The Wild Road to Tesuque Peak in NM

Tesuque Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.678m (12,066ft) above the sea level, located in Santa Fe County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It’s one of the highest roads of New Mexico. The road to the summit is currently closed to private vehicles, blocked with a barrier.

Tesuque Peak

Set high in Santa Fe National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved, with rocky parts. It’s called Tesuque Peak Road. This road is usually impassable from late October through late June or early July (depending on snow). It is not generally snow-free until late June or even July in some years. The summit is crowned with communication towers. Due to the high elevations and exposure, the road is subject to strong winds and rapid weather changes. The steep, loose and rowdy track offers great views well out to Mt. Taylor, the Sandia Mountains, and the Jemez.

Located north of Santa Fe, a 4x4 vehicle is required. Stay alert for potential turnouts as you may meet traffic in inconvenient locations. The road is very steep. Starting at the paved Hyde Park Road, the ascent is 5.6 miles (9km) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 631 meters. The average gradient is 7.01%, with some sections up to 10%.

 

 

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