Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Los Lunas, New Mexico

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Coyote Mesa Trail

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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Total Miles
2.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Cedro Peak Loop via FR 542

Cedro peak is one of the best sets of 4x4 trails near Albuquerque. This route goes up to the peak using the more primitive FR 542 route, and then returns on the wide gravel roads…
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Total Miles
2.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Palo Duroso Canyon

Despite appearing on most maps as NM state road 165, Palo Duroso Canyon is an unimproved dirt road from the time it leaves Placitas until until it meets 536 going to Sandia Crest. This road…
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Total Miles
7.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Forest Loop Road 445

Forest Loop Road 445 leads from NM Highway 165 to the northern base of the Sandia Mountains and back to NM 165. The western side of the loop is more difficult with some washouts, arroyos…
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Total Miles
5.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Sp / Su / Fa

San Lorenzo Canyon

San Lorenzo Canyon is a series of rock formations and canyons on the southern border of Servilleta Wildlife Refuge. This area features numerous hiking and camping opportunities in a unique landscape not far from Albuquerque.…
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Total Miles
5.4
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Backway to Cabezon Peak

This set of well maintained, dirt roads provides access to Cabezon Peak from nearby Pipeline Road. It passes through some typical New Mexican high-desert scenery, with shrubs and cacti on either side of a winding…
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Total Miles
11.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

South Canyon Rd.

This is a scenic drive starting at Hwy 60 in the high desert. You go through a gate to enter onto BLM land. At the entrance, there is a sign that states "Primitive road not…
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Total Miles
3.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Su / Sp

South Baldy Road

This road winds up South Baldy mountain through the Cibola National Forest to the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and Langmuir Laboratory and Atmospheric Research. The road is a well-maintained dirt road for the research facility to…
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Total Miles
7.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Molino Peak Trail

The Molino Peak Trail is a short, 5.3-mile route that takes you up past an old manganese mine (The Manganese Chief Mine). It winds its way up an old two-track that becomes progressively rockier the…
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Total Miles
4.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

FS376

FS376 is a 23-mile long trail that weaves through the Jemez National Forest, gaining about 3,200 feet in elevation high above the Rio Guadalupe. This route takes you through the historic Gilman Tunnels, which were…
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Total Miles
16.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

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…
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Total Miles
16.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Caja del Rio to La Bajada Mesa-USFS 24

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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Total Miles
20.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Hang Glider Road

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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Total Miles
0.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Close to the Southern Edge

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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Total Miles
1.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

St. Peters Dome Wilderness Exploration Route

This is one of the more varied trails in New Mexico in terms of scenery and topography. Starting in the Jemez mountains with large pine forests, this trail transitions to mesa prairie, and then dives…
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Total Miles
18.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Glorieta Peak

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…
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Total Miles
15.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Wi / Fa

Jemez to Espanola

This is a very scenic route around the North side of the Valles Caldera. It goes from the Jemez Mountains over to Espanola and is a great full-day loop with plenty of exploring to be…
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Total Miles
57.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

BLM-SFNF Connector & Camping

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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Total Miles
1.3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Red Cloud Trail

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…
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Total Miles
8.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Dead Dog Trail & Santa Fe Ranch

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

Cougar Mountain Road

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…
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Total Miles
8.8
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp / Wi

El Camino Real y Diablo Canyon Trail

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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Total Miles
8.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Upper Diablo Canyon Rd

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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Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Copper Mine

The Copper Mines are located in the Santa Fe National Forest just east of Cuba, New Mexico. The trail begins from Highway 126 and the intersection of Eureka Mesa Road. Off-highway parking is suggested due…
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Total Miles
18.8
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Arroyo Hondo Forest Service 79

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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Total Miles
4.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Sp / Fa

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
14.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Encino Mountain Trail

This trail takes you up into the Santa Fe National Forest. This is an easy trail for most with AWD or 4WD. Make sure you have gas as this is a vast mountain range where…
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Total Miles
14.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Glorieta Baldy

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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Total Miles
14.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Resumidero Meadow Camping

This short, easy route takes off from Forest Road 103. It leads to gorgeous, alpine meadows and disbursed, primitive camping at 9000 feet elevation. The camp area is a great staging area to explore the…
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Total Miles
2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp

Clara Peak

Clara Peak a relatively relaxed drive starting through the plains of the lower BLM land east of Espanola before starting to climb in the Santa Fe National Forest. 31 mile road which lasts the majority…
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Total Miles
15.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa