Very superb concrete for rollerskating - beautiful views for decent stretches! Approachable versatile and fun

not suitable for a cruiser bike

First off the path is made of the best skating concrete! No cracks, and great changing views. Heartily recommend. The only reason I didn't 5 star is that it is a slope that goes to the west that is a bit much going east. Someone else may say it's a great workout :)

Water was flowing today in the channel. There are 2 spots where you can't tell which way the real trail goes, but as someone told me, just follow the water. It was only about 1.5 miles long, not many cars to bother with, nice scenery. Crossing the big street was a pain, can't wait for the tunnel to be built.

While taking a picture of the Trail Head off Rabbit Rd ( N35.62771 W105.96681 ) I was informed that starting 0.2 miles north the trail is asphalt for 3.6 miles into town. I found an excellent trail with some at grade street crossings. Up and down to cross the arroyos, with one bridge that has parallel planks that made it very smooth for my Tri-Cruiser, but may be a hazard for skinny tires.
The “ Arroyo de los Chamisos Trail” joins the Santa Fe Trail at Siringo Rd ( N35.65191 W105.96541 ) Noel Keller 18 May 09

My wife and I walked a portion of the Santa Fe Trail on the day after Thanksgiving in 2007. There was an inch or two of fresh snow that had fallen during the night which made it a beautiful but somewhat slippery walk. The Rabbit Road trailhead is easy to reach by going south on St. Francis, Santa Fe's main drag. Continue past I-25 to the dead end and turn right. The railroad tracks are about a half mile west, and a small parking lot is on the left. We saw broken glass mentioned by an earlier reviewer (five years ago), but local friends go there to run frequently and say the parking is safe.

The trail is great for walking or running, but it would be a pretty good workout on a mountain bike. For most of the mile we walked to the south, there were usually two choices. You could stay near the tracks where the trail was reasonably level, or you go up over the small hill for a good workout. After each small but steep hill, the two trails would come back together and then split again at the next hill. Even in the short distance we went, the views were beautiful, particularly on a snowy day. We are anxious to come back with our bikes so we can do more of the trail.

"I live in Eldorado (at Santa Fe), a half mile from the approximate mid-point of the Santa Fe to Lamy ride. While the rail tracks (still in use) do go all the way to the village of Lamy, the trail in fact does not.

If riding from Santa Fe or points in between, you will intersect state highway 285, about two miles (as the crow flies) from Lamy. It is well advised that at this point you turn onto 285 south (right) and ride approximately one mile to the Lamy (left) turn, if your goal is to reach the village.

If you stay off road, following the railroad, you’ll soon discover that there’s no real trail, for riders or hikers, with very rugged brush and steep ridges. It’s bushwhacking or riding on the rails themselves, never a good idea.

As of this writing (November 2004) the village of Lamy contains little more than homes and the railroad station, where the Amtrak passenger run that connects Los Angeles and Chicago stops twice each day, once east bound, once west bound, about an hour northeast of Albuquerque.

There have been a few incarnations of a restaurant and bar called the “Legal Tender” across the road from the station, but the latest has long been closed. Thus, there are currently no refreshments to be had in the village, unless there are vending machines in the Amtrak station.

The Lamy – Santa Fe railroad spur is still used for commercial and recreational purposes. There are excursion rides, the train may be booked for groups, and the railroad station is available to caterers, if a bit rough on accommodations.

As for the two-wheel ride, it’s quite beautiful, whichever way you take it. From Santa Fe’s Rabbit Road, you are in for about seven miles of dirt slalom, mostly single track, mostly mile downgrade (from Santa Fe’s 7,000’ to Eldorado’s 6,800’, to Lamy which is lower still), before crossing pavement, in the middle of Eldorado. You can turn back there, or go on to Hwy. 285, where you can also turn back, or go on to see Lamy.

For my money, the best seasons are any but June (hottest month here, and buggy), and spring winds, which can range from March through May, unpredictably."

"This is not a ""rail-to-trail"" but a ""rail-with-trail"" because the trail runs right alongside a railroad. This trail has a lot of ups and downs and short steep climbs. We caught this trail where it goes from pavement to dirt at the intersection of Zia Road and St Francis in Santa Fe. This is a trailhead with parking. From what we had read this trail was supposed to take us to the town of Lamy but as far as we could tell it dead ends into Highway 285 (a couple miles shy of Lamy according to the mile markers).

The dirt portion of this trail is about 13 miles long. We rode out and back for a total of about 27.5 miles and a little over four hours. There are a lot of off shoots on this trail and on most of the ride there is trail on both sides of the tracks. We encountered light trail traffic on a Sunday. It gets pretty hot in the afternoon in June."

"I rode this trail while vacationing in Santa Fe. I really enjoyed riding it. It's a rolling, dirt trail very different from most rail-trails. I rode in the late afternoon and early evening and the views were outstanding.

But beware of where you park. My rental car was broken into at the Rabbit Road parking area. After I discovered it, I saw broken glass in other spots, so it is an area where there are some problems. Parking on cross roads should be OK. This particular lot sits off the road and is a bit secluded."