Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park (Blog Hike #1002)

Trails: Upland, Overlook, and Resaca Trails
Hike Location: Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park
Geographic Location: west of Las Cruces, NM (32.24944, -106.82150)
Length: 2.6 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A double loop around seasonal wetlands along the Rio Grande.
Park Information: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/mesilla-valley-bosque-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=956718
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: In Las Cruces, take I-10 to SR 28 (exit 140).  Exit and go south on SR 28.  Drive SR 28 south 0.9 miles to SR 359 and turn right on SR 359.  Drive SR 359 west 2 miles to the park entrance on the left, which is reached immediately after crossing the Rio Grande.  Turn left to enter the park and drive the gravel entrance road to the main parking lot at the Visitor Center.  Park here.

The hike: Established only in 2003, Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park is one of New Mexico's newest state parks.  The park protects 305 acres on the west bank of the Rio Grande.  The park's name comes from the nearby town of Mesilla and the fact that it protects a bosque, a Spanish word that translates to "riverside forest."

            Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park offers only day-use amenities, and its main attraction is its pair of short hiking trail loops: the Upland Trail and the Resaca Trail.  As their names imply, the Upland Trail forms a loop through the park's higher areas, while the Resaca Trail forms a loop right along the river.  Both loops start near the Visitor Center, so you could hike them independently.  Yet combining the trails forms a double loop that explores all the park has to offer; such is the hike described here.

Visitor Center trailhead

            Start by walking through the Visitor Center area and walking down the wide gravel entrance trail that serves both of this park's loops.  In a few hundred feet, you reach the levee that protects communities to the west from the Rio Grande's floodwaters.  Cross the levee, angle right, and cross the Picacho Drain, a narrow irrigation channel, to find the signed start of the Upland Trail.  Angle softly right to begin a counterclockwise journey around the Upland Trail.

Badland formations along Upland Trail

            All of this hike stays in very flat terrain, but some bare badland-like formations soon rise to the right.  These formations only rise about 50 feet, and they are easily eroded by rain and wind.  Some of that soil forms the trail's soft dirt surface.  This area is a great place to look for animal tracks and see what has been here before you.

Hiking the Upland Trail

            At 0.5 miles, the Upland Trail curves left to begin its return leg.  A bridge used to cross the Picacho Drain here, but it had been dismantled on my visit.  At 0.8 miles, you finish the Upland Trail.  Before heading over to the Resaca Trail, turn sharply right to hike the short Overlook Trail.  True to its name, this trail leads gradually uphill to an east-facing overlook that offers a great view across the Rio Grande valley to the stark Organ Mountains beyond.  A bench here encourages you to sit, rest, and enjoy the view near the midpoint of the hike.

View on Overlook Trail

            Retrace your steps down the Overlook Trail, then turn right to re-cross the Picacho Drain.  Next angle softly right to drop off the levee and begin heading clockwise around the Resaca Trail.  Whereas the Upland Trail explored the area near the badlands, the Resaca Trail explores the area right along the Rio Grande.

The dry Rio Grande

            At 1.3 miles, you reach the edge of the river, where the trail curves right to begin heading downstream along the river's west bank.  Depending on the season of your visit the Rio Grande may be dry: it only flows near Las Cruces during spring snowmelt and summer monsoons.  The river was a dry sand bed on my visit, but I still enjoyed the desert scenery.

Hiking the Resaca Trail

            Ignore a couple of short-cut trails that exit right, and at 1.8 miles make a sweeping right turn as the Picacho Drain merges with the Rio Grande.  Some scrubby riverside brush makes for good birding habitat, and I saw some larks, sparrows, mourning doves, quails, and owls on the gorgeous late February morning of my hike.  At 2.3 miles, you close the Resaca Trail's loop.  Turn left to re-cross the levee, then turn right to retrace your steps to the Visitor Center and complete the hike.

Rockhound State Park: Jasper and Thunder Egg Trails (Blog Hike #989)

Trails: Jasper and Thunder Egg Trails
Hike Location: Rockhound State Park
Geographic Location: southeast of Deming, NM (32.18386, -107.61600)
Length: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A mountainside loop hike with boulders, rocks, and views.
Park Information: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/rockhound-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=955732
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From the east side of Deming, take SR 549 east 4.2 miles to SR 143.  Turn right on SR 143.  Drive SR 143 south 3.7 miles to Stirrup Road and angle softly left on Stirrup Rd.  Drive Stirrup Rd. southeast 1.9 miles to the park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and drive the park road 0.6 miles to the Visitor Center on the right.  Park in the lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Perched on the west end of southern New Mexico's Little Florida Mountains, Rockhound State Park protects 1100 acres with extensive but ancient volcanic history.  That volcanism produced a large collection of rare rocks and minerals including geodes, thunder eggs, quartz, jasper, agate, and opal.  The area was mined for precious metals, copper, lead, manganese, and fluorite from 1880 through 1956, and the park was established in 1966.  The park's name comes from the fact that it is one of the few parks that allows visitors to find and keep small numbers of those rare rocks.

