Blue Dot

Difficulty: Easy in length but trail is steep and rocky.

Directions: Take Hwy. 84/285 north from Santa fe to Pojoaque. Then take Hwy. 502 towards Los Alamos, turning off at Hwy. 4 to White Rock. In White Rock - at the traffic light, turn left onto Rover Blvd. Take the next left onto Meadow Lane. Continue on Meadow Lane as it winds around. Go just under 1 mile and then turn left onto Overlook Rd., entering Overlook Park. Go about 0.4 miles, past all the soccer fields, and turn right at the road just past the metal buildings. Go to the end of this road and park. You will see a sign at the side of the parking lot marking the Blue Dot trailhead.

Clues: Head down the trail, going straight through the first trail intersection, and taking a left at the second. You should shortly be at a fence with a sign for the Blue Dot trail. Head down the rocky trail, following the blue dots, until you get to a flat meadow (about 8 minutes down from the rim). Continue on the trail across the small, sagebrush-filled meadow until you come to a large juniper tree on the left side of the trail. At this point, leave the trail and head towards a rocky outcropping at 80 degrees. Once you've reached the outcropping, turn right and walk towards the bed of blackness. Look for a juniper tree on the right, bordering the blackness. Letterbox is under tree under a flat rock. Please re-hide well. You may return on the same route, or for a longer hike, continue down the Blue Dot trail to the Rio Grande.

Hike Length: 0.5 miles