Thursday, October 25th from 9:00 AM- 5:30 PM
Location- Meeting in the Parking Lot of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, 715 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM, 87505
Cost: Free
Join the Botanical Garden and Ken Collins on this auto excursion which includes a loop trip through Jemez Canyon (Highway 4 south of Jemez Springs) and then to the restored Rio Grande Bosque (cottonwood groves) at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort in Bernalillo. From Santa Fe we will travel first to the White Rock Overlook, a spectacular view point into the Rio Grande Canyon. From there we will travel on Highway 4 past the Valles Caldera. Beyond Jemez Springs, the Jemez Canyon is a deep redrock formation, and at that time of the year, the cottonwoods should be in their golden glory, a spectacular sight against the red rock walls. There will be opportunities to get out and take short walks through the cottonwoods. From there we will go to the magnificent Hyatt Tamaya Resort at Santa Ana Pueblo . The pueblo has restored the cottonwood groves along its part of the Rio Grande – we will walk some of the trails there up to the river. The sight of Sandia Crest through the autumn color is memorable. We will have time for a drink on the hotel’s terrace, which has perhaps the best views of the Sandias anywhere in the Albuquerque area. Then we will return to Santa Fe via I-25.
We will meet in the parking lot of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and leave in a carpool by 9:00 AM.
About your Guide: Ken Collins is a long-time member of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and until recently was on the Board of Directors. He has been an active gardener all of his life, has been for many years, a guide at the Crested Butte (CO) Wildflower Festival, and is a day hike leader for the local chapter of the Sierra Club. He knows many of the trails in the Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico area very well.