At 8:30 on a Friday morning, a blue North Central Regional Transit District bus pulls up to the stop at NM-475 and Ten Thousand Waves Way. Half an hour later it reaches the base of Ski Santa Fe. Until this month that was the first of only three Friday runs up Hyde Park Road. Since Saturday, November 7, 2026, it is the first of six.
Route 255, the "Mountain Trail," is fare-free every day of the week, holidays included. It runs from South Capitol Station to the ski basin and stops at most of the places along Hyde Park Road that Sierra del Norte uses in winter: the Corral trailhead, the spa, the Forest Service trailheads and the lifts. The November service change made one adjustment to this route: Fridays now run "the same schedule as Saturday and Sunday with six eastbound and westbound trips from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m." Monday through Thursday still has three trips each way.
What the Friday change looks like at the spa stop
The NM-475 and Ten Thousand Waves Way stop is the only timed stop on Hyde Park Road between Fort Marcy Park and Ski Santa Fe, so it is the most useful clock for anyone boarding in this part of the road. Here is how its times now compare, from the current Route 255 timetable:
| At NM-475 & Ten Thousand Waves Way | Monday to Thursday | Friday, Saturday and Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Uphill, toward Ski Santa Fe | 8:30, 12:00, 4:00 | 8:30, 9:30, 11:00, 12:00, 4:00, 4:15 |
| Downhill, toward downtown | 9:37, 1:07, 4:57 | 9:37, 10:37, 12:12, 1:12, 4:57, 5:27 |
The Friday gain falls mostly in the morning. Before November, a Friday rider who missed the 8:30 had to wait until noon for the next bus up. Now there are departures at 9:30 and 11:00 in between. On the way down, the last bus on a Friday passes the spa stop at 5:27 p.m. and reaches Fort Marcy Park at 5:35. Monday through Thursday, those times are 4:57 and 5:05.
The New Mexican reported that it began as a pilot in September 2015, when a ride up cost $5, and later became a permanent year-round service. Today it costs nothing in either direction.
Boarding at the Corral
The route map lists Sierra del Norte Trailhead as a stop. Like the other trailhead stops on Hyde Park Road, it has no printed time. NCRTD's schedule guide explains that untimed stops are served between the timed stops on either side. It asks riders to arrive at least five minutes early. NCRTD's riding guide adds that riders should stand near the bus stop sign or shelter so the driver can see them. So at the Corral, a rider estimates the bus from the Fort Marcy Park and Ten Thousand Waves Way times rather than reading a time off the timetable.
The Where's My Bus text service removes the guessing. Text the keyword posted at the stop to 321123. Where no keyword is posted, NCRTD's format is BB plus the stop number, as in BB100.
The Corral is also a destination in its own right. The Santa Fe Conservation Trust describes Sierra del Norte as the access point for the moderate north and central sections of the Dale Ball Trails, a network of nearly 25 miles. Most of it is City-managed, with maintenance coordinated by SFCT. SFCT's foothill trails brochure warns that the higher-elevation Dale Ball trails can be icy in winter and early spring, and that trails and parking lots are open dawn to dusk.
Up the road, stop by stop
Farther up NM 475, the 255 serves a series of Forest Service and state park stops. In winter, each one is open to a different set of uses:
- Little Tesuque Picnic Ground and Chamisa Trailhead. SFCT's foothill map shows the Chamisa Trailhead linking to the Winsor Trail, alongside the Little Tesuque Creek Trail and Little Tesuque Open Space.
- Black Canyon. The campground itself is listed as closed until May 2027. The Forest Service describes the surrounding NM 475 area as offering Nordic and alpine skiing in winter.
- Hyde Memorial State Park. The state park's winter notices list the Main Camping Loop, the group shelters and the first-come, first-served sites as closed from November 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. The RV Loop and the yurts may stay open depending on weather. The Hyde Park Sled Hill is still listed as closed.
- Aspen Vista. The Forest Service describes it as a small picnic site below the ski basin and the trailhead for the road to Tesuque Peak and the Alamo Vista Trail.
- Norski Trailhead. Norski Trail #255 shares a number with the bus. The Forest Service lists it at 1.9 miles and designates it for cross-country skiing only in winter. Snowshoers are directed to other trails, such as the Winsor.
All of these are one-way trips for anyone who drives. A car left at the Chamisa Trailhead has to be picked up at the Chamisa Trailhead. On the bus, a rider can get off at Norski in the morning and board again lower down the road for the ride home. With six trips on Fridays, there are now more buses to catch on the way down.
The token at the top
Ski Santa Fe lists November 26, 2026, through April 4, 2027, as its tentative 2026–27 season. That puts the tentative opening on Thanksgiving, one week after this post appears. The bus runs on holidays.
During the ski season, each rider on the uphill bus receives a token. Ski Santa Fe honors it for $5 off lift tickets, ski school, the gift shop and limited food service, excluding alcohol. Skis and snowboards ride on external racks. The token is worth more on a Friday now. The resort's day ticket prices are $110 for an adult full day on weekdays and $132 on weekends and holidays. Children's full-day tickets are $68 and $76. Friday is billed as a weekday ticket, and it now gets the weekend bus schedule.
Riders who come up without gear can rent on the mountain. Ski Santa Fe lists adult ski or snowboard packages at $55, youth packages at $41, high-performance adult packages at $75 and helmets at $21. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican's 2026–27 season roundup, the resort has held season-pass and children's ticket prices at 2025–26 levels. An adult Gold pass is currently listed at $879 and an adult Platinum pass at $969.
Coming down by way of the spa
On the way down, the Ten Thousand Waves Way stop is where the schedule matters most. Ten Thousand Waves lists spa hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. At Izanami, lunch runs noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, happy hour runs 3 to 4 p.m. on those days, and dinner is served daily from 5 to 9 p.m. Izanami was named in the MICHELIN Guide 2026 as one of New Mexico's outstanding restaurants. Spa offerings are by reservation, and Izanami tables can be booked online or by calling 505-428-6409.
These hours line up with the timetable in a few useful ways. On a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the 12:45 p.m. bus from Ski Santa Fe stops at Ten Thousand Waves Way at 1:12, during Izanami's lunch hours. The bus that leaves South Capitol Station at 3:45 p.m. reaches the spa stop at 4:15 and the ski base at 4:45. The 5:27 p.m. bus down is the last one of the day on Friday through Sunday. Anyone staying for dinner at 5 o'clock will need another way home.
On Thanksgiving, Ten Thousand Waves lists holiday hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the spa and noon to 6 p.m. for the restaurant.
A few rules are printed on the timetable itself. Bike racks on the front and rear take tires up to 2.8 inches wide, first come, first served. Pets other than service animals must ride in a carrier. Food and non-alcoholic drinks must be in sealed containers. NCRTD customer service, at 866-206-0754, ext. 1, can answer questions about the November changes.
Hyde Park Road has shaped how Rachele Griego understands Sierra del Norte, from the Corral to the ski basin and every season in between. If you are thinking about a home within reach of that road and want to talk through how it would fit your weeks, let's connect and start your Santa Fe journey.
