Best Hiking Trails in New Mexico
The Sandias, the Pecos, Bandelier, the Gila Wilderness. Our team's picks across one of the most underrated hiking states in the country.
New Mexico is the desert state that surprises people. Owen spent a season working a trail crew in the Gila Wilderness — the first designated wilderness in the US — and says it's where he'd go if he had to pick one place to hike for the rest of his life. The Sandia Mountains rise 5,000 ft straight out of Albuquerque; you can be at the Crest Trailhead by 8am from a downtown coffee shop.
The hiking season in New Mexico is genuinely year-round if you pick your elevation. Desert canyons in winter; Sangre de Cristo high country in summer; transition seasons in the middle.
By region
Sandias (Albuquerque)
La Luz Trail (3,000 ft of gain in 7 miles), Crest Trail traverse, Tram-down ride. Year-round access via tram.
Sangre de Cristo / Santa Fe NF
High alpine over 12,000 ft. Wheeler Peak (state high point), Pecos Wilderness traverses.
Gila Wilderness
First wilderness ever designated (1924). Off-trail hiking, hot springs, Mexican spotted owls.
Bandelier + Jemez
Cliff dwellings, slot canyons, hot springs near the Caldera. Frijoles Canyon is the classic.
When to go
Plan a hike in New Mexico
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Common questions
- How does altitude compare to Colorado?
- Santa Fe sits at 7,200 ft. Wheeler Peak is 13,167 ft. Acclimate two nights at altitude before doing anything serious.
- Is the Gila really off-trail?
- Most of it, yes. The Middle Fork loop is the standard intro — partly trailed, partly bushwhack.
- Monsoon season?
- Mid-July to early September. Afternoon thunderstorms above treeline are real. Start early; turn around at noon.