National Forests are America’s great outdoors, and we are fortunate to have some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest. Found in the 1.6 million acre Santa Fe National Forest, the conifer trees appear as the gentle giants watching over this protected land and some of the animals that call the forest home are mule deer, elk, turkey, black bear, mountain lion, and bighorn sheep. Here, the great outdoors also means skiing and snowboarding.
We love our Sangre de Cristos Mountains!
Santa Fe has been in the top 10 tourist destinations for years, and we are not a typical resort town. Wintertime brings the skiers to our beautiful 660-acre mountain terrain, so get out the UGG’s and get ready to be awed by some of the most stunning land and sky-scape in the world. The Santa Fe ski basin is a hop, skip and a jump from our historic Plaza, which means before hitting the slopes you’ll have plenty of time for huevos rancheros with red and green chili (Christmas style) from any cool diner in town.
The dry climate means the slopes have plenty of snow (sometimes 8-10′ deep), but our roads are nearly always clear. The ski mountain base elevation is 10,350 feet, peak elevation of 12,075 feet, and with a vertical drop of 1,725 feet. Our average snowfall is 225 inches and our typical season is Thanksgiving to Easter. The enchanting nature of our snow is what the experts call perfect powder, created by low humidity and high altitude. Skiers and boarders call our snow epic – champagne powder, and some of the best snow in the business! The kind of snow so light and fluffy, you can float through it with little effort, and that’s what we call – a skier’s dream come true!
A winter getaway with outrageously beautiful scenery – changing from red canyons to pinon-covered hills to snow-capped peaks, while taking in New Mexico’s quiet beauty. You can ski all day in sparkly fresh powder, and then you can enjoy world-class art, dining and culture at night. So, are you thinking what I’m thinking? Pack your bags and don’t forget the lip balm!
Enjoy the great outdoors...