Dunn Bridge and Rio Grande Del Norte Loop

Trail Overview

The Southern portion of the trail is easy for even for passenger cars. It features the stunning Dunn iron bridge with pit toilets available. Take a short side trip down either side of the bridge and there is river access with fishing for those with a permit. Swimming too, if you wish to cool off. Up the switchbacks, the trail gets a little bit looser, however, there were Subarus up there. I just wouldn't recommend it for anyone if it's super wet. There are plenty of dispersed camp spots along the way. Ownership is a combination of BLM and Rio Grande Del Norte Natl Monument. Past those campsites, you veer north into the monument.The graded section takes you on a tour past some Interesting New Mexico off-grid architecture and with a keen eye, you may even spot an earth ship or two. Further to the north, the trail breaks off east toward the canyon walls. This is where high clearance stock 4x4s and off-road vehicles may continue, it is not recommended for passenger cars and 4x2 as we encountered some sections that were deeply rutted and off-camber. Narrow in parts with sharp rocks that could cause sidewall damage or even blowouts. The trail, however, is beautiful and runs along the edge of the canyon where you are surrounded by sagebrush and occasional forests of juniper trees. We recommend Staying off these trails when wet conditions exist as it could cause extreme trail damage. All in all, there is a large network of trails out here but this will get you started if you only have a few hours to explore, with stops we took about three hours to complete this run.

Difficulty

Southern section easy for passenger cars and 4x2 vehicles and trucks, Northern loops could be impassable when wet, get very off-camber in spots, and other areas have sharp rocks that could cause tire damage.

Technical Rating