            The park is somewhat light on amenities: it features only a small 34-site campground, a few picnic areas, and 2 short trails.  The campground sits on a fantastic mountainside location that offers extensive westward views across the desert.  The hike described here also takes advantage of those views, and it combines the park's two short nature trails to form one grand tour of Rockhound State Park.

Start of Jasper Trail

            From the Visitor Center parking lot, head northeast to pick up the Jasper Trail, which heads into the desert.  The trailhead is unsigned, but the single track dirt trail starts between two wooden posts and is lined with stones on either side.  Thus, the trail is easy to find.

Hiking among prickly pear cactus

            The trail climbs gradually as it treads along the park's south boundary, which lies only a few feet to the right.  Mesquite and prickly pear cactus dominate the flora, and my approach flushed an owl out of one of the bushes.  At 0.4 miles, the trail curves left, and the grade intensifies.  This entire hike lies between 4500 and 4800 feet in elevation, and the relatively high elevation can cause sea level people such as myself to get winded faster than usual.  Thus, do not underestimate the difficulty of this short hike.

Highest point on Jasper Trail

            0.55 miles into the hike, you reach a gap that is the highest point on the Jasper Trail.  A small knob rises to the left and a larger mountain rises to the right, but the trail continues north to begin descending.  At 0.7 miles, you reach the end of the Jasper Trail at an information kiosk and a picnic area.  You could turn left and walk the park road directly back to the Visitor Center if you want a short hike, but to get the full tour of this park's trail system, turn right to begin the Thunder Egg Trail.

End of Jasper Trail; start of Thunder Egg Trail

            Like the Jasper Trail, the Thunder Egg Trail begins by heading east and climbing.  Unlike the first trail, the Thunder Egg Trail passes some large boulders that add to the scenery.  Both of these trails are named for rare rocks, and the mountain you see straight ahead is a good place to look for those rocks.  Where the trail splits, you can go either way: the two options come back together in only about 500 feet.

Boulder beside trail

           Just past 1 mile, the trail curves left as you pass the highest point on this hike.  The view west over the campground and across the desert beyond is spectacular, and this would be a great place to watch one of the desert's famous sunsets.  A couple of benches and interpretive signs offer opportunities to rest or provide interesting information about the area.

View west over campground

            The descent that is the second half of this loop is moderately steep and rocky, so you have to take care where you step.  After crossing a small wash that was dry on my visit, you reach the park's campground at 1.5 miles.  The Thunder Egg Trail ends here.  To complete the hike, walk the campground road to the campground entrance, then turn right to walk the park road downhill to the Visitor Center.

Hyde Memorial State Park: Circle Trail (Blog Hike #482)

Trail: Circle Trail

Hike Location: Hyde Memorial State Park

Geographic Location: east of Santa Fe, NM (35.73064, -105.83715)

Length: 3.3 miles

Difficulty: 9/10 (Difficult)

Date Hiked: July 2014

Overview: A steep climb to several impressive viewpoints.

Park Information: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/hyde-memorial-state-park/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=943618
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the northeast side of Santa Fe, take Paseo de Peralta to Bishops Lodge Road.  Turn north (outbound) on Bishops Lodge Rd.  Drive Bishops Lodge Rd. 0.2 miles to Artist Road and turn right on Artist Rd.  Artist Rd. becomes SR 475 and Hyde Park Road when you leave the City of Santa Fe.  Drive SR 475 7.1 miles from its junction with Bishops Lodge Rd. to the Hyde Memorial State Park Visitor Center, which sits on the right just after entering the park.  Park in the lot beside the Visitor Center.  Note that there is a mandatory $5 state park fee that must be paid before you begin the hike; the self-pay station is located on the south side of the Visitor Center.

The hike: With a base elevation of 8500 feet, tiny 350-acre Hyde Memorial State Park is the highest state park in New Mexico.  The additional 1200 feet of elevation compared to Santa Fe 8 miles to the southwest creates a slightly moister environment.  Thus, while the area around Santa Fe sports a true desert appearance, tall pine trees cover the park’s hillsides.  The park is named for Benjamin Talbot Babbit Hyde, a late 1800’s and early 1900’s naturalist and nature educator who financed some of the pueblo excavations in this area.

