About Santa Fe

The nation’s oldest state capital and its second-largest art market, Santa Fe is a vibrant city that consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the United States. Founded more than four centuries ago by Spanish settlers, it is an amalgam of the three cultures present and celebrated in New Mexico: Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo.

The city is a magnet for those engaged in creative arts, for intellectuals, and for lovers of outdoor recreation. St. John’s is located only three miles from Santa Fe’s historic downtown plaza—home to some of the city’s best restaurants, bars, bookstores, shops, and theaters—and within walking distance of four major museums and the famous Canyon Road art galleries. Meow Wolf’s world-famous art installation, The House of Eternal Return, is located just off Cerillos Road, one of the city’s main thoroughfares.

Perched at an elevation of 7,200 feet, Santa Fe has a high-desert climate that boasts 325 days of sunshine each year. For June, the average high temperature is 84 degrees and average low is 59.

Hiking Trails

There are several excellent hiking trails that commence on the St. John’s campus.

At the end of the visitors’ parking lot, across from the Student Activities Center, is the entrance to the Atalaya Trail and a connecting path to the Dorothy Stewart Trail. The Atalaya Trail (5.8 miles roundtrip) terminates at Atalaya Peak, which, at an elevation of about 9,200 feet, commands a tremendous vista of the surrounding area. The three-mile Dorothy Stewart Trail is less rigorous but no less beautiful.

There are also trails that can be taken to the top of Monte Sol (the hill directly behind Weigle Hall) and its sister mountain, Monte Luna. The space between the two is known as the saddle, and all three are accessible through Atalaya Trail.

Not far from St. John’s College are the Dale Ball Trails, a 22-mile network of footpaths that weave through the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These trails can be accessed from Upper Canyon road, just a couple miles from campus.

Ski Santa Fe rests at the end of a winding mountain road flanked by captivating foliage and scenic outlooks. (The outlook at Aspen Vista, for example, offers a particularly spectacular view.) Summer visitors can take advantage of dozens of trailheads along the way and many more at the end of the road.