Hiking Los Alamos 101: Cultural History

This program is now full.  Please call PEEC at (505) 662-0460 to be put on the waiting list.

Are you interested in getting out on the trails in Los Alamos, but hesitant to begin exploring on your own?  Want to know more about Los Alamos trails and what lives and grows on them, about the rocks that make our canyons and mesas so beautiful, and about the history of our area?  Join Hiking Los Alamos 101 to dip your toes into all the fascinating hiking, biology, geology and history of our local trail system.  Local Subject Matter Experts will take you on a hike of 2 miles or less and share with you their knowledge of the area.  

This third session on cultural history will be lead by Janie O'Rourke. The group will meet at the trailhead to the Camp Hamilton Trail (directions below), where they will hike 1 mile each way. The trail begins on a flat mesa-top trail, and then descends into the canyon on a narrow, rocky trial with one short section of rock scrambling. The trail has an interesting history, which Janie will talk about along the hike. In 1924, the Los Alamos Ranch School boys constructed a trail that snaked down off the east end of Los Alamos Mesa down into Pueblo Canyon. The trail was built to access a small log cabin near Otowi Ruins that had been used in the early 1900s as a shelter for tourists brought to visit the many archeological sites of the Pajarito Plateau. The Los Alamos Ranch School, using money donated by the family of one of the Ranch School boys, improved and enlarged the cabin, which soon became a popular destination for the younger Ranch School boys. 

To get to the trailhead, park on SR 502 on the wide shoulder on the north side of the road just east of Eastgate Industrial Park. Look for Janie's light blue Honda Civic. The trail begins at a walk-through gate.

The cost is $20 for ALL 4 classes, which includes a Sky Terrain map of Santa Fe, Bandelier, & Los Alamos & a 50 Hikes booklet. Please register in advance, as space is limited to 25 for each session. Drop-ins are welcome to any class for $8, if the maximum attendee limit has not been reached.

Upcoming Sessions:
June 30 - Hiking Los Alamos 101: Wildflower Identification