Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Fort Wingate, New Mexico

Explore All Beginner Trails Near Fort Wingate, New Mexico

Hole in the Wall at Malpais National Monument

This excellent day trip starts on the western edge of Malpais National Monument, drives by the Big Tubes cave system and then crosses an easy introduction to driving over rock before accessing the "Hole in…
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Total Miles
14.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway

The trail travels along the south and west boundaries of the El Malpais National Monument and surrounding BLM land. The trail begins in a wide-open plain with desert scrub largely used for cattle grazing before…
Learn more about Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway
Total Miles
26.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp

Chaco Canyon to Kin Klizhin

Relatively easy trail to one of the more remote ruins of the Chaco Canyon culture. The trail was rutted and uneven, and the last few hundred yards had significant mud due to recent rains. Otherwise,…
Learn more about Chaco Canyon to Kin Klizhin
Total Miles
11.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Su

Mt. Taylor Peak 4x4 Road

This 4x4 road is a great intro to overlanding, with stunning views and minimal technical obstacles. Starting from Grants, the road climbs almost 5000 feet to within 1/2 mile of Mt. Taylor peak. The road…
Learn more about Mt. Taylor Peak 4x4 Road
Total Miles
16.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Valley of Dreams East

This is a point-to-point route that takes you from Road 550 in Nageezi to the Valley of Dreams trailhead/parking lot. The first quarter to half mile or so is paved but quickly turns to a…
Learn more about Valley of Dreams East
Total Miles
18.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su / Wi

Chaco Overlook

This double-track trail takes you through cattle grazing farmland and ends at an overlook. Cows can be seen near the trail. There is nowhere to camp or turn around until the end of the trail.…
Learn more about Chaco Overlook
Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Wi / Fa

Bisti Badlands Overlook

Off of Da-Na-Zin Road, this short spur trail takes you to an overlook right on the edge of the Bisti badlands. There is a closed gate at the entrance that should be closed behind you.…
Learn more about Bisti Badlands Overlook
Total Miles
0.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Wi / Fa

Wilderness Study Areas

This trail follows BLM 1103 from the floor of the Rio Puerco Valley up a steep, rocky section to the top of a mesa. The route travels between the Ignacio Chavez Wilderness Study Area, Chamisa…
Learn more about Wilderness Study Areas
Total Miles
10.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Jacquez Canyon Road

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
Total Miles
13
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Angel Peak Picnic and Campground

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
Total Miles
6.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Kutz Canyon West

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…
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Total Miles
7.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Kutz Canyon East

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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Total Miles
6.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

RD 7020

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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Total Miles
5.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp

Davenport Canyon FS6

This out-and-back trail runs through the central portion of the Datil Mountain Range and offers a little bit of everything from dirt and rocks to low-level washes that have the potential to be water crossings…
Learn more about Davenport Canyon FS6
Total Miles
12
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Sawtooth FS6A

Sawtooth is located at the most western portion of the Datil Mountain range in Cibola National Forest and will be easily driven by most vehicles including passenger cars. The road is very well maintained with…
Learn more about Sawtooth FS6A
Total Miles
5.8
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Johnson Canyon

This easy route takes you from Highway 550 on CR 378 through Johnson Canyon to Largo Canyon. The sandy, rutted trail travels around incredible rock formations with black, yellow, and red layers of sedimentary rock.…
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Total Miles
9.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Angel Peak Loop

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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Total Miles
19.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Su / Wi

Lone Mountain FS312

Lone Mountain is a spur that leads to the foothills of Lone Mountain and Castle Dome just to the west of the Sawtooth trail. The trail is primarily soft dirt and sand that will be…
Learn more about Lone Mountain FS312
Total Miles
3.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Slash Draw

This road will be easily completed by most vehicles including passenger cars when dry. However, due to the soft dirt surface, expect mud and rutting after rains or snow melt. The road is very well…
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Total Miles
4.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

San Luis Road to Guadalupe

San Luis Road to the Guadalupe Ruins is a fairly well-maintained dirt road, although there may be some ruts and sandy portions depending on the time of year. The 20-mile drive will provide opportunities to…
Learn more about San Luis Road to Guadalupe
Total Miles
19.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Su / Wi

Bloomfield SXS

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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Total Miles
4.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Crouch Mesa

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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Total Miles
13
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Choke Cherry ATV

The northern half of this loop goes through a wide white sand wash, with big sweeping curves through the open desert. It's lined with bushes and pinyon trees and is smooth with no obstacles. Shortly…
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Total Miles
2.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Swingle Canyon FS62

