Santa Fe Baldy, elevation 12,622 feet (3847 meters), is a summit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, United States. There are no higher mountains in New Mexico south of Santa Fe Baldy. It is prominent as seen from Los Alamos and communities along the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, but is relatively inconspicuous from nearby Santa Fe, as its north-south-trending main ridge line is seen nearly end-on, disguising the size of the mountain. Tree-line in the Sangre de Cristos is unusually high (exceeding 12,000' in places) and only the top 600-800' of the mountain is perpetually free of trees, but several severe forest fires have created bare spots extending to lower elevations. An extensive region of aspen trees on its flanks produces spectacular orange-yellow coloration during the fall that is the subject of many photographic studies.

Santa Fe Baldy lies within Santa Fe National Forest and is reached by several hiking trails, many of which continue on to the neighboring Pecos Wilderness. Under good conditions the summit is a simple "walk-up" climb, but the Sangre de Cristos are unusually prone to lightning, and during the summer months, the wise hiker is off Santa Fe Baldy and other high summits in the range by noon, to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. Santa Fe Ski Basin is located on Tesuque Peak, another 12,000'-plus summit just south of Santa Fe Baldy and its slightly shorter neighbor Lake Peak (el. 12,409' or 3782 m).

External links

• Santa Fe National Forest (Forest Service site)

Santa Fe County, New Mexico | Mountains of New Mexico