Chicoma Mountain
Chicoma Mountain rises to 3,517 m in New Mexico. Turkey Ridge stands 3,558 m to the west-southwest, 4.0 miles off. The nearest named place is Cerro Toledo, a peak 3.2 miles away. Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway passes 8.9 miles off.
The story
Chicoma Mountain (Tewa: Tsikumu Pʼin, pronounced [tsìkùmù pʼìŋ], lit. 'obsidian-covered mountain') is the highest point in the Jemez Mountains, a prominent mountain range in the U.S. State of New Mexico. The tree line in this area is exceptionally high, and the mountain is forested almost all the way to its summit which is conspicuous from the towns of Los Alamos, Santa Fe, and Española and other areas in the valley of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. Like the rest of the Jemez, it is of volcanic origin; it lies on the northeast rim of the Valles Caldera, one of the best examples of a caldera in the United States. The mountain is sacred to many of the Puebloan peoples of New Mexico, who traditionally regarded it as the "center of all." Much of it lies within the territory of the Santa Clara Pueblo. Access by hikers, hunters, and others, is correspondingly limited, although the summit can be reached via public lands on the north side. The Puye Cliff Dwellings in Santa Clara Canyon are an archaeological site of some significance; however, the cliff dwellings are not near Chicoma. Puye Cliff Dwellings are accessible via NM 30 to NM 5, about 30 minutes south of Chicoma Mountain. The site is located on the pueblo's land on the east side of the mountain, and are sometimes open to the public for a fee.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5096463, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 3517 m
How to reach it
- 8.9 mi off the Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway
- 10.8 mi off the Jemez Mountain Trail, National
- 17.8 mi off the El Camino Real, National
- 21.0 mi off the High Road to Taos
Overlooks nearby
- Frijoles Canyon Viewpoint · 12 mi
- San Diego Canyon Overlook Overlook Site · 17 mi
- Jemez Canyon Overlook · 17 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Cerro Toledo: 3.2 mi
- Polvadera Peak: 3.8 mi
- Caballo Mountain: 3.9 mi
- Turkey Ridge: 4.0 mi
- Shell Mountain: 4.0 mi
- Nexus: 8.6 mi
- Golondrina: 9.6 mi
- Touch the Sky: 9.8 mi
- Lucky: 9.8 mi
- Multiverse 2020: 9.9 mi
- Puye Ruins Historical Marker: 9.0 mi
- Puye Cliff Dwellings: 9.0 mi
- Los Alamos High School Memorial Garden: 9.2 mi
- John F Kennedy Memorial: 9.2 mi
- Pierotti's Clowns: 9.8 mi
- Kiva: 9.2 mi
- Valles Caldera National Preserve: 9.4 mi
- Los Pueblos Park: 9.7 mi
- Pine Street Playlot: 9.9 mi
- Main Gate Park: 11.6 mi
- Pine Spring: 6.6 mi
- Armstead Spring: 11.3 mi
- American Spring: 11.8 mi
- Apache Spring: 12.7 mi
- Alamo Spring: 12.9 mi
- Tsi’pin Ruins trailhead (permit required via Coyote Ranger Station): 10.8 mi
- Alcove: 14.7 mi
- The Narrows: 14.8 mi
- Amphitheater: 15.7 mi
- Alcove House: 16.1 mi
- Camp May: 7.7 mi
- Ponderosa Picnic Area: 12.2 mi
- Las Conchas Picnic Ground: 15.4 mi
- Ampitheater Picnic Area: 15.7 mi
- Cottonwood Picnic Area: 17.0 mi
- Hans Bethe House: 9.7 mi
- Los Alamos History Museum: 9.8 mi
- Georgia O'keefe museum and home: 14.3 mi
- Bond House Museum: 16.9 mi
- San Ildefonso Pueblo Museum: 16.9 mi
- La Cuchilla de la Monjonera: 5.3 mi
- Gates of Hell: 11.9 mi
- Cerro Valdez: 12.4 mi
- Water Canyon pour-off: 18.4 mi
- Black Mesa: 21.7 mi
- Upper Frijoles Falls: 18.3 mi
- Jemez Falls: 18.4 mi
- Lower Frijoles Falls: 18.5 mi
- Memorial Rose Garden: 9.8 mi
- White Rock Community Garden: 15.8 mi
- San Antonio Hot Spring: 15.2 mi
- Spence Hot Spring: 17.6 mi
- State Game Commission Land: 18.7 mi
- New Mexico Wildlife Center: 20.1 mi
- Rendija Arch: 7.2 mi
- Buckman: 17.2 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 13.1 miles of Chicoma Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Ridge | WSW 250° | 3,558 m | 4.0 mi |
| Polvadera Peak | NNW 342° | 3,419 m | 3.8 mi |
| Cerro Toledo | WSW 253° | 3,323 m | 3.2 mi |
| Cerro de la Garita | W 266° | 3,225 m | 8.2 mi |
| Caballo Mountain | SSE 164° | 3,200 m | 3.9 mi |
| Pajarito Mountain | S 186° | 3,176 m | 8.3 mi |
| Cerro del Grant | W 275° | 3,174 m | 8.7 mi |
| Cerro Rubio | SSW 193° | 3,169 m | 4.4 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:44 | 19:18 |
| June solstice | 05:50 | 19:48 | 20:26 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:30 | 19:04 |
| December solstice | 07:13 | 16:16 | 16:56 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 34 | 42 | 48 | 57 | 67 | 70 | 67 | 62 | 51 | 39 | 31 |
| Precip in | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — LOS Alamos, 11 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 938811 — Chicoma Mountain, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.
OpenStreetMap element node/357618956
Day trips start here
- Bandelier National Monument · 16 mi
- Española · 18 mi
- Pojoaque · 22 mi
- Chimayó · 25 mi
Take the scenic way to Chicoma Mountain.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.