Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Duran, New Mexico

A wide dirt track through the Gallinas district of Cibola National Forest. This route skirts the base of the Gallinas peak and is primarily used as a quick through road from the south side to the north side of the area. There are minimal washouts or other obstacles on this road, and it could easily ...
Learn more about Cougar Mountain Road

Red cloud trail works its way across the top of the peaks in Gallinas before descending into a forested area. With many dispersed camping opportunities, this is a great area for some more secluded outdoor activities. Multiple excellent views of the surrounding desert are available, especially while ...
Learn more about Red Cloud Trail

Windmill Way has a decent variety of terrain along its route. Composed of a combination of soft sand, dirt, and rocks, the trail winds its way to the southwest giving views of the surrounding mountains and a plateau to the north full of wind turbines. There are no obstacles larger than 10 inches alo...
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Wandering Wake is a trail that shows minimal signs of use and is very primitive with no signs of maintenance being performed. The surface changes frequently from dirt to sand with some smaller rocky sections scattered through the length of the trail. While there are no large obstacles along the trai...
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Sandwash is a trail that is exactly as named, beginning as a dirt hard-pack trail that quickly changes to a sandy wash track. As the trail begins to descend, it narrows to single-vehicle-width and changes from dirt to soft sand with one small rock garden hidden in the sand. The trail is easily trave...
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Clarion Course is one of the more clear-cut trails in the area and shows more signs of use than many of the others. The trail surface is a combination of dirt, sand, and rocks but does not have any obstacles larger than 10 inches. There are sections with minor rutting and some off-camber turns, howe...
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This trail ascends a mountain surrounded by the desert to the South-East of Mountainair. When approaching the peak, it will be visible long before you start the trail when approaching from the west. The first part of the trail is driving on light gravel roads before you enter the National Forest. Th...
Learn more about Glorieta Peak

Elk Standoff is a scenic 29-mile dirt route near Monument Peak, New Mexico, ideal for overlanders seeking high-desert vistas and a glimpse into local history. Winding through the rolling mountain landscape with a technical rating of 2, this well-maintained trail is accessible to most stock high-clea...
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The trail is a pass through trail that gives access to other trails in the Capitan Mountains. It consists of rocky terrain that has multiple rock gardens that have rocks up to 12 inches in height with off-camber areas. There are some washout areas that are rutted, and can be muddy depending on the w...
Learn more about Seven Cabins

Arroyo de los Diegos is a primary dirt two-track that makes a partial loop from its connecting points off Valle Grande. The dirt surface shows some significant signs of rutting and erosion, with some areas of rutting being more than 20" or more in-depth, but still easily passable for most high clear...
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This is an easy route to the beautiful, well-shaded, and peaceful Red Canyon Campground. The campground is at 7,600 feet in elevation. It can accommodate RVs up to 22 feet. It is easy access to the Manzano Wilderness on the Red and Spruce Canyon trails on foot or horseback. The campground has corr...
Learn more about Red Canyon Campground

Capitan Gap is a locally well-known and well-traversed out-and-back trail with wide open views, steep grades, and many dispersed camp sites. While the burn scar is still very visible, the trail features an abundance of foliage and wildlife. The trail starts out at the base of the foothills with sign...
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Trail starts off of a grated gravel road but quickly becomes rocky and sandy terrain. Multiple areas where rocks are up to 12 inches in height with loose rock gardens. There are heavy rutted areas that are off camber with multiple washouts. There are dispersed camping lots off the trail with rock fi...
Learn more about South Base

West Mountain is located just to the west of the Capitan Mountains and north of the town of Capitan, NM, and is a narrow, mostly single-vehicle wide, out-and-back trail with several spurs available to explore. The trail appears to have had some recent maintenance completed towards the entrance, howe...
Learn more about West Mountain

This route travels through the southern tip of the Manzano Mountains and connects the village of Manzano on State Highway 131 with State Highway 60. It travels along a right-of-way through private property on both ends before entering the Cibola Forest. The trail can be dusty and has a few low water...
Learn more about FS 422 Priest Canyon

Indian Divide is located northwest of Capitan, NM, and is nestled between the larger mountains in this area. The trail gives a great combination of surface types from dirt to larger rocky obstacles, light rutting, and some minor off-camber sections, as well as some steeper grades and some low-lying ...
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This route leads to the premier area to see the Big Tooth Maple in the Manzano Mountains. It is the largest stand of maples in New Mexico. The road is easy but narrow in spots. Camping is available from April through November for tents and tent trailers. There is also a parking area for some short h...
Learn more about Fourth of July Campground

Open mesa plains with a web-like network of dirt roads with the occasional rocky obstacle and/or ledge. The general area is wide-open with scenic views of surrounding mesas. If you navigate deep enough into this area a couple nice rocky canyons can be found. Watch out for cattle as this is a commonl...
Learn more about El Cerrito Area of Santa Fe National Forest

Dispersed camping with a beautiful view of the Sacramento Mountains. There are three trails that disperse out. Easy terrain for beginners riders. The trail is mainly dirt and loose rock, with a few rutted-out places. It can be very windy and dry in these mountains, be aware of a potential fire ban.
Learn more about Granger

Campesino is overall an easy-to-traverse dirt road, that has some rock gardens along the route. There are signs of some rutting and washouts and can become very muddy and slick during or after rain or snow melt. Some areas of the trail show signs of heavy rutting with no maintenance, but do offer by...
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A wide dirt track through the Gallinas district of Cibola National Forest. This route skirts the base of the Gallinas peak and is primarily used as a quick through road from the south side to the north side of the area. There are minimal washouts or other obstacles on this road, and it could easily ...
Learn more about Cougar Mountain Road

Red cloud trail works its way across the top of the peaks in Gallinas before descending into a forested area. With many dispersed camping opportunities, this is a great area for some more secluded outdoor activities. Multiple excellent views of the surrounding desert are available, especially while ...
Learn more about Red Cloud Trail

Windmill Way has a decent variety of terrain along its route. Composed of a combination of soft sand, dirt, and rocks, the trail winds its way to the southwest giving views of the surrounding mountains and a plateau to the north full of wind turbines. There are no obstacles larger than 10 inches alo...
Learn more about Windmill Way

Wandering Wake is a trail that shows minimal signs of use and is very primitive with no signs of maintenance being performed. The surface changes frequently from dirt to sand with some smaller rocky sections scattered through the length of the trail. While there are no large obstacles along the trai...
Learn more about Wandering Wake

A wide dirt track through the Gallinas district of Cibola National Forest. This route skirts the base of the Gallinas peak and is primarily used as a quick through road from the south side to the north side of the area. There are minimal washouts or other obstacles on this road, and it could easily ...
Learn more about Cougar Mountain Road

Red cloud trail works its way across the top of the peaks in Gallinas before descending into a forested area. With many dispersed camping opportunities, this is a great area for some more secluded outdoor activities. Multiple excellent views of the surrounding desert are available, especially while ...
Learn more about Red Cloud Trail

Windmill Way has a decent variety of terrain along its route. Composed of a combination of soft sand, dirt, and rocks, the trail winds its way to the southwest giving views of the surrounding mountains and a plateau to the north full of wind turbines. There are no obstacles larger than 10 inches alo...
Learn more about Windmill Way

Wandering Wake is a trail that shows minimal signs of use and is very primitive with no signs of maintenance being performed. The surface changes frequently from dirt to sand with some smaller rocky sections scattered through the length of the trail. While there are no large obstacles along the trai...
Learn more about Wandering Wake