            The park offers a 50-site campground, a small lodge, and three picnic shelters.  The park also offers several hiking trails, the most famous of which is the Circle Trail described here.  This trail gains 1000 feet over 1 mile, and therefore it presents some level of difficulty.  Nevertheless, most people in decent physical condition can do this hike with adequate preparation.  If you are hiking in the summer, make sure you allow enough time to complete the hike before the almost daily afternoon thunderstorms build.  I needed just over 3 hours to complete this loop.

West Circle Trail trailhead

             To do the big climb first, I recommend starting at the park’s Visitor Center and hiking the loop clockwise.  To accomplish such a route, walk out the front door of the Visitor Center, cross SR 475, and pick up the West Circle Trail at the signed trailhead.  The park divides the Circle Trail into two semicircular parts.  The 2.2 mile section of trail west of SR 475 is called the West Circle Trail, while the 1 mile section east of SR 475 is called the East Circle Trail.

            The trail crosses Little Tesuque Creek on a nice stone bridge before turning left to begin the climb.  The climb is steep with an almost uncountable number of switchbacks.  On the bright side, the trail is well-graded, well-designed, and well-maintained with no particularly rocky sections. 

Climbing on the West Circle Trail

             At 0.3 miles, you reach the crest of a finger ridge that projects out from the main mountain.  The first of two benches is located here.  This bench faces southeast and offers a view of the old Santa Fe Ski Area.  Some of the structures and tow ropes can still be seen across the canyon.  This ski area served Santa Fe from the 1930’s through the 1950’s, at which time the current one was constructed further up the canyon.

View from first bench

            The trail stays near the crest of the finger ridge as it continues climbing.  Only a couple of short flat areas are encountered during this long climb.  Tall ponderosa pine trees line the trail for most of the hike.  When I got near 9000 feet of elevation, the pine cones popping open in the warm sunshine sounded like Rice Krispies in milk.

View at second bench

            At 0.8 miles, you pass the second bench.  This bench looks up the canyon toward Ski Santa Fe, the city’s current ski area.  Back on the climb, an old trail exits left near 1 mile into the hike where the rerouted trail switches back to the right.

Just shy of 1.1 miles, you top a false summit and descend for a short distance before starting the final steep climb to the actual summit, which is reached at 1.2 miles.  A sign greets you at the summit, but the pine trees growing here preclude any real views.  To find the view, continue another 0.25 miles through a high saddle to reach another false summit, this one with a couple of picnic tables.  Now you get to reap the fruits of your labor: views can be had off both sides of the ridge.  The view east looks up the canyon toward Ski Santa Fe, while the view west extends across the desert north of Santa Fe to the Jemez Mountains.

View east up canyon

View west across desert

            Past the picnic tables, the trail curves right and begins its steep descent.  As hard as it is to believe, the descent is actually steeper than the climb.  Although it goes faster, the descent presents the opposite set of problems compared to the climb.  Watch your footing, and use a staff or hiking poles to save your knees.

The sound of vehicles zooming on SR 475 tells you that you are near the bottom of the steep hill.  2.1 miles into the hike, the signed Girl Scout Trail exits to the right.  The Girl Scout Trail forms a 0.5 mile loop and features some nice interpretive signs.  If you stay on the Circle Trail, the Girl Scout Trail’s other end is reached only a couple hundred feet later, so you can decide if you want to extend your hike by tacking on the Girl Scout Trail.

Starting the East Circle Trail

            At 2.2 miles, you reach the west shoulder of SR 475 and the end of the West Circle Trail.  Cross the road and angle right to find the trailhead for the East Circle Trail.  After crossing Little Tesuque Creek on a wooden footbridge, you reach a junction with the Piggyback Trail, which exits to the right.  The Piggyback and Circle Trails come back together in 0.5 miles, so you could go either way here.  Being the purist that I am, I chose to turn left and hike the Circle Trail in its entirety.

The Circle Trail climbs using one (but only one) switchback to reach the campground road, which it angles right to cross.  Note that the vault toilet to your left here is the only restroom facility on this hike.  The trail climbs gradually (but only gradually) to pass around a secluded sub-region of the campground that appears downhill to the right.  Now at the East Circle Trail’s highest point, a gradual to moderate descent comes next.

