Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Rio en Medio, New Mexico

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 amazing. There are several great places to camp along the side roads for this trail, so take extra time to exp...
Learn more about Pacheco Canyon

This road leads to the overlook campground then dead ends at the trailhead located above Santa Cruz Lake on a high escarpment, overlooking the lake from the southern end. Owned and operated by the BLM it has 12 first come, first served campsites. Each site is spacious and level with a shaded picnic ...
Learn more about Santa Cruz Lake Overlook Campground

This is a fun, open sandy wash to drive down. There are a couple of different routes to take within the sandy area that all lead back to the same sandy trail. The sandy wash is wide enough for multiple vehicles side by side. Be careful for cows in the road. There are one to two areas where the sandy...
Learn more about Sand Drag Strip

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 name to Old Buckman road as it forks to the right after 6.7 miles. The road is well marked with signage at the fork and a wide, wh...
Learn more about El Camino Real y Diablo Canyon Trail

This dirt trail leads from Estrada Calabasas to El Camino Real and offers dispersed camping sites throughout the trail. There are no off-camber areas, but it is not flat and smooth. It is capable for a 2WD to do; no lockers needed. Near the Estrada Calabasas entrance, there are some hills that are u...
Learn more about Dispersed Camping Trail

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 the first 3 miles, it parallels the El Camino Real hiking trail. The road towards the SE end becomes part of the Santa Fe Ra...
Learn more about Dead Dog Trail & Santa Fe Ranch

This is a fun little obstacle: a steep hill off the El Camino Real main trail. There are no rocks, no loose rocks, and the top of it is flat. Going back down on the other side is steep, but doable. Nothing intense, simply a fun hill to hit.
Learn more about Hill Obstacle

This is a dirt trail with some light up-and-down hills and no off-camber areas. It is an alternate route to El Camino Real from or to Diablo Canyon that is a bit more exciting than the main road. There is dispersed camping on the sides of this trail. There are no bypasses, but there is nothing to re...
Learn more about El Camino Real Alternate Pass

This route runs through the open highlands of Borrego Mesa, providing expansive views of the surrounding foothills. This section is not maintained and is prone to significant washouts and ruts. In dry conditions, the primary issue is clearance. However, in wet conditions, the road surface is slick, ...
Learn more about Pecos WIlderness Border Road

Beginning in the New Mexico town of Cordova, this trail climbs into the foothills of the Sangre De Christo Mountains. While the Borrego Mesa trail itself is relatively easy, it provides access to several other moderate routes throughout the area, as well as hiking and camping opportunities. Frequent...
Learn more about Borrego Mesa Trail

Borregoanger cabin is a foundation deep in the National Forest next to an unusual quartz and granite promontory. The trail to reach the cabin leaves from the Borrego Mesa Trail and climbs down switchbacks into one of the canyons next to the mesa. The trail is mainly pine forest, though the end break...
Learn more about Borregoanger Cabin Cutoff

This is a little hill at the intersection of a variety of different trails. It is a fun little hill to climb up on. No loose rocks, no obstacles, no ledges. Loose dirt, but it's something to play on in the area. The top of the hill is somewhat flat.
Learn more about Little Hill

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 the National Forest lands. There are several side roads and areas to pull off and primitive camp. Cellular service...
Learn more about BLM-SFNF Connector & Camping

This is a mostly smooth dirt trail with some off-camber areas and ruts at the beginning. There is one deeply rutted area with no bypass. There is a gate you will need to open and close, but it will be unlocked. This trail also leads to the Powerline Trail. This trail also leads to dispersed camping.
Learn more about Dead Dog Trail Offshoot

This is a simple and smooth dirt trail leading to dispersed camping. There is one small steep hill drop, where you will need to take it slow. Most of this is smooth and leads to a few other trails, such as Powerline and Dead Dog Trail Offshoot.
Learn more about Dispersed Camping Loop

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 below a cliff and is close to the Northern end of Diablo Canyon. Be aware that this road has some deep dips and an arroyo c...
Learn more about Upper Diablo Canyon Rd

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 Pueblo de Cochiti and Pueblo of Santa Domingo reservations. The views for miles from here on a clear day are tremendous wi...
Learn more about Caja del Rio to La Bajada Mesa-USFS 24

This is a scenic drive in the National Forest, Trail 24BB. Smooth dirt, with some rutted areas and a few simple hills. This does dead-end at the end, so it is out-and-back, but the views along the way are nice, with lava rocks along the mountains. Watch out for cows. There is an offshoot trail which...
Learn more about FS 24BB

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 steep descent about 2.5 miles past the Santa Fe National Forest signs or about 0.25 miles past the rough parking lot. ...
Learn more about Arroyo Hondo Forest Service 79

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 sections of dirt that can be prone to rutting in the rainy season. Most of the road ha...
Learn more about Dalton Canyon

This is a fun, open sandy wash to drive down. There are a couple of different routes to take within the sandy area that all lead back to the same sandy trail. The sandy wash is wide enough for multiple vehicles side by side. Be careful for cows in the road. There are one to two areas where the sandy...
Learn more about Sand Drag Strip

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 name to Old Buckman road as it forks to the right after 6.7 miles. The road is well marked with signage at the fork and a wide, wh...
Learn more about El Camino Real y Diablo Canyon Trail

This dirt trail leads from Estrada Calabasas to El Camino Real and offers dispersed camping sites throughout the trail. There are no off-camber areas, but it is not flat and smooth. It is capable for a 2WD to do; no lockers needed. Near the Estrada Calabasas entrance, there are some hills that are u...
Learn more about Dispersed Camping Trail

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 the first 3 miles, it parallels the El Camino Real hiking trail. The road towards the SE end becomes part of the Santa Fe Ra...
Learn more about Dead Dog Trail & Santa Fe Ranch

This is a fun, open sandy wash to drive down. There are a couple of different routes to take within the sandy area that all lead back to the same sandy trail. The sandy wash is wide enough for multiple vehicles side by side. Be careful for cows in the road. There are one to two areas where the sandy...
Learn more about Sand Drag Strip

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 name to Old Buckman road as it forks to the right after 6.7 miles. The road is well marked with signage at the fork and a wide, wh...
Learn more about El Camino Real y Diablo Canyon Trail

This dirt trail leads from Estrada Calabasas to El Camino Real and offers dispersed camping sites throughout the trail. There are no off-camber areas, but it is not flat and smooth. It is capable for a 2WD to do; no lockers needed. Near the Estrada Calabasas entrance, there are some hills that are u...
Learn more about Dispersed Camping Trail

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 the first 3 miles, it parallels the El Camino Real hiking trail. The road towards the SE end becomes part of the Santa Fe Ra...
Learn more about Dead Dog Trail & Santa Fe Ranch