This is apparently the only major trail in the Canyon of the Ancients NM. The trail runs along the western wall of Sand Canyon and there are a number of Pueblo ruins along the walls of the canyon. The trail is 5.7 miles one way from County Road G to Sand Canyon Pueblo. We did not plan to do the whole length since the last mile is a fairly steep climb out of the canyon. We wanted to do about three miles in which would be a 6 mile hike round trip. We started the hike with temperatures in the low sixties and low clouds. The canyon is beautiful! We hiked two miles in to the canyon which gave us a chance to see the Saddlehorn Pueblo, Corncob House and Double Cliff House ruins along with beautiful views of the canyon. We reached the 2 mile mark and came on a steep drop in the trail through a series of switchbacks, a couple that looked a bit dicey. So before heading down, we stopped and had a snack and water. After talking it over, considering this would be our longest hike of the year so far, we had drank half our water, the sun had come out and the temperatures were rising quickly, and that there were some spur trails we wanted to explore on the way back, we decided to turn around here rather than pressing on. The hike back, taking the spur trails into some interesting formations, was uneventful and relaxing. We are glad we turned back when we did instead of pressing on and possibly getting too tired and hurting a knee or ankle on the way back.
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| Entrance to Sand Canyon |
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| Rock Formation along the trail |
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| Rock Formation |
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| Saddle horn Pueblo |
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| Sand Canyon Trail |
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| Rock formation |
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| Sand Canyon with Sleeping Ute Mountain int he background |
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| Double Cliff House |
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| Corn Cob House |
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| Un-named ruin |
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