East Circle Trail

            2.7 miles into the hike, you reach two trail junctions in rapid order, one with the south end of the Piggyback Trail and the other with the Waterfall Trail.  Turn left and then right to stay on the Circle Trail. Note that a 0.5 mile detour on the Waterfall Trail would take you to a small rocky waterfall, but the creek that forms the waterfall was dry on my visit.

The trail crosses the waterfall creek on a pair of wooden planks before heading into an area that treads along the steep hillside.  At 3 miles, you descend some switchbacks on a recent trail reroute.  A final moderate to steep descent over wooden waterbars deposits you at the lodge behind the Visitor Center, thus closing the loop and completing the hike.

Elena Gallegos Open Space: Nature Trail (Blog Hike #481)

Trail: Nature Trail

Hike Location: Elena Gallegos Open Space

Geographic Location: east side of Albuquerque, NM (35.16328, -106.47017)

Length: 0.9 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: July 2014

Overview: A desert nature trail to a small spring.

Park Information: http://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/open-space/lands/elena-gallegos-open-space

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=726653
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the east side of Albuquerque, take Tramway Blvd. NE to Simms Park Road.  Turn east on Simms Park Road.  Simms Park Rd. deadends at the Elena Gallegos Open Space.  Pay the small entrance fee, then turn right to drive the park’s main loop road.  After the road climbs to its highest point, park in either of the parking lots beside the restroom building on the right side of the road.

The hike: Located in eastern Albuquerque at the foot of the Sandia Mountains, Elena Gallegos Open Space protects 640 acres of sandy desert land.  The park is named for a wealthy Spanish colonist who came to possess this land via a Spanish land grant in the early 1700’s.  The open space features two reservation areas and seven picnic areas, but most of the park is undeveloped desert.

            I came to this open space while I was waiting for the fog to clear before riding the nearby Sandia Tram, so I only wanted a short stroll.  The park’s Nature Trail described here fit the bill perfectly.  The trail provides a good feel for the desert and takes you to Cottonwood Springs, a rare green oasis in the desert landscape. 

The Nature Trail connects with many of the park’s other trails and with the trails of adjacent Cibola National Forest, so you can easily extend this hike if you wish.  Simply download a park trail map and explore. Note that at the time of this writing the trail map could only be downloaded by clicking “Elena Gallegos Map” among the blue bars on the left side of the park’s webpage, not by using the .pdf link in the main white part of the webpage.

Pino Trail trailhead

            Start at the Pino Trail trailhead, which is located at an information board beside a paved trail about 20 feet to the right of the restroom building.  Almost immediately the Nature Trail forks to form its square-shaped loop.  As directed by a sign, this description will turn left to leave the pavement and hike the loop clockwise.

Crossing an arroyo

            The dusty trail descends slightly as it passes a picnic table and crosses a small arroyo.  This arroyo is dry most of the year, so getting across is not a problem.  The trail climbs gradually away from the arroyo and, 0.2 miles into the hike, comes to a junction.  The ADA-accessible paved trail going left leads to a secondary parking area, and the trail going right will eventually continue our loop.  For now, continue straight to reach a wooden wildlife observation blind that overlooks Cottonwood Springs.  Due to some tall aquatic grass, I could hear but not see the birds and mammals that call this spring home.

Cottonwood Springs

            Back on the main loop, the trail heads east as it climbs gradually to reach a wider trail that is shared with mountain bikers.  As directed by another sign, turn right to head south on the third leg of the Nature Trail.  The trail dips back through the arroyo as you pass a large boulder on the right.  Numbered posts indicate the existence of a trail guide, but I could not find one on my visit.

            Just past 0.6 miles, you reach an intersection with the Pino Trail.  Turn right one more time at this intersection.  The final leg of the loop is an easy downhill glide with the restroom building and parking area visible straight ahead the entire way.  If you wish, you can take a short detour and walk through the Philip Tollefsrud Memorial, a collection of enscribed boulders dedicated to a 1970’s leader in establishing Albuquerque’s open spaces.  At the end of the boulder collection lies the Pino Trail trailhead, which signals the end of the hike.

Santa Fe Canyon Preserve: Interpretive Trail (Blog Hike #480)

Trail: Interpretive Trail

Hike Location: Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

Geographic Location: east side of Santa Fe, NM (35.68644, -105.89511)

Length: 1.6 miles

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: July 2014

Overview: A short loop around Santa Fe’s old municipal water reservoir.

Preserve Information: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/santa-fe-canyon-preserve/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=726651
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From downtown Santa Fe, drive east on Alameda Street 1.3 miles to Upper Canyon Road.  Turn left on Upper Canyon Road.  Drive narrow, suburban Upper Canyon Rd. 1.3 miles to Cerro Gordo Road.  Turn left on Cerro Gordo Road, drive less than 200 feet, then turn right into the gravel preserve parking area.  The trail starts at the rear of the parking area.

