Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Blanco, New Mexico

Malquadis Point is a great route that begins as an oil road turn-off from RT 64, just east of Manzanares Canyon. The trail starts with a steady climb to the top of the mesa before…
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This route is appropriately named Rock Garden. There are rocks of all shapes and sizes, including hoo-doos, arches, and balancing boulders. It is north of New Mexico State Highway 173 and is a short drive…
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This out and back trail leads to several panels of petroglyphs and a ruin that all require a short walk to view. Simple oilfield dirt roads lead you to the canyon entrance that will take…
Learn more about Largo Canyon to Crow Canyon

This easy trail utilizes oil roads just off of Highway 64 to loosely loop around the portion of Manzanares Mesa northwest of Cutter Reservoir before intersecting with the Cutter Reservoir Trail. Expect gorgeous vistas, heavy…
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This easy route allows access to the incredible Crow Canyon Petroglyphs and Pueblito without having to drive across Largo Canyon. The Five-Mile Bridge crossing Largo Canyon was the main access until it washed out in…
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This is an easy, scenic trail that can be a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive or an all-day Saturday event. Several spurs and cut-throughs offer the opportunity for more challenging adventures. The trail winds along and…
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Manzanares Ridge (CR 520) is a gorgeous Sunday drive, winding through fields of sagebrush dotted with juniper and pinion trees. Its placement along the high point of Manzanares Mesa offers panoramic views as the trail…
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The Cutter Dam Trail winds from Largo Canyon up through Cutter Canyon, leading to the Cutter Reservoir Dam and Picnic Area. Along the way, travelers will encounter deep ruts in some sections and stretches of…
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This is mostly an oil well and natural gas line access road that is also used as a trail. It winds through a flat desert terrain, on primitive roads that have shallow ruts and overgrown…
Learn more about Bloomfield Pal Tour

A paved road west of New Mexico State Highway 550 leads to this beautiful adventure in Hart Canyon. The arch is a short drive north of the main route. The small, majestic arch spans a…
Learn more about Arch and Aztec UFO Site

Just north of Bloomfield, this route is primarily used by locals and oil and gas trucks to access oil sites or the trails that crisscross the area between NM 550. From Bloomfield, it's the access…
Learn more about Arizona Road/CR 4900 Extension

Starting on 539 just south of where it goes across the dam, you'll head up Francis Mesa Road and over Smith Pass to the top of the mesa. There is some rough exposed rock on…
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This trail is an unnamed oil road that cuts across BLM land and includes some spectacular views looking south towards Angel Peak and the badlands as well as looking north and northeast towards the Colorado…
Learn more about Arizona to Center Point Fire Station 2

This trail starts after Anna's Ridge and continues on the narrow ridgeline on the clay hills. It has sweeping turns and little descents and climbs as it goes from each hilltop to the next. It's…
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Starting in the high desert immediately adjacent to a canal, the loop utilizes BLM oil roads to dip down into the badlands surrounding Angel Peak. Zig-zagging across the sandy washes that weave through the bottom…
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This trail is a mixed-use oil and ranching road that runs between Route 550 and Road 7007. It offers relatively rapid access to the trails that zig-zag between Angel's Edge and Largo Canyon. From 550,…
Learn more about Jacquez Canyon Road

This route is a mix of oil well roads, and mid-width trail ideal for 60" SxSs, ATVs, and dirt bikes. It goes through an open desert near Aztec, New Mexico. It's made up of primitive…
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This short and narrow trail near Aztec, New Mexico, starts on the route for a disc golf course in badlands-type desert terrain. It's a narrow ridgeline that is most ideal for ATVs and dirt bikes…
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The north end of this easy trail starts at the end of the road between the baseball diamond and dog park near Aztec, New Mexico. It goes up a steep hill right away and gets…
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This area is a local Bloomfield favorite. The trail crisscrosses Crouch Mesa, with the northwest end starting in Flora Vista near Road 3100 and the northeast access point picking up a little off of 550.…
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CR 7020 is a 7-mile off-road trail and oil access road that serves as the easiest and most direct route from Highway 550 to the Angel Peak Loop and Kutz Canyon. The trail combines sections…
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This is a mid-width trail ideal for 60" SXSs, ATVs, and dirt bikes that goes through a badlands-type desert terrain between Aztec and Bloomfield, New Mexico. It goes on a ridgeline on the soft clay…
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This loop starts from an oil well access road and enters the desert terrain on a mid-width trail ideal for 60" SXSs, ATVs, and dirt bikes. Going counterclockwise from the south, it goes out onto…
Learn more about CMT East Loop

This route is relatively easy up and back, except for ruts and a water crossing near the end. If you decide to hike to Cox Canyon Arch itself, it is a short, moderate hike directly…
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While this trail is not technically challenging there are a lot of terrain changes over it's 7.5-mile length. The west end of the trail starts with dirt, packed clay, and sand in a fairly open…
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The route is relatively easy except for washboarding and ruts in spots. It takes you to breathtaking views of rock formations, including Castle Rock and Angel Peak. Picnic tables overlook the amazing canyons. The campground…
Learn more about Angel Peak Picnic and Campground

This trail drops down from the Gould Pass Pueblito trail and loosely encircles Crow Canyon, with multiple spurs leading to the different points that overlook the canyon. This trail ends on the south side of…
Learn more about Crow Canyon Overlook/Road 550

This oil road starts out wide and sandy but gradually becomes increasingly narrow as it winds its way deeper into the canyon. There are some ledges when entering and exiting washes, but this is a…
Learn more about Kutz Canyon West

Upper Mesa trail is one of a network of trails in the area called Glade North. It is an easy drive with beautiful views of northwest New Mexico's high desert. Many of the canyon walls…
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This route travels up a rutted hill and then on some easier oil and gas roads before getting rocky and rougher right before Old Fort Pueblito parking. A free New Mexico State Land Permit is…
Learn more about Old Fort & Three Corn Pueblitos