Beginner Off-Road Trails Near San Antonio, New Mexico

An easy and well-maintained county road that provides access to a public shooting range as well as access to the Chupadera mountains. This road is accessible year-round to any passenger vehicle. The gun club road…
Learn more about Gun Club Road

The route through Madera Canyon is a hidden gem showcasing the Chupadera mountains, wildlife, sandy creek beds, and ultimately ancient slot canyons. The route begins as a well-maintained county road just outside of San Antonio…
Learn more about Madera Canyon

This route is one of the many lesser-known desert crossing routes that branch off the Quebradas Backcountry byway, connecting back to the Rio Grande. The land on either side of this route is typically used…
Learn more about Bosequecito Desert Crossing

The Quebradas Backcountry Byway is a National Scenic Byway, starting north of Socorro and zipping through the desert down to Highway 380. Along the way, you will see a variety of desert landscapes, with rainbow-hued…
Learn more about Quebradas Backcountry Byway

Lower Arroyo de Los Pinos is an essential trail often used to access the larger trail system in the area. It branches directly off Quebradas Backcountry Byway Road and is located just shortly after the…
Learn more about Lower Arroyo de Los Pinos

The Molino Peak Trail is a short, 5.3-mile route that takes you up past an old manganese mine (The Manganese Chief Mine). It winds its way up an old two-track that becomes progressively rockier the…
Learn more about Molino Peak Trail

As this route climbs Johnson Hill, it follows the National Historical Trail the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. This translates to The Royal Road of the Interior Land. It was also known as the…
Learn more about Johnson Hill View

This is a scenic drive starting at Hwy 60 in the high desert. You go through a gate to enter onto BLM land. At the entrance, there is a sign that states "Primitive road not…
Learn more about South Canyon Rd.

Coyote Exit begins just off the Quebradas Backcountry Byway, works its way around the Cerillos de Coyote plateaus, and culminates into a panorama overlook of the surrounding mountain ranges. This includes the Sierra de la…
Learn more about Coyote Exit

This route is officially WSMR P Route 5 but most of the signs are gone. It is a smooth sailing, picturesque route that travels along ridges and drops into arroyos and drainages. The vegetation is…
Learn more about Smooth Sailing

This relatively flat, sandy route travels on the east side of the Veranito Wilderness Study Area and the south side of the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. There are some erosion issues, especially toward the end…
Learn more about Puertecito of Bowling Green

Strozzi Road/FS-505 is a connecting trail that can be run from north-south or south-north, connecting Highway 60 at the north to Water Canyon Road at the south. Starting the trail from the north, the first…
Learn more about Strozzi Road FS505

This road winds up South Baldy mountain through the Cibola National Forest to the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and Langmuir Laboratory and Atmospheric Research. The road is a well-maintained dirt road for the research facility to…
Learn more about South Baldy Road

San Lorenzo Canyon is a series of rock formations and canyons on the southern border of Servilleta Wildlife Refuge. This area features numerous hiking and camping opportunities in a unique landscape not far from Albuquerque.…
Learn more about San Lorenzo Canyon

Mill Canyon is unique in its quick change from low, rolling foothills, to a quick push of a more tree-dense forest road. During the dry seasons, most high-clearance AWD vehicles should be able to complete…
Learn more about Mill Canyon

Unity Mine is a trail located just to the south of the Kelly, NM ghost town and southeast of Magdalena, NM. Rich in New Mexico mining history, this trail leads up a narrow mountain road…
Learn more about Unity Mine FS 305AA

Rock Spring is a shorter out-and-back trail that pushes from the foothills to just inside the dense treeline of the forest with an elevation increase right at 700 feet. The trail is generally single-vehicle-wide with…
Learn more about Rock Spring

Valley View is a spur that continues southward off of Muleshoe/FSR 234 and provides a great view of almost all the surrounding mountains in this area of the Cibola National Forest. The trail features a…
Learn more about Valley View

Muleshoe is one of the longer trails on the west side of the foothills in the area. The track is an overall well-maintained single-vehicle-wide road with room to pass if needed and will be suitable…
Learn more about Muleshoe

Cerro Pelon Base is only one of two motorized spurs that runs north of Rock Spring and traverses right along the base of the Cerro Pelon Mountain. The trail is primarily single-vehicle wide with a…
Learn more about Cerro Pelon Base

Riley S. FSR 354 runs almost the entire distance from Magdalena to the ghost town of Riley in the north. There are no large obstacles along the road, but there are sections of severe washboarding…
Learn more about Riley S. FSR 354

This section of Rosedale road or FR330, is a simple 4-mile road connecting Highway 107 with the Cibola National Forest. The road is well maintained, plenty wide for a single vehicle with opportunity to pass…
Learn more about Rosedale Road - FR330

Wildcat Run is a combination of FSR-378 and FSR-378A that runs deeper into the foothills of the mountains to the west as it passes by Wildcat Peak to the north. The track begins as a…
Learn more about Wildcat Run

The Old Spanish Trail is one of the longer tracks in the area and features amazing views of the mountains to the west, grasslands at the north, and a fun desert feed before getting closer…
Learn more about Old Spanish Trail

Bear Spring is overall a very well-maintained road with the majority being wide enough for two vehicles. There are no major obstacles along the road, however, drivers should be aware of the low-lying washes that…
Learn more about Bear Spring

Council Rock/FSR 10 is a unique trail in the area, as it appears to be heavily and well-maintained. The trail will be easily completed by most high-clearance 2WD vehicles during dry weather, but due to…
Learn more about Council Rock

Little Rosa Base follows the northern foothills and grasslands of the Withington Wilderness and is a point-to-point trail connecting FSR-549 to CR-107. The views along the route are mostly wide open and give a great…
Learn more about Little Rosa Base

San Juan's Skeleton, also known as forest road 332 and 332A is a 12 mile trail (round trip) that takes you up the the San Juan Peak. This trail is an off-shoot of The Old…
Learn more about San Juan's Skeleton

Arroyo Montosa begins just over 2 miles after entering Forest Road 10 off Highway 169 and is an out-and-back trail. This track runs along the southern portion of the Bear Mountain Range in Cibola National…
Learn more about Arroyo Montosa FS 10A

This is a wide-open sky drive that starts on the northwest side of the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge. It winds around the striking Ladron (Thieves) Mountain. There are a few scattered ranches but most of the…
Learn more about Riley CR 12