Questa - San Cristobal Loop

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

Features Commonly Bikepacked

This 25-mile epic ride goes through the old burn area of the 1996 Questa-Lama wildfire right at the edge of the foothills. Ride through the post-burn vegetation for the first half of the loop then descend past Lama to San Cristobal with a blazing fast descent.

The entire ride has some of the best vistas of the Rio Grande rift basin and unique views of the neighboring communities which get very few visitors. Definitely a ride to add to the list of Taos-area epics.

Once away from the lake, water can be very scarce.

The loop begins at Eagle Rock Lake just east of Questa. Navigate through the village to get to the road between Largo Canyon and Alamagre Canyon. Climb on this road for the next 1.5 miles and continue on FS Road #97056 heading south. This section can be extremely steep and loose so you might have to hike to the top.

Once at the top, you'll be rewarded with some of the best vistas of Questa in the area. Continue on the road for several more miles to get to the highest point of the ride.

From here, enjoy the fast and technical descent to Lama Road. Take Lama Road to the Lama Foundation premises. Instead of going to the foundation, continue straight on the road just south of the premises. The downhill section from Lama to San Cristobal is the highlight of the trail.

The four-mile downhill is fast and flowy in some parts with amazing vistas of the area for the entire duration. Once at the bottom of the road, you'll reach San Cristobal. If riding as a loop, take FS Road #493 back to Questa. This entire area provides excellent bikepacking opportunities in an unusual terrain.