Hondo Trail

Within the Sand to Snow National Monument, the Hondo Trail winds through a sandy desert valley framed by towering, vertically stacked boulder walls that gradually close in to form a dramatic box canyon. At its end, the canyon offers a spacious, sheltered dispersed campsite on flat sand, with room for multiple vehicles and tents. Along the way, the trail intersects with several other routes and hiking paths, including the inviting Road Runner Rut Trail, making it a great jumping-off point for further exploration.

The driving itself is mostly soft sand, punctuated by the occasional exposed boulder. At the 2.3-mile mark, the trail squeezes down to a tight obstacle where the boulder walls leave just enough room for a narrow vehicle to pass. A wrangler clears with barely an inch to spare. A spotter is highly recommended. Additional sections of overgrown brush have a high probability of causing pinstripes. Deep sand makes a four-wheel drive with high clearance essential. Beyond the driving challenge, several excellent dispersed campsites can be found tucked against the rock walls, offering shade and shelter, with the box canyon at the end standing out as the premier spot.