Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Maxwell, New Mexico

This is an easy route that takes you to Cimarron Campground in the Carson National Forest. A portion of this route travels through Vermejo Park Ranch via FS 1950. This is not public land; be aware of where you are. Vermejo Park Ranch is Private land; do not trespass. This is an excellent route for v...
Learn more about Cimarron Run

This out and back trail traverses you through the Kiowa National Grasslands into the historic Mills Canyon. During good weather conditions any AWD vehicle should be fine for the first nine miles. After that, high clearance is recommended as there are a couple water crossings (if the Canadian River b...
Learn more about Mills Canyon Trail

From Capulin on the Raton Highway, head north. After the NPS entrance to the volcano, a dirt path will be on the right. At the beginning of the trail, there is a fork. Take the left, as the right is NPS. Farther ahead, there’s another fork, but difficult to identify due to the trail being overgrown;...
Learn more about Capulin Circumnavigation

Trinchera Pass is a scenic, point-to-point offroad route ideal for beginners and scenic tourers looking for an off-the-beaten-path journey between Folsom, New Mexico, and Trinidad, Colorado. Stretching approximately 44.3 miles, this easy dirt and gravel road winds through the historic Raton Mesas, o...
Learn more about Trinchera Pass

This trail is a well-maintained forest road that leads from US 64 to some logging trails along the border of the Taos Pueblo. The road is closed near the logging trails as its condition deteriorates and has many dispersed camping sites along the length of it. Use caution for wetlands near the creek,...
Learn more about La Jara Canyon

La Junta Canyon is an easy-going, scenic drive ideal for beginners, families, and high-clearance passenger vehicles looking to explore the beautiful Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico. Spanning approximately 1.0 mile with an easy climb of about 354 feet, this trail winds through lush pine ...
Learn more about La Junta Canyon

This route is generally easy, with only a few areas requiring moderate ground clearance. It offers excellent scenery, including wetlands created by beavers along the Rio Chiquito. Numerous scenic campsites can be found beside the river. Trailers are not recommended, and cell service is limited for m...
Learn more about Rio Chaquito

This trail is an offshoot of Forest Road 70/Osha Pass trail. It leaves the main trail and tracks along the boundary of public and private land for a short while before climbing the mountainside and tracking further north into the National Forest. It provides access to a network of logging roads in t...
Learn more about Apache Trail

This route is the main forest road that provides access to the 70 Moto Trail, which is a width-restricted motorized trail that climbs to Osha Pass. This trail also provides access to the Elliot Barker Trail 1, a hike, bike, horse trail that runs 12 miles along the east edge of the National Forest. I...
Learn more about Osha Pass - FS 70b

This is a very long dirt road route connecting Clayton Lake State Park NM and Trinidad, Colorado. There is a shortcut that will eliminate approximately 20 miles (if you look at the route closely, it's evident where I'm talking about) In dry conditions, any vehicle with at least 5-6 inches of ground ...
Learn more about NE Passage via Cimarron Canyon

Forest Service Road 54 and 54D is a gradual ascent from Cabresto Canyon to Greenie Peak in Carson National Forest. The windy road up the peak is rocky, steep in some areas, and very narrow. The trail is a popular route for adventure SxS riders in the area. 4WD vehicles with short wheelbases are high...
Learn more about Greenie Peak via Cabresto Canyon - FS 54

Pioneer Creek Trail leaves from Red River behind the ski resort and then follows the canyon up. There are some large loose rocks towards the end and four water crossings where the trail crosses the creek. Although the map shows the trail goes further, it has been closed where the track ends, and a l...
Learn more about Pioneer Creek

Greenie East is a moderately challenging 4.4-mile off-road trail near Red River, New Mexico, ideal for intermediate drivers looking for an alternative route to the high-elevation ridges of the Carson National Forest. Beginning in Mallette Canyon, this unpaved dirt route diverges from the Sawmill Tra...
Learn more about Greenie East

This is a rough and rocky mountain road that climbs high into the mountains of Carson National Forest. The route is generally easy with no technical obstacles and can be traveled in either direction. It offers excellent scenery and connects with several other notable off-road trails in the Red River...
Learn more about Sawmill

