New Mexico Off-Road Trails

In the Lincoln National Forest, Carr Gap Canyon, FR607, is a gravel road that twists through the Sacramento Mountains. There are endless mountain and valley views along the narrow, windy road. 

There aren’t any difficult sections other than the possibility of weather. Carr Gap Canyon has many offshoot roads and trails for further exploration. 

There are multiple opportunities for camping along this road. 

Dispersed campsites:

1. (32.94990, -105.47080)
2. (32.95263, -105.46906)
3. (32.96658, -105.50075)

Nestled in the Coyote Hills between the Quebradas Backcountry Byway and Johnson Hill Road, lies a narrow one-mile passage known as Coyote Canyon. Flood waters from area rains follow this groove in the Earth from ATV Pass down to the Arroyo del Coyote, giving life to the many juniper trees and other flora found here. The trail makes for a challenging drive but it is quite scenic and secluded. It's also a great choice for some hiking, rock hunting, camping, or photography. In addition to amazing exposed geological features and beautiful landscapes in Coyote Canyon, there are countless nearby opportunities to offroad at varying degrees of technical difficulty, making this area a 4WD paradise.

T West Road runs north to south through the broad New Mexico desert. It's an easy graded road with scenic views in most directions. However, the real reason for driving this dirt road is that it connects the paved highway to the trail leading to Roswell UFO Crash Site. The alleged 1947 alien crash mystery still resonates today. Don your tinfoil hat and head on out.

Laguna Bonita Road is a long haul at 35. It's the main access road across the Cibola National Forest north of Grants, New Mexico. Although the southern half of Laguna Bonita Road is mostly well-maintained dirt, the northern half devolves into a bumpy, cobble surface that rattles your teeth if you don't air down for comfort. Most dispersed camping is located on the southern portion of the trail, although it is worth trying the roads that spur off Laguna Bonita Road to find additional sites. The northern end connects to San Luis Road, where more camping begins to appear. The trail eventually accesses Highway 550.

Venturing out from Arroyo de Los Pinos, Hidden Valley Loop takes you deeper into the badlands surrounding the Quebradas Backcountry Byway near Socorro, NM. There are myriad offroad trails along the Byway, which divides the 6,000-acre Gordy’s Hill Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area from west to east, providing offroad driving challenges for all experience levels and offroad vehicle capabilities. Hidden Valley Loop is notable because it is not only a challenging trail, it's also a route leading to a broad network of increasingly technical Quebradas 4WD trails. If you enjoy the challenge of picking lines and crawling over and through big rock, you will like this trail! The arid desert landscape of the Quebradas is harsh yet beautiful, and it's teeming with life. Moving through the area, bands of red and yellow sandstone, red and purple shale, and white to gray limestone are all exposed in stunning geological features.

Despite the name of 31 Mile Road, this well-maintained backcountry road stretches for nearly 60 miles, offering a pleasant transition from wide-open desert vistas to dense, mountainous woodlands of Santa Fe National Forest. It begins in the high desert area of Española, and gradually climbs into the cooler, pine-shaded forests flanking the northern and western edges of the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The trail itself is a smooth, graded, mostly gravel trail. However, many spur trails break off and offer more of a challenge if that's what you're looking for. There are plenty of campsites along the trail, ranging in size from single-site to large group campsites. More shaded sites can be found along the many spur trails.

Located at the northern tip of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Southern Robledo Mountains are home to the 100th active U.S. national monument, the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, and within that, the Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System. Just four short miles northwest of Las Cruces, this network of trails, including extreme OHV and mountain bike trails, is easy to get to and close to all of the conveniences and services of a modern city. The Presidential Staircase trail is a great warmup along the way to some of the more difficult trails in the system. The scene from the top of this moderate climb is a truly spectacular 360-degree view of the area. The OHV areas are separate from the Monument's sensitive fossilized trackway, and motorized vehicle travel is only permitted on designated trails and roads. Official signage for the trails is well and frequently placed, so it's easy to spot. The Monument includes a major deposit of Paleozoic Era fossilized footprint megatrackways containing footprints of numerous amphibians, reptiles, and insects (including previously unknown species), plants, and petrified wood dating back 280 million years.

