We enjoyed our first time hiking up Buckman Mesa and Otowi Peak today. The mesa is a small plateau beside the Rio Grande west of Santa Fe. Otowi Peak is on top of the mesa and provides panoramic views of the surrounding area. This is BLM land so there is no trail signage, but the trail is well-marked with rock cairns making it very easy to follow.
A 10-mile, washboard-rutted, dirt road leads to the banks of the Rio Grande and the trailhead up the mesa. The hike starts with about a half-mile of walking up a dry wash, where a rock cairn marks the place to climb out of the wash and begin the ascent of the mesa.
