Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

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vallejoclmbr
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Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by vallejoclmbr »

My wife and I have both been in CO for over 15yrs. We've still got plenty here to explore, but are interested in checking out some things our neighboring states may have to offer too.

Any strong recommendations for hiking/camping & great stuff to see in northern NM?

Thanks!
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by davebobk47 »

Tons of great stuff -
Tent Rocks (short day hike with cool rock formations)
Taos area - peaks in this area aren't too different than CO (except usually less busy). Many hike the state HP via Williams Lake or Bull of the Woods
Above Santa Fe there are also a ton of great peaks - Santa Fe Baldy, Lake Peak, etc. Could do many many days here
Further South the Sandia Mountains have a lot of great hikes and climbing. La Luz trail is a famous one. (also have the tram if you want to only hike one way)
South Sandia Peak is a longer hike but a real gem - you won't see many people once you get up higher.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by Chicago Transplant »

If you do Wheeler, loop the whole ridge and come down off Kachina through the ski area. Some fun sections of scrambling interspersed along the way.

Truchas Peaks were fun too, we did them from the north with Santa Barbara CG as our trailhead, nice backpacking and fun peaks.

I haven't really explored the non-alpine areas in NM yet.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by Kiefer »

vallejoclmbr wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 11:49 am My wife and I have both been in CO for over 15yrs. We've still got plenty here to explore, but are interested in checking out some things our neighboring states may have to offer too.

Any strong recommendations for hiking/camping & great stuff to see in northern NM?
Thanks!
I used to live in Santa Fe & La Cienega. I would head up into the Santa Fe Mountains all the time (highway 475- Hyde Memorial State Park). There are formal camping sites up there and some maintained trails in the area before the road dead-ends at Santa Fe Ski Resort. Once there however, there are some cool peaks in the Pecos Wilderness you can do. Folks will car camp in the parking lot for day trips up into the mountains. Check out:
Santa Fe Baldy
Lake Peak
Point 9420- Next to the state park
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by headsizeburrito »

I'm planning on a road trip to NM in two weeks and have been looking for hikes too, so I'm interested in hearing more suggestions too.

Current plan includes Sandia via La Luz, a hike around Bandelier National Monument, Wheeler Peak, and North Truchas, keeping it to day hikes. I'm looking at North Truchas via this route: https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/ ... lakes-loop since most others have a much longer approach for a day hike, but if anyone has a suggestion on those specific peaks I'm happy to hear it because I didn't find a ton of info.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by Kiefer »

headsizeburrito wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 12:35 pm I'm planning on a road trip to NM in two weeks and have been looking for hikes too, so I'm interested in hearing more suggestions too.

Current plan includes Sandia via La Luz, a hike around Bandelier National Monument, Wheeler Peak, and North Truchas, keeping it to day hikes. I'm looking at North Truchas via this route: https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/ ... lakes-loop since most others have a much longer approach for a day hike, but if anyone has a suggestion on those specific peaks I'm happy to hear it because I didn't find a ton of info.
Approach Truchas from the north. I was going to hike it from Quemado TH until I started talking with a guy in Chimayó (at the old church) who said the locals will trash out of state cars. I had NM plates, but I still decided to not go that route. Think I hung out at Bandalier NM instead the next day.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by headsizeburrito »

Kiefer wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 12:45 pm I started talking with a guy in Chimayó (at the old church) who said the locals will trash out of state cars. I had NM plates, but I still decided to not go that route.
I've read things like this multiple times about different places in NM, what's up with that? Here in CO people complain about TX plates, but you don't hear anything about vandalism...
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by Chicago Transplant »

We used Santa Barbara trailhead, which is at the entrance to a National Forest campground and has no vandalism issues that I have heard of. I think the Trampas Lake TH is also okay as it is on National Forest land and also near a campground. I've never been, but descriptions from others seem like its safe and fairly well traveled.

The one to avoid is Rio Quemado trailhead as the Truchas Land Trust has a history of harassing those who do not posses the "blood of the ancestors" including possible vehicle vandalism. In addition, that trailhead is also supposed to be quite small (2 cars), 4WD and a lot of confusing roads through the land trust to get to it that getting lost on could result in unfriendly encounters. Most of the stories are several years old of problems so I have no idea if Rio Quemado is any better these days, but go-newmexico.com does say "There is a higher than average incidence of vandalism to vehicles in this area" on their website. I will not post directions to Rio Quemado, you can look it up if so inclined, but I think it best to avoid it in favor of areas that are safer.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by Kiefer »

headsizeburrito wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 2:00 pm
Kiefer wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 12:45 pm I started talking with a guy in Chimayó (at the old church) who said the locals will trash out of state cars. I had NM plates, but I still decided to not go that route.
I've read things like this multiple times about different places in NM, what's up with that? Here in CO people complain about TX plates, but you don't hear anything about vandalism...
There's a lot of animosity & hatred down there between Mexicans and Natives. I would give rides home to a couple employees who lived down on the Santo Domingo Res and learned a lot of their past history. It was weird being white and not the focus of racism.
A lot of the places in Northern NM I think, locals just assume that locals aren't parking & willingly hiking the high peaks for the joy of it. I'm assuming they target anyone/anything that isn't Native.
I haven't seen poverty like that (Santo Domingo & Ohkay Owingeh Res) outside of Mexico.
I don't think the vandalism is pointed or specific. I think it's broad-based anger & frustration.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by vallejoclmbr »

headsizeburrito wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 12:35 pm I'm planning on a road trip to NM in two weeks and have been looking for hikes too, so I'm interested in hearing more suggestions too.

Current plan includes Sandia via La Luz, a hike around Bandelier National Monument, Wheeler Peak, and North Truchas, keeping it to day hikes.
We ran into a former park ranger from Bandelier several weeks ago in BV and he highly recommended it. Not sure about hikes there though.
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by planet54 »

After the temps cool down a bit you could try the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness south of Farmington. I like this page but there are plenty more to check out.
https://www.thewave.info/BistiBadlandsCode/Map.html
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Re: Hiking/Camping Reccs in New Mexico

Post by cougar »

Chicago Transplant wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 12:05 pm If you do Wheeler, loop the whole ridge and come down off Kachina through the ski area. Some fun sections of scrambling interspersed along the way.
+1 on this loop, good way to do a few peaks, moderate day. Great camping along the river in the canyon below Taos, was a couple free developed campgrounds, at least a few years ago.

Cooler times of year I'd recommend Chaco, White Sands (long drive), and Bandelier. Carlsbad if you drive way down south. Lots of good stuff around Santa Fe and the other areas mentioned. Almost made a trip to Gila WIlderness years ago but there was high snowpack and runoff that year.
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