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A scenic dirt road that makes its way up the mountain and leads to many options for bigger loops on the way down.


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Map Key

8.1

Miles

13.1

KM

Doubletrack

9,761' 2,975 m

High

7,572' 2,308 m

Low

2,194' 669 m

Up

10' 3 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

13%

Max Grade (7°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

This road can often be closed in the winter as it is not a serviceable road by snow plows. That said, folks with fat bikes may find fresh tracks here.

Description

This dirt road seems to be as old as the mountain. It has been the only other alternate route (besides Hwy 475) to get up the mountain. The road starts as a branch off of State Road 592 near Chupadero (northeast of Tesuque). While long, the climb is steady and keeps a pretty consistent grade of 5%. There are no technical features of note as this is a dirt road that is often traveled by car.

This is almost always ridden as a climb as there are much more exciting downhill options if you make a loop (like the Winsor Trail, Rio En Medio or even the larger Rio Nambe Loop). Trails like the Discount Trail, Double Discount Trail, the Borrego Trail, the Big Tesuque Trail and the Winsor Trail can all be accessed by this road. If you're looking for a big day you can even hook up with Aspen Vista and climb dirt roads all the way to the Tesuque Peak summit.

The road leads to some pretty spectacular views in the early going. The road starts in an arid juniper forest and eventually leads to pine trees and then aspen trees at the top. There are also some rudimentary, roadside camping spots along the way, should you be bikepacking and want to make it a night out.

Contacts

Shared By:

Phil Lucero

Trail Ratings

  3.3 from 4 votes

#17

in Santa Fe

#23968

Overall
  3.3 from 4 votes
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Trail Rankings

#17

in Santa Fe

#553

in New Mexico

#23,968

Overall
17 Views Last Month
4,308 Since Jan 29, 2017
Intermediate Intermediate

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Photos

Looking across the Rio Grande Valley towards the Valles Caldera
May 27, 2018 near Santa Fe, NM

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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

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Check-Ins

Jun 25, 2020
Joel Van Essen
Took one wrong turn near the top and ended up on North Borego for a bit. Had to back track to get on Pacheco. 11mi — 2h 30m
Jun 20, 2020
David Maniaci
May 12, 2019
Phillip Salas
May 27, 2018
Eric Schoen
Easily passable on a gravel bike, though tires that are more road-focused (e.g., Schwalbe G-One Speed) will have problems where the road gets sandy. 9mi — 2h 00m
Aug 12, 2009
Sean G
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