Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Galisteo, New Mexico

This is an easy route that connects I-25 at the top of La Bajada Hill with Highway 14 at the Village of Cerrillos. For many years, there was a well-marked turnoff to Waldo on I-25.…
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North Glorieta Pass can be run from its east entrance at the top of Rowe Hill off of CR34 or from its west entrance located off of CR51. The primarily dirt two track is just…
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Forest Service road that climbs a wide loose and rutted road. There are many shallow ruts and a few deep ruts that must be navigated around if clearance is an issue. There is a very…
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This primarily dirt two-track partially loops through the northwest section of the Glorieta Mesa area. It features some deeper ruts and off-camber sections and has the potential to become very slick mud after rain or…
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The beginning of the trail starts off with driving on flat grass and mild rocky terrain. It quickly becomes a narrow path that cuts through heavy foliage that can be difficult to navigate with a…
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This route is easy but can be more difficult due to weather conditions. This shortcut connects I-25 to Highway 14, the Turquoise Trail. There is private land on both sides of the road with barbed…
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This Santa Fe county road 56C will take you 4.7 miles connecting to the Caja del Rio to La Bajada Mesa-USFS 24 trail. It goes through the Santa Fe Ranch Cienega Recreation area which is…
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Cerro Encinoso Loop begins immediately off CR-34 and is an easy dirt two-track for the first mile before making its steeper 19.4% grade climb up to the Cerro Encinoso plateau and continuing on to Hogback…
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This is a short side road off of Caja Del Rio Road USFS 24, which takes you to a Southern escarpment of the plateau overlooking the Santa Fe River basin below. There are a few…
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Mostly flat plains with sections of deep erosion causing washouts exceeding 10-12 inches deep. He trail has off-camber areas. Ock faces that are approximately 12 inches tall. Sections of deeply rutted muddy areas with standing…
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The Caja del Rio Road (#24) is a 23-mile drive across the Caja del Rio Plateau to La Bajada Mesa. It ends with a large escarpment dropping 1000 feet to the valley below with the…
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Glorieta Baldy is a trail on the South end of the Pecos Mountain area featuring numerous camp sites and an expansive view of the Pecos/Glorieta area. The trail starts at the back of a neighborhood…
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Hang Glider road is a short side road near the end of Caja del Rio Road USFS 24. There is nothing special about this trail until you reach the end with spectacular views to the…
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This is an easy trail across some open meadows on NM State Land. Unfortunately, despite maps of the trail showing National Forest access, the trail currently dead ends at a gate preventing access to FSR…
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This road off of the Camino Real Road is an easy drive, except for a dip with soft sand early on crossing Alamo Creek. There are a couple of mud puddles that had bypasses. For…
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This short unnamed road is part of the Caja del Rio area of the Santa Fe National Forest. It provides access to the large BLM area with Diablo Canyon and the Camino Real trail adjoining…
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The El Camino Trail road will take you to Diablo Canyon and to the Rio Grande River. It is almost an extension of the Camino la Tierra road off of Hwy 599. It changes in…
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This trail is one of the more accessible routes into the Pecos Mountains. Navigable by most cross-overs, this trail is a local favorite for camping and riding. The trail is mostly well-maintained gravel, with some…
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When I tell people I'm in New Mexico, they automatically think about the desert, but the Santa Fe National forest encompasses 1.6 million acres of mountains, valley's and mesa's. This trail ranges from an elevation…
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Bull Creek is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever been on. Driving past the Santa Fe National Forest off Interstate 40, I knew that taking the time to explore this area was going…
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The trail is mostly dirt that runs through cattle pastures. The trail has ruts that can be 6-12 inches deep and can be off-camber. After rainfall, there are chances for multiple muddy sections and standing…
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Pacheco Canyon is a great easy trail near the Santa Fe Ski area, just outside Santa Fe, NM. The trail can be run in either direction, but the views heading downhill into Tesuque Village are…
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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…
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The Elk Mountain Trail is an out-and-back at Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico. It is an easy and very scenic ride to the peak at 11.6k feet, where the views are incredible. Towards…
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This short road is somewhat deceiving as it appears to take you to a water pump station and nothing more. At the very end of the road is a single spot for dry primitive camping…
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This trail is on the back side of the Sandia Mountain range. You can access this trail via Highway 165 in Placitas, New Mexico, or Highway 536 in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, off Highway 14.…
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Pinyon is one of the easier trails in the Manzanita Mountain Trail System near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is mostly a fast and flowy dirt trail, with sections of banked corners and easy light curves.…
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This short up-and-back road travels through private land and ends at the Tunnel Springs Trailhead with great views. It is steep in spots with some large holes and ruts. The parking area is small. The…
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Coyote Mesa Trail is listed on MUVM maps as FR462. Its starts just south of Tijeras in Chamisos Canyon, and crosses the mesa north of Cedro Peak ending near the Zuzax area. This trail offers…
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Mighty Mule is a 1.3-mile-long single track in the Manzanita Mountain Trail System. It parallels the Meadow Ridge Jeep Trail and is pretty straight, with light curves with banked corners. This one doesn't have many…
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