Mesa Top Trail Loop
ExhibitsVisitor centers
Along the way A Natural Corridor Visitor Center
Hike the Inscription Rock Trail 2 mi loop · the Park Service's write-up
30-60 Minutes · dogs allowed
Start El Morro National Monument
This 0.75 mile (1.2 km) trail leads hikers past the historic pool and around the base of El Morro to see hundreds of historic inscriptions and petroglyphs. A trail guide is available at the Visitor Center to borrow or purchase.
The trail is open Thursday through Monday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Accessibility The Inscription Rock Trail to Marker 16 (making it a 0.5 mile loop) is wheelchair accessible. This paved loop has one consistently climbing hill to the Pool overlook and informational waysides, with a moderately steep descent to the Pool itself. This portion of the trail is generally 75” wide.
Hiking the Headland Trail the Park Service's write-up
60-150 Minutes · dogs allowed · season Portions of the trail may be closed in the winter months due to inclement weather.
Start El Morro National Monument
This 2-mile trail includes the Inscription Loop and takes you to the top of the El Morro bluff. It is a moderately strenuous trail with a gain of 224 ft of elevation. Hikers can choose to ascend via switchbacks or 132 stairs. At the top of the bluff, there are two ancestral Puebloan dwellings, one of which is partially excavated. Much of the upper section of the trail is on uneven sandstone so sturdy footwear is recommended.
This trail opens when the visitor center opens at 9:00 am Mountain Time. Hikers must begin their hike no later than 3:00 pm and return to the visitor center no later than 4:45 pm. At certain times of the year, inclement weather may close part or all of the trail. The trails at El Morro National Monument are accessible only when the visitor center is open.
Accessibility This trail is not wheelchair accessible. The Headland Trail includes climbing 132 stairs or moderately steep switchbacks and crosses the mesa top on an unpaved and uneven trail across bumpy sandstone.