Trail suggestions for spring break expedition style trip

[EricG]

Hi folks - a few of us from the Colorado Springs club have been heading out on week long family "expedition" style trips the past two years over spring break (late March). Last year we went to the San Rafael Swell area in Utah, and the previous year we did the Kokopelli trail from Grand Junction to Moab. We've been talking about New Mexico for this year and were wondering if you guys had any suggestions for a good route. We're looking for remote areas, back country camping, interesting scenery & history and a few challenges along the way. Vehicles the past two years have been moderately built 80s and a 100 and we'll probably be pulling M416 style trailers - so not looking for anything to crazy. And not looking for an area that tends to have alot of snow at that time of year.

Any ideas, or suggestions where to look?
Thanks

 

[alia176]

If your timing coincides with my kid's spring break weekend, maybe we'll join ya! The temps are pretty nice down South of us at that time of the year.

 

[marcfj60]

There are some nice mountains in the SW part of the state, the Gila area, with several forest roads and lots of areas to explore. From what I hear, you don't see a lot of people down there either. Spring break might be a little cold in the northern and central mountain chains. Snow probably won't be a problem since we've seen so little of it this year.

 

[CO_Hunter]

What about more canyon country areas? We have a lot of high elevation conifer type mountain scenery up here Old mining towns, indian ruins, UFO crash sites...

 

[jstncse]

I would start with the Quebadras byway or Gran Quivera Ruins to US380 to the Valley of Fire and then on to Alamogordo and White Sands. You can then work your way across the Organ Mountain range into Las Cruces and then back up I25 with stops at Hillsboro and Elephant Butte lake and back to Colorado. All of that area will be warm and not in the mountains with some great views and mild to wild trails.

 

[EricG]

If your timing coincides with my kid's spring break weekend, maybe we'll join ya! The temps are pretty nice down South of us at that time of the year.

Sure, that'd be cool!

I would start with the Quebadras byway

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/socorro/quebradas_backcountry_byway.html

or Gran Quivera Ruins

http://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm

to US380 to the Valley of Fire and then on to Alamogordo and White Sands.

Could go past the trinity test site down there I think.

You can then work your way across the Organ Mountain range into Las Cruces and then back up I25 with stops at Hillsboro and Elephant Butte lake and back to Colorado. All of that area will be warm and not in the mountains with some great views and mild to wild trails.

Maybe something like this for that first part (Gran Quivera Ruins are just north of the north edge of map)

 

[jstncse]

The roads on your map that are labeled WSMR are probably not open to the public but you are on the right track.
There is also Three Rivers campground between Carrizozo and Tularosa for a night.
http://www.explorenm.com/camping/ThreeRiversLNF/

The Trinity site is only open to the public 2 times a year. The first Saturday of April and October, so April 5th this year.

 

[EricG]

Ok, good information. If those WSMR roads aren't open to the public, we'd have to go east nearly to HWY 54 ... which doesn't look nearly as interesting.

Trinity open house is now once a year on first Sat. in April
http://www.wsmr.army.mil/PAO/Trinit...ectionstothesiteforthebiannualopenhouses.aspx

 

[EricG]

What do you know about the Forest 354 Rd from near Magdalena, around Ladron Peak, to up near the intersection of HWY 25 and HWy 60?

 

[jstncse]

FR354 is good, I have not camped there before but Ali has. Besides Ladron and the trails there is also the ghost town of Riley and the mining town of Kelly. Water Caynon Campground is south of there with access to both North and South Baldy if you need a mountian fix by then.
NM107 will take you back to I25 and NM1 from there will keep you off the Interstate and into some cool mining towns like Cloride and Monticello. Monticello Canyon is another option while in the area.

I could get lost in Southern New Mexico for weeks (maybe months) and not get bored.

 

[Fitzgerald]

I've only driven through New Mexico a couple times (unfortunately, never getting off I40). Have always wanted to explore the area. Really looking forward to this trip!

 

[CO_Hunter]

I could get lost in Southern New Mexico for weeks (maybe months) and not get bored.

This is really encouraging.

Getting some good info, thanks. Hopefully I will have time this weekend to break out some maps as well.

Are there any 4x4 guide books similar to the Fun Treks for CO, Utah etc.? I only did a quick search that turned up some books but those did not seem to be geared towards 4x4 stuff we are discussing.

 

[BionicCruiser]

...Are there any 4x4 guide books similar to the Fun Treks for CO, Utah etc.? I only did a quick search that turned up some books but those did not seem to be geared towards 4x4 stuff we are discussing.

someone sent an email to the club last year that was writing one. don't think it was released yet.

 

[alia176]

someone sent an email to the club last year that was writing one. don't think it was released yet.

Funtrek was in our area last year but like Bionic said, it's not finished yet. Charles Well was the author I believe.

 

[jstncse]

This is really encouraging.
Are there any 4x4 guide books similar to the Fun Treks for CO, Utah etc.?

The consensus is the the trails here are either too easy or too hard for the typical Fun Treks guide books.
The trails are very similar to Arizona with nice mellow trail rides at relatively easy levels or trails that are guaranteed to cause collateral damage without many bypasses. For the most part we lack the high elevation pucker factor that creates the intermediate levels.
When is your spring break?

 

[CO_Hunter]

Spring break week is the last full week in March. After your latest description I am beginning to wonder a bit. Definitely a mix of rigs and a couple of trailers. For comparison Kokopelli's trail is as difficult (Rose Garden Hill) as we would want to tackle on this trip. We have been thinking of Canyonlands as a plan B if we couldn't sketch out a trip in NM. Just doesn't seem to be a lot of easily accessible information on the net for more intermediate stuff. Guaranteed collateral damage is not what we are looking for here.

 

[marcfj60]

You can get a lot of scenic stuff on lots of very tame dirt roads (BLM, FS, County) all around NM but it won't be of the same caliber as Canyonlands. You will definitely get out into some desolate areas with few people around. Most of the eastern half of NM is really flat and boring. The central mountain chain east of the Rio Grande River is very limited to the amount of roads you can travel with a vehicle from Albuquerque and then south to the NM TX border. There are good opportunities in the mountains around Taos, Red River, Angel Fire for FS roads. There are a bunch of FS roads in the Jemez mountains to the west of Santa Fe. And as mentioned earlier, there is a HUGE area available for motorized travel in the Gila area that is the SW part of the state, with many entry points in every direction.