Border to Las Cruces

Trail Overview

This trail starts on Highway 9 in New Mexico. This Highway parallels the border wall for a good while. Once you turn off onto the trail, you have the opportunity to air down. Though the trail is not very technical and is pretty well maintained, there are occasional pockets of silt you must watch for. There are a few sections on the trail that have little lava rocks--use caution because they are very sharp. You pass by 2 old volcanic maars, one being Hunt's Hole and the other being Kilbourne Hole. The last scenic view is passing by the Aden Lava Flows, which has lava tubes and craters. You finish up next to the Aden Hills OHV Park outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Photos of Border to Las Cruces

Want to see more?

Login

Difficulty

The trail is well maintained but depending on weather, pockets of silt can become deep and create low visibility. Few spots have rocky terrain, but the lava rock is very sharp and can easily cause flat tires. Most of these trails are open range, so cows can be found grazing on the roads. Be cautious with the animals and the cattle guards. A majority of this area is considered Wilderness Protection land, thus staying on trails that don't have closed markers is a necessity. Game Wardens are the officials in charge of the area and will issue a citation if you choose to travel down closed trails. This area is very remote and due to its proximity to the Mexican-American Border, you do see rarely immigrants and Border Patrol in the area.

History

This trail leads to 2 volcanic maars and the lava flows. There is a great amount of geological findings in this area.

Technical Rating