Petaca Point Trail

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Not Allowed

This trail is adjacent to the Orilla Verde Recreation Area. The trailhead is on the south side of NM 567 on the west side of the gorge, across from the West Rim Trail's southern end. It begins with some rocky singletrack, dropping into an arroyo with a couple tight switchbacks before climbing back to the mesa where it joins an old doubletrack road.

From here, the trail gradually climbs across the gently rolling mesa for a few miles to an overlook above where the Arroyo Aguaje de la Petaca joins the Rio Grande.

An easy trail overall, with some bumpy sections where sage and wild grasses are reclaiming the trail and a few washed out areas to watch for on the return descent.

The scenery along this trail is as good as it gets in the northern New Mexico high desert, surrounded by the vast landscape of mesas, mountains, and the deeply cut gorge. There are lots of developed campsites and a few other trails in the area which are easily accessible from 567 and across the bridge along NM 570.