NM · Southwest
7 forest guides within driving distance
Santa Fe National Forest surrounds New Mexico's state capital with 1.6 million acres of high-desert mountains, Pueblo sacred lands, and subalpine wilderness reaching nearly 13,000 feet in the Sangre de Cristo Range.
7 min read
Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico encompasses the Taos Mountains, New Mexico's highest peak, and vast wilderness areas in the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez ranges, offering everything from short alpine day hikes to remote multi-day wilderness routes.
7 min read
Cibola National Forest in central New Mexico encompasses the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque, Mount Taylor near Grants, and several other mountain ranges, offering high-desert peak hiking within an hour of the state's largest city.
6 min read
Rio Grande National Forest covers 1.85 million acres of the San Luis Valley's mountain rim in southern Colorado, encompassing the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, the South San Juan Wilderness, and the otherworldly Wheeler Geologic Area.
6 min read
San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado covers 1.8 million acres of high-alpine terrain, ancient cliff dwellings, and the iconic Weminuche Wilderness, the largest wilderness area in Colorado.
8 min read
Lincoln National Forest covers 1.1 million acres of southern New Mexico, encompassing the Sacramento, Guadalupe, and Capitan Mountains with diverse ecosystems from Chihuahuan Desert foothills to 12,000-foot spruce-fir forests.
6 min read
San Isabel National Forest spans Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Range and Arkansas Valley, containing more fourteeners than any other national forest and access to Great Sand Dunes National Park.
5 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back through the lower foothills east of Santa Fe in Santa Fe National Forest, climbing through piñon-juniper and ponderosa forest with views toward the Sangre de Cristo Range.
3 min read
A 3-mile loop through ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest near Hyde Memorial State Park in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, managed in cooperation with Santa Fe National Forest.
3 min read
A 9-mile out-and-back to Lake Katherine in the Pecos Wilderness of Santa Fe National Forest, climbing from Santa Fe Ski Basin through subalpine forest to a stunning cirque lake at 11,742 feet.
5 min read
A 12-mile out-and-back summit hike to Santa Fe Baldy at 12,622 feet in the Pecos Wilderness, approaching via the Windsor Trail from Santa Fe Ski Basin in Santa Fe National Forest.
5 min read
A 4-mile out-and-back along a mountain stream north of Santa Fe in Santa Fe National Forest, passing through canyon cottonwoods and ending at a seasonal waterfall in the Sangre de Cristo foothills.
3 min read
A 7-mile out-and-back to Nambe Lake in the Pecos Wilderness of Santa Fe National Forest, approaching via a quieter drainage than the Windsor Trail with excellent views of the southern Sangre de Cristo peaks.
4 min read
A short 3-mile out-and-back along the East Fork Jemez River in Santa Fe National Forest, following a canyon stream through volcanic tuff formations with minimal elevation gain.
3 min read
An 8-mile out-and-back through the volcanic landscape of the Jemez Mountains in Santa Fe National Forest, traversing mixed conifer forest and canyon-edge terrain in a rarely crowded corner of the forest.
4 min read
An 8-mile out-and-back along the Sandia Mountain ridgeline in Cibola National Forest, traversing the southern crest from Sandia Crest toward Tijeras Canyon with views of both Albuquerque and the Estancia Valley.
4 min read
A 4-mile out-and-back on the east side of the Sandia Mountains in Cibola National Forest, climbing from the Crest Road through spruce-fir forest to the Sandia ridgeline with views into the Estancia Valley.
3 min read
A 3-mile loop through the Sandia Mountain foothills in Cibola National Forest, combining the Juan Tabo drainage trail with connecting paths for a quick urban forest walk minutes from Albuquerque.
3 min read
A 7.5-mile strenuous climb up the west face of the Sandia Mountains in Cibola National Forest, gaining 3,600 feet from the Albuquerque foothills to Sandia Crest through limestone formations and spruce-fir forest.
4 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back through the Open Space along the Sandia Mountain foothills in Cibola National Forest's Albuquerque interface, with consistent views of the Sandia peaks and the Rio Grande Valley.
3 min read
A 6-mile out-and-back through the Rio Chiquito drainage in Carson National Forest, climbing through mixed conifer forest in a quiet canyon east of Taos.
3 min read
An 8-mile out-and-back to Middle Fork Lake in the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness of Carson National Forest, climbing through the Hondo Canyon drainage to a scenic alpine lake below the Taos Mountain crest.
3 min read
An 8-mile out-and-back to Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet, the highest point in New Mexico, climbing from Taos Ski Valley through the Wheeler Peak Wilderness in Carson National Forest.
5 min read
A 4.4-mile out-and-back to Williams Lake at 11,040 feet below Wheeler Peak in Carson National Forest's Wheeler Peak Wilderness, one of the most popular and rewarding short alpine hikes in New Mexico.
4 min read
A 7-mile out-and-back to Goat Lake through Midnight Meadows in the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness of Carson National Forest, offering a quieter alternative to the busy Williams Lake route.
3 min read
A 6-mile out-and-back through the Manzano Mountains in Cibola National Forest's Mountainair Ranger District, climbing through ponderosa and mixed conifer forest toward the high Manzano crest.
3 min read
A short 2-mile out-and-back to Cabresto Lake in Carson National Forest's northern Latir Peak area, a quick alpine lake hike accessible from the Questa area.
3 min read
A 9-mile out-and-back into the Latir Peak Wilderness in Carson National Forest, reaching the Latir Lakes basin and the approach to Latir Peak in the northern Sangre de Cristo Range near the Colorado border.
4 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back along Comanche Creek in the Valle Vidal unit of Carson National Forest, traversing high grassland meadows and aspen forest in one of the most scenic and wildlife-rich areas in northern New Mexico.
4 min read
A 13-mile out-and-back to the summit of Mount Taylor at 11,301 feet in Cibola National Forest, climbing through ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forest to the highest peak in the San Mateo Mountains of western New Mexico.
4 min read
This section of the Continental Divide Trail crosses the remote South San Juan Wilderness on a 10-mile out-and-back route through high-alpine terrain, offering exceptional views and deep backcountry solitude in Rio Grande National Forest.
4 min read