The Spirit of Discovery
Beyond the scheduled tours and organized races, the Pajarito Plateau offers a vast, open-air laboratory for personal discovery where every solo trek reveals the region’s profound biological and geological diversity. The plateau is a rare crossroads of life zones, where one might encounter everything from the resilient cacti of the high desert to the soaring raptors and quiet elk herds that navigate the ancient obsidian-strewn ridges.
The Discovery Track is the intellectual and soulful heart of the Pajarito Trails Series. It is designed for the curious—those who want to know why a certain rock formation exists, which ancestral people walked these paths centuries ago, or how to identify the song of a canyon wren.
This track transforms the trail into a living classroom and an open-air museum. It emphasizes "slow trail" culture, where the goal isn't peak bagging or speed, but observation and understanding. Whether you are a family with young children, a lifelong learner, or a photographer chasing the perfect golden-hour light, the Discovery Track provides a guided lens for viewing the Pajarito Plateau's unique intersection of natural history and human heritage.
Example Events & Activities
Discovery events are typically led by subject matter experts, historians, or naturalists who help translate the language of the outdoors into shared knowledge.
- Interpretive Nature Hikes: Guided walks hosted by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) focusing on wildflower identification, bird watching, or the unique "Sky Island" ecology.
- Archaeology & Heritage Tours: Ranger-led walks through Bandelier National Monument or the Valles Caldera.
- Geology Workshops: Field sessions explaining volcanic origins, tuff formations, and obsidian flows.
- Photography Walkabouts: Meetups focused on capturing geological "goblins" and "hoodoos" during golden hour.
- Community Speaker Series: Trail-side briefings on environmental stewardship and the history of the Rio-Buckman Reach.
Current PTS Calendar "Discovery" Events and Activities (check calendar for details and links)
Scanning the Pajarito Trails Series Calendar for upcoming Discovery events...
