Cerrillos is a small historic mining town along the Turquoise Trail in north-central New Mexico, known for its adobe buildings, turquoise heritage, and proximity to state park trails.
Cerrillos, also known as Los Cerrillos, sits along State Highway 14 south of Santa Fe with a 2020 population of 258. The town preserves its mining past through adobe facades and local museums amid high-desert scenery.
Explore the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway and hike trails at Cerrillos Hills State Park. Visit La Cienequilla Petroglyphs, Tetilla Peak Recreation Area, and nearby Sandia Mountains trails including Atalaya and Cave Loop. The Santa Fe Farmers' Market and Santa Fe Plaza offer easy day trips, while Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument provides striking slot canyon hikes.
Local spots serve classic New Mexican fare with red or green chile. Sopaipillas and bizcochitos appear on many menus as regional specialties.
Cerrillos lies about 25 miles south of Santa Fe via the Turquoise Trail (NM-14). It is reachable by car from Albuquerque in roughly an hour.
Accommodations range from historic inns and bed-and-breakfasts in restored adobes to nearby Santa Fe hotels and campgrounds at Tetilla Peak Recreation Area.
Cerrillos sits near Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo Pueblo), whose people have long mined local turquoise. Respect tribal lands by observing all posted rules on photography, drones, and access. Feast days and ceremonies may close areas to visitors; always call ahead and follow guidance from Pueblo officials. Sacred sites are not tourist attractions.
Spring and fall bring mild temperatures ideal for hiking the Turquoise Trail and state park trails. Summer offers wildflowers but can be hot; winter provides quiet solitude with possible snow.
The compact historic core is easily walkable, with shops and galleries clustered along the main road.
Cerrillos is known for its turquoise mining history dating back centuries and its preserved ghost-town character along the Turquoise Trail.
Yes, Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo Pueblo) is located near the ancient Cerrillos turquoise mines.
Hiking, biking, and horseback riding on trails at Cerrillos Hills State Park and along the Turquoise Trail, plus nearby petroglyph sites and mountain trails.
No upcoming events listed in Cerrillos right now — see what's on statewide.
NM-14 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe through Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos — coal and turquoise mining towns turned galleries, saloons, and film sets — with the Sandia Crest spur (NM-536) climbing to 10,678 feet for a hundred-mile view.
Hundreds of petroglyphs from pre-contact and Spanish colonial eras along a mesa above the Santa Fe River.
Just east of Albuquerque, the most-visited mountains in New Mexico — hiking, biking, horseback riding, and winter sports across all seasons.
On the east side of Cochiti Lake, within the boundaries of the Pueblo de Cochiti Reservation; observe Pueblo protocols.
The lower Atalaya Mountain trailhead near St John's College in Santa Fe.
One of the oldest and largest farmers markets in the country, anchoring the Santa Fe Railyard. Growers from across northern New Mexico bring produce, chile, eggs, meat, honey, and prepared foods; everything sold is grown or made by the vendor in northern New Mexico.
Low adobe rooms on the 1646 Santa Fe map — by long local tradition the oldest house in the United States, raised on the footprint of an ancient Pueblo dwelling. Steps from San Miguel Chapel, itself the oldest church in the country; quick, free, and worth the detour.
A museum that happens to sell its collection: an adobe landmark near Canyon Road hung with Taos Society founders, O'Keeffe, and major Western and wildlife artists. Free to wander, quiet on weekday mornings, and a serious art fix even if your budget stops at the postcard rack.
A Gothic Revival chapel (1878) housing the 'Miraculous Staircase' — two full helix turns with no center support and, as the story goes, no nails and an unknown carpenter who vanished without pay. Now a museum and wedding chapel; small admission.
Half a mile of centuries-old adobes holding one of the densest concentrations of art galleries in the country — painting, sculpture, jewelry, and gardens full of kinetic bronze. Stroll it free any day; come back for Friday-evening openings or the magical farolito walk on Christmas Eve.
The 400-year-old heart of Santa Fe — adobe portals, the Palace of the Governors, galleries, and year-round festivals on New Mexico's most storied square.
Entry by reservation only, Thursdays through Mondays between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Every fact below was independently verified against the cited source.