Tent Rocks National Monument is about 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe and very near the Cochiti pueblo. The area owes its remarkable geology to layers of volcanic rock and ash deposited by a fast moving Pyroclastic flow emanating from a volcanic explosion that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago. Over time, weathering and erosion of these layers have created the canyons and tent rocks (hoodoos) that make this monument such an enchanting place.

The site was established as a National Monument by President Clinton in January 2001.