Desecration of petroglyphs probably means La Bajada access won’t be reopened anytime soon

Don't anticipate the primitive La Bajada Hill alignment of Route 66 southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to be reopened to off-roaders or hikers anytime soon. A pueblo group recently accused the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of not doing enough to protect sacred sites in the Caja del Rio Plateau area (aka La Bajada) … Continue reading Desecration of petroglyphs probably means La Bajada access won’t be reopened anytime soon

Pueblo blocks access to La Bajada Hill

The Cochiti Pueblo has blocked access to La Bajada Hill, an area where a 1920s alignment of Route 66 zigzagged down the mesa south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The pueblo is blocking the historic site to prevent further abuse from visitors, reported the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. At the base of the 600-foot … Continue reading Pueblo blocks access to La Bajada Hill

La Bajada Hill may become a national monument

In the wake of Barack Obama last week designating a big chunk of Route 66 in the Mojave Desert as the Mojave Trails National Monument, pressure is building on the president to designate La Bajada Hill in New Mexico as a national monument, as well. The Christian Science Monitor, in a story Saturday about Obama's executive actions, … Continue reading La Bajada Hill may become a national monument

Aerial views of La Bajada Hill

This new video of a snow-dusted La Bajada Hill south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, uses a drone to film footage from the air. The video contains interesting and seldom-seen angles -- including a wrecked car in the beginning of the video. I've hiked La Bajada Hill three times and have never seen that car. … Continue reading Aerial views of La Bajada Hill

Replica of La Bajada Hill sign erected

In recent days, "Roamin' Rich" Dinkela commissioned a replica of a warning sign that long ago graced the top of La Bajada Hill between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in New Mexico. La Bajada Hill served as Route 66 during the 1920s and the early '30s, although the path itself dates to the 1500s as part … Continue reading Replica of La Bajada Hill sign erected