Moon Mountain Trail

Dogs Unknown

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This is a great trail run until you reach the upper section which requires scrambling over large boulders.

Starting from the Atalaya Mountain Trail parking lot at St. John's College, head southeast along Trail 174 as it winds down and merges with the St John's Arroyo. Pass the Atalaya Mountain Trail (#170) trailhead and continue up the service road to the left of the large, green water tower.

From there, you'll see a wide trail that gradually ascends to the saddle between Sun and Moon Mountain. After taking in views, run down a bit and look left for a singletrack trail that points in the direction of Moon Mountain. The slope is fairly gradual at first but turns modestly steep in the middle section and more steep and rocky in the upper section. Be prepared to run a rugged trail and scramble up steep, large boulders near the top before it levels off and easily takes you to the summit.

From the summit, you'll enjoy nice surrounding views of Santa Fe and sister foothill Sun Mountain to the north. Overall, this makes for a great in-town day run!

Pinon pine, junniper, sage, cactus.