the trails hikes all the way around the City of Rocks, giving you a great view of this incredible natural phenomena.

There are two very popular hikes in this state park, Table Mountain and Hydra Trail.

The Hydra Trail is the hike that circles the City of Rocks. This is an easy, mostly flat loop, clocking in at 3.6 miles. The Table Mountain trail is 5.1 miles total, out and back up Table Mountain. You’ll gradually ascend about 669 feet.

There are so many interesting things to explore beyond hiking the trails, like a desert botanical garden.

You can also camp, stargaze in the clear night sky, mountain bike, or even just enjoy a picnic. There’s also great wildlife viewing and bird watching to be had.

The park is now open every day from 7:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m.

There is also plenty of parking, and restrooms with hot showers. Check out the Visitor’s Center before you head out for the most up to date information about the area!

Have you ever visited City of Rocks State Park? What did you think? Will you hike there again? Let us know in the comments below!

If you’re looking for more New Mexico hikes to explore, read more about how These 10 Hiking Spots In New Mexico Are Completely Out Of This World.