Attractions and Places To See around Rio En Medio - Top 10

15% blue, 85% green

15% of it is blue difficulty, 85% of it is green

Climbing Highway 475 offers you a beautiful and rewarding ascent from the edge of historic Santa Fe, high up into the cool forests of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You'll journey upwards through piñon-juniper woodlands that soon give way to stunning, dense aspen groves and fragrant conifer forests over approximately 15-16 miles. Gaining over 3,100 ft, you'll reach the very high altitude of the Santa Fe Ski Basin near 10,350 ft with a persistent climb averaging around 4-4.5% overall.

The Winsor Trail is a 6.1-mile singletrack primarily used for downhill mountain biking, hiking, and trail running that begins near the Santa Fe Ski Area. The entire trail features a 2,513 ft descent with an average -7.2% grade, making it a challenging black diamond trail that is popular for both shuttled descents and the occasional out-and-back ride. This particular section of the trail from the Aspen Peak to FR 102 is a very, very popular section with downhill riders, bikers coming back uphill from completing the Upper Rio en Medio Trail, for example, and hikers, so please be cautious and courteous, especially on blind corners.

The Upper Rio en Medio Trail is a popular, challenging 1.9-mile trail located near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It features a mix of steep grades, tight switchbacks, rock gardens, creek crossings, and scenic waterfalls, making it ideal for experienced mountain bikers seeking a backcountry adventure. This downhill-only trail begins near the Santa Fe Ski Area, following the river with a tough initial section before transitioning into smoother, faster segments. As you draw closer to Aspen Ranch, there are several alternative paths you can take if you want to change things up. At Aspen Ranch you have a few options: you can continue down the Lower Rio en Medio trail for a truly epic backcountry experience that takes you all the way down to the base of the mountains (shuttling cars is a must, unless you want an even more epic day), or, if you haven't shuttled a car to Aspen Ranch), you can turn back uphill to Ski Santa Fe on the Aspen Ranch Road (Forest Road 412), which you can connect to Pacheco Canyon (Forest Road 102) and either back up to the paved road or to the Winsor Trail. Although riding on trails is usually preferable, the Winsor Trail is usually ridden as a downhill trail and is very popular with hikers, making it for a sometimes trying uphill experience. Regardless of what you do at the end of the Upper Rio en Medio Trail, it's a truly fabulous section of backcountry downhill riding in the mountains above Santa Fe.

The Winsor National Recreation Trail offers 23 miles (37.5 km) of thrilling singletrack through the Santa Fe National Forest and is popular with both mountain bikers and hikers. This section follows Tesuque Creek, with multiple crossings that might get your tires wet, but are not too, too deep. As you ride a ridge through dense ponderosa pines, you get the occasional catching glimpses of pretty views to the south. Be prepared to encounter a fair amount of hikers on nice days, so please be courteous and share the trail.

Winsor Trail is the main access trail to get to Nambe Lake. Due to its nicely shaded run, it is a great hike even during the heat of the summer.

A fun climb through the forrest. There are places to stop and refuel if need be (seasonal).