Elk Mountain

Total Miles
14.5

Technical Rating

2

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

Trail Type

Full-Width Road

Accessible By

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Elk Mountain
15

Trail Overview

The Elk Mountain Trail is an out-and-back at Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico. It is an easy and very scenic ride to the peak at 11.6k feet, where the views are incredible. Towards the top is a cattle gate which can be opened/closed. After the gate, the trail gets rutted and rocky with the potential for mud pits. There are plenty of campsites along the route, as well as spur trails to explore. Cell service is spotty so be sure to download offline maps.

Photos of Elk Mountain

Elk Mountain
Elk Mountain

Difficulty

This trail is suitable for most stock SUVs with ground clearance.

Technical Rating

2

Status Reports

Jimmy William
Jul 05, 2025
4x4
Open
Dusty at the bottom and muddy at the top.
Chris Carrasco
Feb 22, 2025
2010 Toyota 4Runner
Open
Snow/Ice
Muddy/Wet
Dusty
Patches of snow and ice, some mud, dusty in the dry sections. Heavy snow pack a few miles from the end around the 10,700-11,000ft mark.
Ted Roberts
Mar 11, 2024
4x4
Temporarily Closed
Closed Gate
The majority of this trail is closed with a locked gate after the first camp sites. A couple of spots with pretty deep mud and some snow with ruts. Vehicle was a Subaru Outback Wilderness.
David A.
Nov 12, 2023
4x4
Open
Normal
Dusty

Elk Mountain can be accessed by the following ride types:

  • High-Clearance 4x4
  • SUV
  • SxS (60")
  • ATV (50")
  • Dirt Bike

Elk Mountain Map

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