Beginner Off-Road Trails Near San Mateo, New Mexico

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

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…
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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…
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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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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…
Learn more about Hole in the Wall at Malpais National Monument

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

This route might be a good alternative route when certain sections of "Backway to Cabezon" are washed out. The trail coincides with BLM 1113 for some sections but is rerouted for the portion of BLM…
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This route connects the Old State Highway 279 off Highway 550 with South Pipeline Road, or Backway to Cabezon Peak. There is one major obstacle through the Rio Puerco Arroyo at the northern end. The…
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This route follows the pipeline easement along the Ojito Wilderness to the east and through Zia Pueblo land. It connects Cabezon Road with Backway to Cabezon Peak or the North Pipeline Road. The route has…
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This gem of a route has many facets and is close to Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. The facets include geologic formations, bike trails, and hiking trails. The route is easy and there are nice parking…
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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

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.…
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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…
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This sandy, rutted route leads past Mesa de Cuba, the most eastern of the five mesas that comprise the San Juan Basin Badlands. There are a few places to park along the road. A short…
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This route branches off Forest Service Road 376 past the Gilman Tunnels and follows part of the Old Peggy Mesa Road. The trail is generally easy, with a few moderate rocks near the start and…
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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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This route travels through pinon and juniper trees in the lower elevation and ponderosa pine trees and Aspen at the higher elevations. The trail is sandy and rutted in a few spots. There is a…
Learn more about West Trail Creek - FR 20

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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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

This is a wide-open sky drive that starts on the northwest side of the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge. It winds around the striking Ladron (Thieves) Mountain. There are a few scattered ranches but most of the…
Learn more about Riley CR 12

Adobe Springs is an easy, maintained road in the lesser traveled section of the Cibola NF north of Highway 60. This road is simple to navigate with any vehicle but makes up for the lack…
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This spur route travels southeast from Riley CR 12 toward Ladron Mountain. The road continues into the Ladron Wilderness Study Area and can serve as the starting point for a hike into the rugged wilderness.…
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This trail is a shortcut to the Ladron Wilderness Study Area and parking for hiking into the Ladron Wilderness. There are many stories and legends of treasure hidden in this area. The name Ladron translates…
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This route follows Largo Canyon winding through the rugged, geographically ornamental, historic canyon. The canyon has a long history of human habitation from pre-contact Puebloan settlements, Navajo settlements, and historic homesteads. The route is muddy…
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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.…
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This is an easy high mountain route that has incredible views, open meadows, wildflowers, aspen groves, and drop-offs. Numerous trailheads can be accessed from this route including the popular San Gregorio Reservoir and San Pedro…
Learn more about FR 70 American Creek

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…
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Forest Service Road 10 is an absolutely million-dollar view road guaranteed to leave you awestruck. The entrance off Highway 4 has been washed out so only trucks or high-clearance vehicles can maneuver the ditch obstacle.…
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Riley S. FSR 354 runs almost the entire distance from Magdalena to the ghost town of Riley in the north. There are no large obstacles along the road, but there are sections of severe washboarding…
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This easy, beautiful mountain route travels through aspen stands, ponderosa pines, and gorgeous open meadows. FR 103 Teakettle Rock can be reached from Highway 96 by traveling south on the OnX trail "Run to the…
Learn more about Teakettle Rock - FR 103