The Guadalupe Rim Trail is located in the southernmost unit of Lincoln National Forest, running along the western cliffs of the Guadalupe Mountain Range. Officially named Forest Road 67, it is the main access route to numerous additional forest roads that offer varying terrain, including small rock shelves, sand, and dirt. 

The trail is primarily limestone gravel, with some dirt sections. It has an easy rating that is suitable for most vehicles. There are no significant obstacles other than potential weather-related issues, such as mud and ruts at a few points. This trail is also a small section of the 1,200-mile-long New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR).

Along the trail, multiple viewpoints offer stunning views to the west over Dog Canyon. Within the Junipers and Pinyon trees, there are plenty of large flat camping areas that can fit multiple rigs at one time.

The trail's south end is within an hour and a half of several points of interest, including Sitting Bull Falls, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Guadalupe Mountain National Park. The closest amenities, such as gas, groceries, and lodging, can be found in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Forest Road 133 is an easy, bumpy trail for its 14-mile trek through the Carson National Forest. Spanning the distance between Apache (FR 87) and Highway 64, dispersed camping is plentiful along this trail, with most campsites large enough for multiple vehicles. This area is popular among hunters in the Fall. Do not be surprised to see camper trailers, SxSs, and ATVs during this time.

Although picturesque, this area is quite remote. The nearest basic services are the tiny town of Tres Piedras, with the Tres Piedras Ranger Station, post office, and Chili Line Depot restaurant, but no fuel station. The nearest fuel is north in Antonito, CO, or west on Highway 64 to Tierra Amarilla, NM.

San Luis Road connects Old State Highway 279 to the Cibola National Forest boundary while traveling through an area that feels like a miniature Valley of the Gods. A handful of dispersed campsites dot the trail, with one providing a direct view into the Chamisa Wilderness Study Area and the beautiful mountains, mesas, and other rock formations. Sunrise and sunset in this area are stunning. Bring your camera. This road crosses through federal Bureau of Land Management land, wilderness study areas, and private parcels, so be sure you know the land boundaries and respect the management or ownership.

Chama Canyon Road, Forest Road 151, is located at the border of the Carson National Forest and the Santa Fe National Forest near the Chama River Canyon Wilderness. The easy 13-mile dirt road traverses a few low-lying areas. While none are prone to flash flooding, two areas along the route would be pretty muddy after a rain or snow melt. Four-wheel drive is not required for this road.

The colorful landscape along this route is breathtaking. Another cool feature is the area where the Rio Chama and the Rio Gallina meet. One river is crystal clear, and the other is murky silt. Below the confluence, they flow side by side with a clear delineation until finally mixing well downstream.

There are several established primitive campgrounds with vault toilets along the trail and quite a few dispersed campsites along the Rio Chama. A quick detour down FR 151U leads to a boat and kayak ramp.

The trail deadends at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, which welcomes visitors.

The Arroyo de Los Pinos Loop is a quick, scenic departure off of the Quebradas Backcountry Byway that will take you within 100 yards or so of the Ojo de Amado Spring, and it provides access to numerous offroading possibilities in the area with varying degrees of difficulty. Driving from the Quebradas road to the arroyo floor (approximately 300 feet below) provides opportunities to take in beautiful panoramic vistas of the region and surrounding mountain ranges. The Quebradas road crosses several arroyos which drain into the Rio Grande and erosion here has created breathtaking and scenic geological settings such as those in the Arroyo de Los Pinos. As one traverses the trail down into the arroyo, the color of the rock and earth are impossible to miss. The red color of these rocks results from the presence of small amounts of iron in the form of hematite, the same mineral that gives the planet Mars its red hue. Moving through the arroyo, bands of red and yellow sandstone, red and purple shale, and white to gray limestone are all exposed. Arroyo de Los Pinos Loop is one of many trails along the Quebradas Backcountry Byway, which divides the 6,000-acre Gordy’s Hill Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area from west to east and provides excellent opportunities for offroad driving, offering challenges for all experience levels and your offroad vehicle’s capabilities.