The hike: When you think of historical attractions in Santa Fe, municipal water is probably not the first category to come to mind.  Nevertheless, Santa Fe would not have become the city it is today without a clean, reliable source of water.  Built in 1894, the reservoir that sat on the site featured here would serve the city’s water needs for nearly a century.  Today larger reservoirs located further upstream serve the same purpose.

            In 1994, the dam that formed the 1894 reservoir was partially dismantled, and the lake was drained.  The site was transferred to The Nature Conservancy in 2000, and they manage it as a nature preserve today.  The preserve’s only trail is the 1.6 mile Interpretive Trail described here, but the preserve also offers access to Santa Fe’s extensive Dale Ball Trail system, which offers almost unlimited hiking and biking opportunities through desert habitat.  Like the Dale Ball Trail system, most of this hike is exposed to the sun, so wear a hat and sunscreen on summer days.

Stile at trailhead

            Start by walking through a stile beside the green vehicle gate at the rear of the parking lot.  Almost immediately a trail linking to the Dale Ball Trail system exits to the right.  Continue straight and climb moderately but only for a short time to reach the remnant of the 1894 reservoir dam.  An interpretive sign contains some historical pictures of Santa Fe and the reservoir.

Remnant pond

            The trail descends gradually as the small pond that represents the remnant of the reservoir comes into view.  If you look just below a low metal wall on the other side of the pond (more on the wall later), you can see the vegetation change that marks the water levels in the former reservoir.  The change occurs several feet above your head, so where you are walking would have been underwater 25 years ago.

            Past the pond, the trail undulates slightly and soon comes to a fork.  The two choices come back together in 0.2 miles, so you could go either way.  The left choice takes a lower line through a wet area beside the Santa Fe River, while the right choice takes a higher line around the wet area.  I chose to angle right and take the higher line.

Trail forks

            The trail narrows and climbs gradually as it enters dense, green, almost jungle-like undergrowth.  Obviously this streamside area contains a lot more water than the surrounding desert landscape.  Just shy of 0.5 miles, you pass a couple of benches on the left that overlook the Santa Fe River as it spills over another old dam.  The greenery here is so dense that you might not see the benches until you get right to them.

Narrow trail through wet area

            Just past the benches, the trail crosses the narrow Santa Fe River on stepping stones.  Very soon after crossing the river you climb away from the creek and find yourself back in the typical desert environment.  At 0.6 miles, you reach a trail junction marked by a wooden post with a sign.  The trail going right leads to the Randall Davey Audubon Center, the official headquarters of Audubon New Mexico.  This hike turns left to stay on the Interpretive Trail.

            After a few more feet of climbing, you reach the highest point on this hike and the east end of a half-mile-long low metal wall.  This wall also has ties to municipal water: it was built in the 1930’s to prevent silt from running off the mountain and contaminating the reservoir.  A few small rocks have accumulated on the trail beside the wall, but for the most part the wall makes for easy hiking.  A bench gives a nice view of the entire preserve and the pond you walked beside earlier.

Hiking along the wall

View from bench

            1.1 miles into the hike, you reach the west end of the metal wall.  The trail curves sharply right here and passes through another stile, this one in the preserve boundary fence.  You have now left Nature Conservancy property and are walking on City of Santa Fe property.  After descending slightly, angle right where an unofficial trail heads left.  If you pass back under the boundary fence, you have missed this turn.

            The trail traces the upper reaches of a small arroyo before passing two connecting trails to the Dale Ball Trail system, both of which exit to the right.  The Interpretive Trail trail signs are oriented in confusing ways at a couple of points in this area.  A final steep descent brings you to a metal vehicle gate and the trail’s end at Cerro Gordo Road.  A left turn and short road walk are all that remain to complete the hike.

Santa Fe National Forest: Black Canyon Trail (Blog Hike #479)

Trail: Black Canyon Trail

Hike Location: Santa Fe National Forest, Black Canyon Campground

Geographic Location: east of Santa Fe, NM (35.72806, -105.83930)

Length: 2.1 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: July 2014

Overview: A lollipop loop through the upper reaches of Black Canyon.

