Cone-Shaped Rock formations in New Mexico!

The Kasha-Katuwe rock formations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, make up a breath taking scenery for hiking and various outdoor activities. It is located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), since its declaration as a U.S. National Monument by President Clinton in 2001.

The site of the cone shaped rock columns is found in the Pajarito Plateau, between 5,700 and 6,400 feet above sea level and in Keresan, a Pueblo language, the term Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs". Six to seven million years ago, a period of intense volcanic activity from the Jemez Volcanic Field resulted in "pyroclastic flows", that being avalanches of rock fragments and hot gases, and the deposition of pumice and ashes, forming a layer nearly 1,000 feet thick. With time, weathering and erosion has created deep canyons and the cone-shaped rock formations now known as Kasha-Katuwe. The columns consist of pumice and tuff underlain by harder cap rocks and reach up to 90 feet. The monument is open during daylight, while a 1.2 mile recreation trail reaches a point to observe the rocks from above. Visitors can also spot small, rounded, translucent obsidian (also known as 'Apache Tears"), which are created after quick cooling of the volcanic material.