Four to explore: Some of Northern New Mexico's best wilderness areas
Sep. 5—Santa Fe residents are blessed with incredible ease of access to one of New Mexico's most beloved wilderness areas.
The Pecos Wilderness is where many of us often go for a physical challenge, to experience the unbridled beauty of nature and to clear our minds of day-to-day stresses.
It's one of five regions in the state that received the highest form of federal protection when the Wilderness Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson on Sept. 3, 1964.
Since then, New Mexico has gained 34 more federally designated wildernesses. All together, the 39 wilderness areas cover nearly 2 million acres.
In celebration of National Wilderness Month, here are four ideas for Northern New Mexico wilderness adventures outside of the Pecos.
Latir Peak
This small, mountainous wilderness area near Questa is full of spectacular views and light on visitors.
The primary access to the 20,000-acre wilderness is at Cabresto Lake in Carson National Forest. To reach the lake, take Forest Road 134 northeast of Questa for 5 miles, then Forest Road 134A for 2 miles up to the lake. Forest Road 134A is a rough, primitive road, and a high-clearance vehicle is required.
The challenging 15-mile lollipop hike called Latir Peak Loop is an absolute gem. It requires about 3,700 feet in vertical gain to reach Latir Mesa at 12,700 feet in elevation. Once atop the mesa, the vistas of the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Grande Gorge carving through the valley to the west are outstanding.
A shorter option is to forgo the loop and go out-and-back to Heart Lake, which is nestled below the mesa. This trek doesn't have the big views of the full loop, but the quaint lake is a nice payoff of the 10-mile hike that still has about 2,385 feet of elevation gain.
San Pedro Parks
Fans of alpine meadows will fall head over heels for San Pedro Parks Wilderness.
One of the wettest areas in New Mexico, this plateau east of Cuba holds a plethora of lush meadows — or parks — that offer a peaceful setting for day hikers and backpackers.
There aren't rugged mountain peaks in this portion of Santa Fe National Forest. Most of the roughly 100 miles of trails in the wilderness have an easy to moderate grade and are predominately between 9,000 and 10,000 feet in elevation.
Many visitors access the wilderness from the south by taking N.M. 126 to Forest Road 70 to reach Vacas Trail. A 1-mile hike delivers visitors to San Gregorio Reservoir. A network of trails extends northward from there. The Continental Divide Scenic Trail also passes through the wilderness on its way northeast towards the Abiquiú area.
With grass and vegetation growth, trails aren't always easily apparent. In some areas, there are tall wooden poles sticking out of the ground every few hundred feet to help orient hikers and keep them moving in the right direction. A GPS device and map would also come in handy.
Elk, deer, bear and grouse are some of the wild animals that occupy the wilderness, but hikers are most likely to see the many cattle that graze in the meadows.
Columbine-Hondo
Though it might not have quite the notoriety of neighboring Wheeler Peak Wilderness, which contains New Mexico's tallest peak, Columbine-Hondo Wilderness has a lot to offer in its own right.
The 44,698-acre wilderness has its own stunning summits, including Lobo Peak (12,113 feet) and Gold Hill (12,710 feet). There are also beautiful trails that pass through canyons and along cascading streams.
Many trails can be accessed either from N.M. 150, which goes up to Taos Ski Valley, or by N.M. 38 between Questa and Red River.
A ferocious windstorm downed thousands of trees in the area in December. Crews have worked to clear trails across hundreds of acres, but check Carson National Forest's website in advance for updated trail conditions.
Columbine Canyon Trail between Questa and Red River is one hike that's been cleared of deadfall and is a real crowd pleaser.
The trail follows Columbine Creek up the canyon and passes through multiple grassy meadows. Wooden bridges span the first few stream crossings of the picturesque, well-trodden lower portion of the trail before the grade steepens at higher elevations and the hikers thin out on the way to the ridge that looks south towards the ski valley.
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
It takes a commitment to make the 3 1/2 -hour drive from Santa Fe to a remote pocket in the northwest corner of the state to reach the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area.
Then it takes an open mind to believe the astonishing things your eyes see once you get there.
Also known as the Bisti Badlands, this wilderness is one of the most jaw-dropping landscapes in the country and a dream destination for photographers.
Manta ray-shaped hoodoos, massive "Alien Egg" boulders, petrified logs and other colorful formations of eroded sandstone, shale and mudstone leave visitors in a state of bewildered amazement.
Tens of millions of years ago, the area was a coastal swamp of an inland sea that covered much of present-day New Mexico. It supported a variety of life, including large dinosaurs whose fossils have been found in recent decades.
In the Navajo language, Bisti refers to "a large area of shale hills," while De-Na-Zin means "standing cranes."
The most popular access point is about 40 miles south of Farmington just off N.M. 371 at Road 7297.
There are no trails in the wilderness, leading to a choose-your-own-adventure experience. Hiking east across the main wash will get visitors close to many of the more well-known features.
Fall is one of the best times to visit, when the monsoon has tapered off and the temperatures are moderate.
When visiting the badlands, respect boundaries of surrounding tribal lands, don't disturb the fragile formations, leave any petrified wood you find where it is, and pack out anything you bring in to make sure this wilderness area can be enjoyed by future generations.