Trail Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/santafe/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=75606&actid=50

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=726650
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the northeast side of Santa Fe, take Paseo de Peralta to Bishops Lodge Road.  Turn north (outbound) on Bishops Lodge Rd.  Drive Bishops Lodge Rd. 0.2 miles to Artist Road and turn right on Artist Rd.  Artist Rd. becomes SR 475 and Hyde Park Road as you leave Santa Fe.  Drive SR 475 a total of 6.9 miles to the Black Canyon Campground entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the campground, then immediately turn left to park in the signed hiker (as opposed to camper) parking area.  Vault toilets are available at this parking area.

The hike: What a difference 1000 feet makes.  At 7260 feet, Santa Fe, NM has the highest elevation of any state capital, and it has a very dry climate that supports mostly desert shrubs for vegetation.  At 8300 feet, the Santa Fe National Forest’s Black Canyon Campground sports a thick cover of tall, mature pine trees that provide abundant shade on hot summer days.

            Many people seem to have discovered the pleasures of Black Canyon Campground, as every campsite was either occupied or reserved on the Monday morning I came here.  Fortunately, you do not need to reserve a campsite to hike this trail, so anyone can schedule a daytime visit to this slice of mountain paradise.  If you are here only to hike, make sure you park in the signed hiker parking area so that you do not block any campsites.

            Before starting the hike, I should clarify one thing about the trail length.  The difference in trail length between what I have posted here and the official 1.5 miles listed by the forest service is due to a difference in starting point.  The forest service starts at the Black Canyon Trail trailhead, which is located at the rear of the campground.  I started this hike at the hiker parking area, which is located at the front of the campground.

Black Canyon Trail trailhead (at rear of campground)

            As the previous paragraph implies, this hike starts with a walk through the campground.  Follow the paved campground road uphill, gaining about 100 feet of elevation between the parking area and the trailhead.  Where the road forks to form the campground loop, you can go either way.  The signed trailhead is located at the very rear of the campground between campsite #24 and a vault toilet.

            The Black Canyon Trail proper heads up the canyon with steep but not vertical canyon walls on either side.  At first the grade is gradual, but it becomes more moderate as you climb.  This section of trail appears to follow an old dirt road.

Trail forks to form loop

            0.6 miles into the hike (or 0.3 miles out of the campground), the trail forks to form its loop.  For no particular reason, I chose to turn left and hike the loop clockwise.  The grade intensifies slightly as you leave the old road and continue climbing through a forest of tall ponderosa pine trees.  This section of trail is an excellent example of sidehill, the likes of which you rarely see on trails constructed post-Great Depression.

Climbing along the canyon wall

            After climbing a pair of switchbacks, you reach the trail’s highest point as you reintersect the old road near 1 mile into the hike.  Turn slightly right to continue the loop.  Note that turning left here would take you over the hill and into the watershed that supplies Santa Fe’s drinking water, an area strictly forbidden to hikers.

            As the old saying goes, it’s all downhill from here.  The trail descends moderately using a single broad switchback.  A few partially obstructed views can be had through the pine trees, but you will need to visit adjacent Hyde Memorial State Park if you want any real vistas.

Hiking through an aspen grove

As you reenter the main stem of the canyon, the pine trees briefly give way to aspen trees.  The slightly higher water tables in the main canyon allow aspen trees to grow down here.  This section of trail would be fantastic when aspen leaves are changing color in the fall.  At 1.5 miles, you close the loop.  0.6 miles of easy downhill hiking remain to complete the hike.

Bandelier National Monument: Main Loop Trail (Blog Hike #478)

Trail: Main Loop Trail

Hike Location: Bandelier National Monument

Geographic Location: southwest of White Rock, NM (35.77941, -106.27104)

Length: 1.6 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: July 2014

Overview: A partially paved loop past Pueblo and cliff dwelling ruins.

Park Information: http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=726649
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: For most people, the Frijoles Canyon portion of Bandelier National Monument, where this hike is located, is only accessible via a free shuttle bus.  The bus departs every 20 minutes from the White Rock Visitor Center in the town of White Rock.  The Visitor Center is located on SR 4 in downtown White Rock; the address is 115 New Mexico State Road 4.

The hike: For my general comments on Bandelier National Monument, see the previous hike.  This hike explores some of the pueblo and cliff dwelling ruins that lie near the Visitor Center.  This trail is named the Main Loop Trail for a reason: most of the 150,000 annual visitors will hike this trail at some point during their visit.  Thus, to avoid the crowds you might want to hike one of the monument’s other trails first and then hike this one so that your hike does not coincide with a shuttle bus arrival.

Information board at trailhead

            The trail starts at an information board just outside the back door of the Visitor Center.  The first 0.25 miles of this trail are paved and ADA-accessible.  Notice some sand on and beside the trail; this sand was deposited here by the 2011 and more recent flash floods.  Numbered posts coincide with a trail guide available for purchase at the Visitor Center.

