Santa Fe Conservation Trust
2025 INSIDER TOURS
Ruins · Artifacts · Views · Historical Sites
Rare opportunities to explore archaeological and geological sites on private land.
THE TOURS
Insider Geology Tour at SFCT’s Galisteo Basin Property
April 5 • 9:00 AM
Half-day tour near Santa Fe, NM
$150 per person (includes lunch and half-day tour)
Registration now open
Geologist Kirt Kempter will lead us on this excursion to explore the superb geology of the Galisteo Basin. Many important geologic sites and events will be discussed as we traverse this landscape, including the volcanic history of the Cerrillos Hills and Ortiz Mountains, the preservation of abundant petrified trees, the onset of rifting in the Santa Fe area, and how the geology of the Galisteo Basin impacts oil, gas, and water in the area.
Insider Archaeology Tour at San Cristobal Pueblo
August 23 • 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM (approximately)
Meet at 8:00am at the Eldorado Super Mart (7 Ave Vista Grande, Santa Fe, NM 87508) to CARPOOL to the site
$175 per person, includes lunch and half-day tour
($145 Tax-Deductible)
Tickets will be available for purchase at 9AM on Friday, July 18
Pueblo San Cristobal is one of the premier rock art and village sites in New Mexico. The location in the Galisteo Basin reflects a complex history that spans the immediate pre- and post-Spanish colonization periods. The cultural landscape embodies stories of adaptation to climate change, the artistic expression of a rich social and religious life, and the persistence of traditional culture in the face of Spanish colonization. The underlying story includes the Pueblo Revolt, Spanish Reconquest, and the transformation of the Galisteo Basin into a ranching economy in the Spanish, Mexican, and American periods.
SFCT’s Insider Tour will be led by Eric Blinman and Mary Weahkee (Comanche, Santa Clara). Eric has been involved in archaeology for nearly 60 years. He joined the Museum of New Mexico’s archaeology program in 1988 and directed the program from 2006-2023. He has been committed to education outreach throughout his career, delivering public lectures, tours, and classroom education programs. Mary is a retired archeologist for the State of New Mexico, Museum of New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies, Center for New Mexico Archaeology. Mary brings Native American insights into regional culture, history, and land use.
Please note that weather may be a factor. The tour date may need to be rescheduled if heavy rains risk damaging the ranch roads or if there is the risk of lightning. If we do reschedule and you are not able to join, a refund will be offered to you.
The day’s activities are characterized as “strenuous,” as there are no developed trails and we will be hiking over rugged, uneven ground. The morning will consist of several hours of hiking through an area of boulders, cliffs, and alcoves to see the rock art associated with the adjacent community. Elevation gain (and loss) will be equivalent to 4-6 flights of stairs. Most of the surviving images are petroglyphs (pecked into the rock), but there are pictographs (painted images) that remain in protected locations. The rock art portion of the tour will take several hours in the morning, followed by lunch back at the parking area.
After lunch, the tour will walk over to San Cristobal Pueblo itself. The site consists of an estimated 1600 rooms organized around more than 10 plazas. A 17th century mission was constructed adjacent to the Native community, and the village and mission complex straddles the spring-fed San Cristobal Creek (we may get our feet wet). An optional steep hike up (and down) the equivalent of 8 flights of stairs leads to an overlook of the Pueblo and a small amount of additional rock art.
Long pants and hiking boots are strongly recommended, as are hats, long sleeved shirts, and sunscreen. For both the morning and the afternoon, each participant should carry 1-2 liters of water (we will have water to refill personal water bottles at lunch).
Insider Geology Tour at Diablo Canyon
October 30 • 9:00 AM
$150 per person, includes lunch and half-day tour
Join us on this outing to explore the volcanic story behind Diablo Canyon and provide sweeping vistas of the Jemez Mountains and White Rock Canyon. Geologist Kirt Kempter will lead the group on a 2.5-mile hike that climbs 450 feet in elevation, providing overlooks down into Diablo Canyon.
ABOUT THE GUIDES
Eric Blinman
Eric Blinman has been involved in archaeology for nearly 60 years. Eric’s academic degrees are from UC Berkeley and Washington State University, and he joined the Museum of New Mexico’s archaeology program in 1988. He directed the program from 2006-2023, supervising a remarkable staff in the recovery and interpretation of archaeological evidence of the state’s rich multicultural history. His personal research focus has been in human economic and social adaptations to climate change, and his technical expertise is in dating techniques, culture histories of the diverse modern Native American communities, and experimental studies of pottery and yucca fiber technologies. He has been committed to education and outreach throughout his career, delivering public lectures, tours, and classroom education programs.
Kirt Kempter
Kirt Kempter is a Fulbright Fellow and Ph.D. graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, now living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A volcanologist and field geologist, Kirt has conducted extensive field research in Costa Rica, Mexico, and New Mexico, and has worked with the NASA astronaut training program, providing field geologic training to astronaut candidates. His interest in global geologic processes has allowed him to lead field-oriented expeditions to destinations such as Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Africa, and Antarctica. Kirt has led educational tours for Smithsonian Journeys and National Geographic Expeditions since 1993, and greatly enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge of geology with tour participants. On the side, Kirt particularly enjoys photography, cooking, and tennis.