Arroyo de los Pinos Loop

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5/5 (4 reviews)
Escondida, New Mexico (Socorro County)
Last Updated: 01/29/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

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.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

5/5 (4)
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Official Crew
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13150
Open
Visited: 01/29/2022

Great day to hit multiple Quebradas/Gordy's Hill area trails. Dry trail surfaces with clear and sunny weather - upper 50's at the end of January! You cannot beat this area for great winter wheeling conditions.
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Official Crew
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13150
Open
Visited: 01/30/2021

Trails were dry and conditions were as expected on this sunny February day. A little crisp and breezy in the morning but once you're down in the arroyos in the sun, very mild. A very enjoyable day with some hiking, rock hunting and of course rock crawling.
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Official Crew
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13150
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Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/07/2019

Great to run this one as a warm up for the Hidden Valley Loop trail. Lots of fun and a little different every time you go.
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Official Crew
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13150
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/19/2018

Cool little loop through the arroyo. There was a little bit of water present from the Ojo de Amado Spring. Flash flooding had torn down all of the fencing and iron gates that separate the upper and lower sections at the spring. Pretty easy but you definitely want 4WD and high clearance. I love this loop because it's always different, especially after a rain storm.
Trail Review: Arroyo de los Pinos Loop - Scott Mitchell
Trail Review: Arroyo de los Pinos Loop - Scott Mitchell
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