            Just shy of 0.2 miles, you pass a kiva.  A kiva is an underground chamber used by the Ancestral Pueblo for ceremonial purposes.  This kiva has been un-roofed so that visitors can easily see inside.  Entry into the kiva, however, is prohibited.

Un-roofed kiva

            At 0.3 miles, you reach the main pueblo ruins.  The Ancestral Pueblo people called this village Tyuonyi (pronounced QU-weh-nee).  In its heyday, Tyuonyi stood 1 to 2 stories high and housed about 100 people.  The trail winds around the low rock wall ruins, allowing you to study the site up-close.

Tyuonyi

            Past the ruins, a short-cut trail exits left while this hike angles right.  Your next destination is the cliff dwellings that you can see uphill to the left.  After briefly heading up a narrow side canyon, the trail climbs using concrete steps with a metal railing.  Notice some holes in the easily eroded pink tuff rock on your right as you climb.  The tuff’s ease of carving is one reason this canyon made an ideal location for constructing cliff dwellings.

            At the top of the steps, you reach the cliff dwellings.  Some ladders allow visitors to access holes that served as primitive houses, and some more developed cliff houses lie just ahead.  These cliff dwellings bear such a striking resemblance to those at Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado that many experts think they were built by the same group of people at different times in their migratory history.  This spot also gives nice views of Frijoles Creek, now almost 100 feet below you, and gets you close to some of the unusual rock formations formed by the tuff.

Developed cliff dwelling

            Near 0.5 miles, the Frey Trail exits right to head uphill to the park’s Juniper Campground.  Continuing on the Main Loop Trail, the stairs narrow considerably as you descend to meet the other end of the short-cut trail.  Turn right at this intersection and climb a final set of steps to reach a cliff dwelling called the Long House.  At this site, the Ancestral Pueblos built a cliff dwelling several stories high and carved some petroglyphs in the canyon walls.  This dwelling and the ruins at its base look more primitive than some of the cliff dwellings you passed earlier.

Long House cliff dwelling

            Past the Long House, the trail descends on a gradual to moderate grade to reach the east bank of Frijoles Creek.  A bridge used to span the creek here, but all bridges except one were removed in preparation for the flash floods of 2011.  Thus, these days you cross the creek on wood planks.  Truth be told, most of the year the creek is dry enough that you can cross it with no aid whatsoever.

Crossing Frijoles Creek

            Now on the west bank of the creek, you quickly arrive at an intersection with a 0.5 mile spur trail that leads to the Alcove House.  A bear-resistant trash can and log bench also sit at this junction.  If you want to see another ruin, you can turn right and extend your hike by 1 mile to see the Alcove House, but this description will turn left to head back to the Visitor Center.

            The last 0.8 miles of this hike follow a pleasant, shady, sandy-dirt nature trail that parallels Frijoles Creek.  Interpretive signs identify some of the flora and fauna that live along the creek.  A couple of bridges used to head back to the east side of the creek, but they no longer exist.  The absence of these bridges causes this loop to be slightly longer than the official distance published in the park’s trail guide.

Bridge over Frijoles Creek

Near 1.3 miles, the Visitor Center’s sandbags come into view across the creek, but you need to continue downstream to the park’s only remaining bridge, which is located about 600 feet past the Visitor Center.  Cross the bridge and walk across the parking lot to the Visitor Center to complete the hike.

Bandelier National Monument: Falls Trail (Blog Hike #477)

Trail: Falls Trail

Hike Location: Bandelier National Monument

Geographic Location: southwest of White Rock, NM (35.77826, -106.27050)

Length: 3 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: July 2014

Overview: A canyon out-and-back to 80-foot Upper Falls.

Park Information: http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=726648
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: For most people, the Frijoles Canyon portion of Bandelier National Monument, where this hike is located, is only accessible by a free shuttle bus.  The bus departs every 20 minutes from the White Rock Visitor Center.  The Visitor Center is located on SR 4 in downtown White Rock; the address is 115 New Mexico State Road 4.

The hike: One thing leads to another.  The first people to enter Frijoles Canyon, the center of today’s Bandelier National Monument, came over 10,000 years ago as nomads following the game they were hunting.  Because Frijoles Creek was one of the few permanent water sources in the area and because the canyon’s soft rock walls were easily carved into house-like structures, the Ancestral Pueblo eventually chose to settle here around 500 B.C.  The canyon’s population peaked between 1400 and 1600 A.D. as improvements in irrigation allowed more farming on the canyon floor.

