Hermit Peak
Hermit Peak rises to 3,127 m in New Mexico. West Truchas Peak stands 3,976 m to the northwest, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is Hermits Peak Historical Marker, a park less than a tenth of a mile away. Historic Route 66 passes 18 miles off.
The story
Hermit's Peak is a mountain in San Miguel County, in northern New Mexico, United States.
The peak is named for the Italian religious recluse Giovanni Maria de Agostini, who lived in a cave on a narrow ledge on the southeast side of the mountain about one hundred feet below the summit rim. The cave could only be reached by descending from above. The cave roof was too low to allow Agostini to stand erect. To help shut out the elements and to protect himself from the sheer drop below, Agostini built a rock wall around the mouth of the cave. Agostini lived in the cave from August 1863 to May 1866. His cave became the subject of pilgrimage by some devout New Mexicans during his life and for a number of years after his death. The Peak is in the Santa Fe National Forest, and the trail to the peak is maintained by the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District. The trail to the top is approximately four miles from the El Porvenir Campground. From El Porvenir, Hermit's Peak has rocky features that seem to form a man's face looking to the sky. Left to right, one sees a forehead, eye, nose, two lips, and a chin. The rugged trail to the top of the "nose" winds through the "eye." The view from the tip of the "nose" is said to include five states. There is a rock overhang known as "Hermit's Cave" on the "nose." The area was impacted by the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, the largest in state history, in 2022.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5741719, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 3127 m
How to reach it
- 18.0 mi off the Historic Route 66, National
- 9.2 mi off the Santa Fe Trail, National
- 21.6 mi off the Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Ski Santa Fe Overlook · 22 mi
- Vista Grande Overlook Observation Site · 22 mi
- Vista Grande Overlook · 22 mi
- Aspen Vista Picnic Site · 22 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- El Cielo Mountain: 2.2 mi
- Johnson Mesa: 4.3 mi
- Lone Pine Mesa: 4.7 mi
- Bear Mountain: 6.5 mi
- Cerro de la Cruz: 7.6 mi
- Montezuma Hotel Complex Historic Site: 9.7 mi
- Connells Cabin Historic Site: 14.3 mi
- ATSF 1129: 14.8 mi
- Bean-Newlee House Historic Site: 14.8 mi
- Donnelly Library Historic Site: 15.0 mi
- Hermits Peak Historical Marker: 0.0 mi
- Baker Flat Picnic Area: 2.9 mi
- Fishing Hole Picnic Area: 3.2 mi
- Strike Valley Historical Marker: 3.7 mi
- Brazel Park: 10.6 mi
- Montezuma Castle: 9.7 mi
- HERMIT'S PEAK HISTORIC MARKER: 9.8 mi
- STRIKE VALLEYS HISTORIC MARKER: 11.1 mi
- Emiteria "Matie" Martinez Robinson Viles Historic Marker: 11.1 mi
- Jamie Koch: 14.4 mi
- Baker Flat: 2.9 mi
- Oak Flats: 3.0 mi
- Fishing Hole: 3.3 mi
- Big Pine: 3.7 mi
- Windy Bridge Picnic Ground: 15.7 mi
- Dwan Light Sanctuary: 9.6 mi
- UWC: 9.7 mi
- Storrie Zia: 12.0 mi
- Totem Pole: 15.2 mi
- Red Dawn: 15.3 mi
- Hermit's Spring: 0.4 mi
- Wesner Spring/Mine: 8.4 mi
- Alamosa Spring: 16.1 mi
- Cienega Redonda Spring: 22.8 mi
- Loring Spring: 24.9 mi
- Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Memorial and City Museum: 15.2 mi
- City of Las Vegas Museum: 15.2 mi
- Rough Riders Museum: 15.2 mi
- Cleveland Roller Mill Museum: 17.0 mi
- Pecos Falls: 15.5 mi
- Quemado Falls: 21.2 mi
- Hyde Park Falls: 23.3 mi
- Montezuma Hot Springs: 9.6 mi
- McAllister Lake Wildlife Management Area: 20.2 mi
- Las Ruedas: 21.5 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 22.7 miles of Hermit Peak. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Truchas Peak | NW 320° | 3,976 m | 20.5 mi |
| Truchas Peak | NW 320° | 3,975 m | 19.8 mi |
| North Truchas Peak | NW 323° | 3,956 m | 20.3 mi |
| Chimayosos Peak | NW 326° | 3,914 m | 19.4 mi |
| Trouble | NNW 340° | 3,847 m | 18.9 mi |
| Santa Fe Baldy | WNW 288° | 3,847 m | 20.2 mi |
| Pecos Baldy | NW 309° | 3,806 m | 18.1 mi |
| Jicarilla Peak | NW 326° | 3,805 m | 22.5 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:06 | 18:40 | 19:14 |
| June solstice | 05:47 | 19:44 | 20:22 |
| September equinox | 06:50 | 18:26 | 19:00 |
| December solstice | 07:09 | 16:13 | 16:53 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 31 | 33 | 38 | 43 | 51 | 59 | 62 | 60 | 55 | 47 | 38 | 31 |
| Precip in | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Gascon, 10 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 915835 — Hermit Peak, San Miguel County, New Mexico.
OpenStreetMap element node/357605455
Day trips start here
Take the scenic way to Hermit Peak.
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