new mexico rails-to-trails

If you're heading towards Cloudcroft, don't miss this beautiful, well-groomed hiking trail along the way, behind High Rolls, NM. This is an out and back trail built on an old railroad bed roughly 1.5 miles each way. There are two entrance points - one takes you up a short, rocky incline. The other lets you get started on a wide, slightly inclined trail. You'll see beautiful views of the Sacramento mountains and White Sands National Monument. Wildlife and geologic interpretive signs along the way. There is a shelter that is perfect for a picnic break. Visit: http://www.traillink.com/trail/grand-view-trail.aspx

We took the Cloud Climbing Rail Trail out to the Mexico Canyon Trestle. It's about a 3 mile round trip hike. The hike itself is light to light moderate. From the highway, you can see the Mexico Canyon Trestle remnants. We wanted to see it up close. And it did not disappoint. Have to say though, we hike pretty regularly, and the signage was not very clear. Signs would point left and right when there were two trails that pointed to the left. The verbiage was unclear too. There was at least one instance where a sign said we had .5 miles left, then, a quarter mile later, another one said we STILL had .5 mile. Grab a free map from the Recreation Area. The signs will NOT be helpful.

Make sure to pick up the tourist brochure with picture maps of the various rail trails around Cloudcroft area. I visited both the Mexico and Salado Canyons trestles. Nice hike to both with various placards explaining history, wildlife and plants in the area.

A beautiful hike that is not too difficult. I made it with a 70 year old friend who is in OK shape, but certainly not "fit." He handled it well. It is downhill to the trestle, so that half of the walk is easy. The uphill hike back to the station is the more challenging part of the walk, but just (as did my friend) "pace yourself."

Beautiful, scenic, a pretty good history lesson. If you are a flat - lander (live a sea level) remember to pace yourself and drink a lot of water. 10,000 ft. is hard on the lungs, muscles and brains!

On the way to Cloudcroft the views from this scenic pullover were breathtaking. The engineering and building of this railroad track - on the side of a mountain- must have been by fearless men. There was a lookout area that stuck out over the forest that was great for picture taking. If you are afraid of heights you might have an issue here. It was very warm when we left Alamagordo, 70's, and got chilly fast on the way to Cloudcroft, 50's. This was our second stop going up to Sunspot observatory and I am glad we had hoodies in the car.

I hike this 3-5 times a week every season but winter.if you get out early, it's not unusual to see deer or elk and it has a great view a few hundred yards above the Muchachita st parking lot. Too icy in the winter, but if you access the trail from the village via Osha Trail st, behind Remax, you'll have a fairly level 2 mile hike to the Pines Campground. This is my favorite trail in the village area.

I almost always go to the trestle trail when I am in the area. We usually pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery. It doesn't matter how many times you go, it is always fun. Hiking can be a little difficult at almost 9000ft, but it is worth it.

We have hiked this trail before, and it is always worth a revisit. It was HOT on the day we went, so be sure and take along some extra water. We enjoyed the little picnic area too.

We hiked to the overview of the Mexican trestle and back to the trailhead. Round trip hike was about 2.5 miles and took us a little over an hour. (50 somethings from sea level) Some up and downs but anybody in reasonable shape can do this hike. Pretty overlooks of valley, broken down S trestle, railroad cuts through the rock and the impressive view of the Mexican trestle. Trail is wide and well-maintained. Maps available at trailhead and there is good signage on trail. If you are in Cloudcroft, do this hike!

This is a little-discovered jewel in southern New Mexico. High above the desert, at 8-11,000 feet, you are in a completely different ecological zone than Alamogordo down in the basin, 35 miles away. The railroads that used to carry ore, coal, and people down and up the steep face of the Sacramento Mountains are long gone, but some of the trestles have been reconstructed, some of the collapsed ones are still there to be climbed on, and the experience of tracing these incredibly challenging routes on foot gives you new respect for those who built and used those rails.The town of Cloudcroft has everything you need for daytime explorations. For more involved adventures, basing down in Alamogordo is probably a good idea, though there are one or two rustic places to stay up high as well.The staff at the visitor's center is incredibly helpful and pleasant, and you are likely to run into tourists from across the globe as you walk the variety of trails. You can choose from very easy to quite strenuous, and the views from all are stunning at any time of the year.If you are anywhere near Cloudcroft, you owe it to yourself to at least get a taste of this lovely bit of mountain majesty.

nice high altitude picnic and hiking area !we have hiked the The Tressel Trail many times its a nice little hike, lots of woods, wildlife, views, etc. we have had several cook outs here , this is a nice place to spend the day outside with family, friends, or just buy your self, its also a great place to get out of the heat in the summer !

Forest and desert. If you love to hike, then you will like these trails. I was suprised that there is so much to see in New Mexico.

An amazing volunteer group that does wonderful things. Several sections of trails are open to the public across the US, and the hike at High Rolls is no exception. Keep up the good work.

Not hard to find please ask around not hard to find from town. Lot of information signs and good exercise. The Tressel Trail was a lot of fun