            In 1598, the Spanish arrived, and later Spanish settlers farmed and ranched in the canyon, forcing the Ancestral Pueblo people out.  The last Spanish family moved to more fertile land in 1883, and the canyon’s land reverted to public domain in 1893.  About that same time, Adolph Bandelier visited the canyon several times as a guest of the Pueblo Indians, and efforts began to preserve the canyon as a national park.  That effort bore fruit in 1916 with the establishment of Bandelier National Monument.

            The cause-effect narrative continues today.  In June 2011, the Las Conchas wildfire, the largest wildfire in New Mexico history, consumed nearly 75% of the monument, leaving exposed, bare ground.  Two months later, flash floods enhanced by extreme runoff from the bare ground swept through the canyon.  Thanks to a wall of sandbags that still remains today, the Visitor Center sustained only light damage, but the parking area and several trails sustained major damage.  The damaged parking area is the reason the monument is accessible almost exclusively by bus today.

            The archaeological sites explored on the next hike survived the flood relatively intact, but the Falls Trail described here did not.  Indeed, the Falls Trail used to explore the entire lower Frijoles Canyon all the way to the Rio Grande River, passing two waterfalls along the way.  Today the trail ends at the first waterfall.  The rest of the trail was washed out, and there are no plans to rebuild it.  The trail as currently configured still makes a nice if shorter hike.  Also, because most visitors hike only the Main Loop Trail described in the next hike, this hike offers decent solitude away from the crowds.

Falls Trail trailhead

            The trailhead for the Falls Trail is harder to find than it used to be.  From the front of the Visitor Center, walk along the right side of the parking lot to a wooden bridge that crosses Frijoles Creek.  This bridge is the park’s only remaining permanent bridge over the creek.  Cross the bridge, angle left, and walk down what remains of the washed-out portion of the parking area.  The trailhead sign for the Falls Trail is located at the end of the washed-out parking area.

            The dirt trail climbs slightly to reach an information board that sits in the sun just outside the shade of tall ponderosa pines.  About half of the Falls Trail passes through the shaded area along Frijoles Creek while the other half is exposed to the sun.  Also, weather changes quickly in the New Mexico mountains: I started this hike in a cool rain shower and finished it in bright, hot sunshine.  Make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen in the summer and come prepared for changing weather.

Frijoles Creek ravine

            The trail descends through the canyon on a gradual and then a more moderate grade.  Numbered posts correspond to a trail guide that is available at the Visitor Center for a small price.  Two types of rock are found in Frijoles Canyon: pink-colored and easily eroded tuff rock and harder black-colored basalt rock.  At the top of the steepest section of trail, you pass post #5, which marks a couple of large blocks of tuff called tent rocks.

Tent Rocks

            At the bottom of the hill, Frijoles Creek (or perhaps a nearly dry creekbed) comes into view on the left.  It is hard to believe a creek this small caused the damage in the 2011 flash floods, but such is the nature of desert waterways.  At 0.8 miles, you cross the creek on a pair of wooden planks.  The planks bent greatly under my substantial weight, but they got me across.

Plank crossing of Frijoles Creek

            Now on the east side of the creek, you soon see why the creek crossing was necessary: a large outcrop of tuff appears across the creek to your right.  The gradual descent continues as black basalt boulders appear beside the trail.  Large patches of scarlet trumpet grow along the trail here in season.

Scarlet trumpet

Just over 1 mile into the hike, you cross the creek again, this time with no bridge.  Both of these creek crossings used to have permanent bridges, but the flash floods ensured that such is no longer the case.  The trail climbs for a short distance to top a final hill, where a full view of the lower canyon opens up.  The Rio Grande River comes into view at the canyon’s mouth.

The final segment of trail clings to the hillside, which rises to the right and falls to the left.  At some points a vertical cliff nearly 100 feet high falls away to the left of the trail, so take care where you step.  After descending a single switchback, you arrive at the unsigned viewpoint for Upper Falls.  On my visit near the beginning of New Mexico’s monsoon season, the waterfall was more of a trickle, and I felt like renaming this trail the Drips Trail.  The sheer black basalt rock walls around the waterfall make a nice setting, as does the view further down the canyon.

Upper Falls

View down canyon

As mentioned earlier, the Falls Trail used to continue down the canyon all of the way to the Rio Grande River, but a sign indicates that the lower part of the trail is now closed, and a wooden barricade bars your way.  Thus, after viewing Upper Falls you must turn around and retrace your steps 1.5 miles to the Visitor Center to complete the hike.