This route is a beautiful forest road that takes you into the Carson National Forest/Sangre De Christo Mountains. The beginning of the trail immediately kicks off with stunning, towering rock cliffs on either side as you follow the Costilla Creek up the canyon. For the first few miles, you'll pass t...
Learn more about Valle Vidal - FR 1950

FS 195W is a short access trail into the Elephant Rock trail system, but this is not the main entrance into the system, and riders will need to be street legal to connect to it on Highway 38. It starts as a wide road-width trail on pea-gravel that climbs up into the forest from the highway. It is un...
Learn more about FS 195W

This is a 1.4-mile-long dirt bike trail that parallels the main Elephant Rock Trail - FS 195. On the west end, it starts at an intersection with FS 195 where the signs indicate that FS 195 goes to a photo opportunity, while this trail goes left instead. This route is very defined and easy to follow,...
Learn more about FS 195 Alternate

The FS 195 Connector Trail is a quarter-mile-long dirt bike trail that connects FS 195S and the main Elephant Rock Trail 195. It goes through a narrow forested tree corridor of aspens that are really pretty in fall when the leaves start to change color. The north entrance is unmarked off of FS 195, ...
Learn more about FS 195 Connector

Drive east from Taos or west from Shady Brook to reach Forest Road 10, located on the north side and marked by a sign for the monastery. This gravel road follows an out-and-back route through scenic forest terrain, offering peaceful views and a quiet drive. Several spur roads provide access to dispe...
Learn more about Capulin Forest Road

Forest Service Road 134A is a steep, rocky road that leads to Cabresto Lake; it's a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by the high peaks of Carson National Forest. The trail is narrow and consists of sharp rocks no larger than 12 inches in height. High-clearance 4x4 is recommended but high-clearance...
Learn more about Cabresto Lake - FS 134A

This trail is a well-maintained forest road that leads from US 64 to some logging trails along the border of the Taos Pueblo. The road is closed near the logging trails as its condition deteriorates and has many dispersed camping sites along the length of it. Use caution for wetlands near the creek,...
Learn more about La Jara Canyon

La Junta Canyon is an easy-going, scenic drive ideal for beginners, families, and high-clearance passenger vehicles looking to explore the beautiful Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico. Spanning approximately 1.0 mile with an easy climb of about 354 feet, this trail winds through lush pine ...
Learn more about La Junta Canyon

This route is generally easy, with only a few areas requiring moderate ground clearance. It offers excellent scenery, including wetlands created by beavers along the Rio Chiquito. Numerous scenic campsites can be found beside the river. Trailers are not recommended, and cell service is limited for m...
Learn more about Rio Chaquito

This trail is an offshoot of Forest Road 70/Osha Pass trail. It leaves the main trail and tracks along the boundary of public and private land for a short while before climbing the mountainside and tracking further north into the National Forest. It provides access to a network of logging roads in t...
Learn more about Apache Trail

This out and back trail traverses you through the Kiowa National Grasslands into the historic Mills Canyon. During good weather conditions any AWD vehicle should be fine for the first nine miles. After that, high clearance is recommended as there are a couple water crossings (if the Canadian River b...
Learn more about Mills Canyon Trail

This trail is a well-maintained forest road that leads from US 64 to some logging trails along the border of the Taos Pueblo. The road is closed near the logging trails as its condition deteriorates and has many dispersed camping sites along the length of it. Use caution for wetlands near the creek,...
Learn more about La Jara Canyon

La Junta Canyon is an easy-going, scenic drive ideal for beginners, families, and high-clearance passenger vehicles looking to explore the beautiful Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico. Spanning approximately 1.0 mile with an easy climb of about 354 feet, this trail winds through lush pine ...
Learn more about La Junta Canyon

This route is generally easy, with only a few areas requiring moderate ground clearance. It offers excellent scenery, including wetlands created by beavers along the Rio Chiquito. Numerous scenic campsites can be found beside the river. Trailers are not recommended, and cell service is limited for m...
Learn more about Rio Chaquito