Tent Rocks Trail
Photo: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 4.4 mi
- round trip
- 415 ft
- climb
- 6,734 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- best months
Tent Rocks Trail is a moderate out-and-back hike in New Mexico, managed by the Department of Energy. The route is about 8.7 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 415 feet, and it rises from a low point of 6,390 feet to a high of 6,734 feet. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Los Alamos weather station show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 63°F, while July and August bring the most wet days, about 13 to 14 a month. The trail sits close to several other outings. Camp Hamilton Trail, a mountain biking route, is about 0.1 mile away, and the Anniversary Trail and Bayo hikes are each about 0.3 mile off. Climbers can find The Y about 2.3 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Tent Rocks Trail
Best months: April–June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
40° / 21°
6 wet
Feb
45° / 24°
6 wet
Mar
53° / 30°
7 wet
Apr
61° / 35°
6 wet
May
70° / 44°
6 wet
Jun
81° / 53°
7 wet
Jul
83° / 57°
13 wet
Aug
80° / 55°
14 wet
Sep
74° / 49°
9 wet
Oct
63° / 38°
6 wet
Nov
50° / 28°
5 wet
Dec
40° / 21°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Los Alamos, NM, 4.5 mi away at 7,424 ft. The station sits about 700 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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