Swingle Canyon can be run from either the west off Slash Draw/FS63 or from the east off Highway 60. Coming from the east expect some loose, rocky ascents with some obstacles being close to 12"…
Learn more about Swingle Canyon FS62
Total Miles
7.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Apple West Singletrack

This 5-mile-long dirt bike trail is an easy singletrack flowing through a flat desert terrain of pinyon bushes, sagebrush, and lots of whoops. It dips into ravines and goes up and down small rolling dirt…
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Total Miles
6.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Wash ATV

This is a 1.6-mile-long easy ATV trail that is a mix of dirt trail and easy wash. The west end starts on an oil well road and heads east towards the wash on a dirt…
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Total Miles
1.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Glade Run ATV

This is an easy desert ATV trail through the Glade Run Recreation Area. It's a mix of hardpacked dirt and slickrock with 1-foot ramped rock ledges and uneven layers of slickrock. It goes between cool…
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Total Miles
2.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Wi / Fa

Oilwell Road (Dirt Bike)

This trail is designated for dirt bikes but is actually a road-width trail that accesses the oil wells. It's flat and straight, with essentially no features except a few small ruts. It's a bit sandy…
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Total Miles
1.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Coyote Cat ATV

This 3.3-mile-long easy ATV trail leaves from a main dirt road on the south end and climbs up a loose dirt hill, then winds up and over the small rolling desert hills and into the…
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Total Miles
3.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Arizona Road/CR 4900 Extension

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
Total Miles
4.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

ATV Trails Near Fort Wingate, New Mexico

Mt. Taylor Peak 4x4 Road

This 4x4 road is a great intro to overlanding, with stunning views and minimal technical obstacles. Starting from Grants, the road climbs almost 5000 feet to within 1/2 mile of Mt. Taylor peak. The road…
Learn more about Mt. Taylor Peak 4x4 Road
Total Miles
16.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Valley of Dreams East

This is a point-to-point route that takes you from Road 550 in Nageezi to the Valley of Dreams trailhead/parking lot. The first quarter to half mile or so is paved but quickly turns to a…
Learn more about Valley of Dreams East
Total Miles
18.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su / Wi

Chaco Overlook

This double-track trail takes you through cattle grazing farmland and ends at an overlook. Cows can be seen near the trail. There is nowhere to camp or turn around until the end of the trail.…
Learn more about Chaco Overlook
Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Wi / Fa

Wilderness Study Areas

This trail follows BLM 1103 from the floor of the Rio Puerco Valley up a steep, rocky section to the top of a mesa. The route travels between the Ignacio Chavez Wilderness Study Area, Chamisa…
Learn more about Wilderness Study Areas
Total Miles
10.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Jacquez Canyon Road

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
Total Miles
13
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Angel Peak Picnic and Campground

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
Total Miles
6.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

UTV/Side-by-Side Near Fort Wingate, New Mexico

Mt. Taylor Peak 4x4 Road

This 4x4 road is a great intro to overlanding, with stunning views and minimal technical obstacles. Starting from Grants, the road climbs almost 5000 feet to within 1/2 mile of Mt. Taylor peak. The road…
Learn more about Mt. Taylor Peak 4x4 Road
Total Miles
16.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Valley of Dreams East

This is a point-to-point route that takes you from Road 550 in Nageezi to the Valley of Dreams trailhead/parking lot. The first quarter to half mile or so is paved but quickly turns to a…
Learn more about Valley of Dreams East
Total Miles
18.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Sp / Su / Wi

Chaco Overlook

This double-track trail takes you through cattle grazing farmland and ends at an overlook. Cows can be seen near the trail. There is nowhere to camp or turn around until the end of the trail.…
Learn more about Chaco Overlook
Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Wi / Fa

Bisti Badlands Overlook

Off of Da-Na-Zin Road, this short spur trail takes you to an overlook right on the edge of the Bisti badlands. There is a closed gate at the entrance that should be closed behind you.…
Learn more about Bisti Badlands Overlook
Total Miles
0.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Wi / Fa

Wilderness Study Areas

This trail follows BLM 1103 from the floor of the Rio Puerco Valley up a steep, rocky section to the top of a mesa. The route travels between the Ignacio Chavez Wilderness Study Area, Chamisa…
Learn more about Wilderness Study Areas
Total Miles
10.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Jacquez Canyon Road

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
Total Miles
13
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi