South Boundary Trail

Editor’s Note: Sports Editor Gabe Toth — with fuel in his tank and fire in his belly — has endeavored to find some of Northern New Mexico’s known and not-so-known outdoor recreational treasures ... on one tank of gas, when possible. This edition of On the Road and Off the Beaten Path takes us to the South Boundary Trail. We hope you enjoy the ride.

Offering gorgeous views and a chance to explore the great expanse of Carson National Forest just east of Taos, the South Boundary Trail provides an unparalleled chance to experience the outdoors of Northern New Mexico. Be forewarned, though: This is not a trip for the faint of heart. My expedition — ten of us, ranging from experienced trail riders to fit road bikers to “I haven’t been on a bike in years” — began at the far end of the trail, in the forest roads above Black Lake.

Though we chose a shortcut that would have cut off the first mile and a half of climbing, a wrong turn early in the ride erased any gains we made by driving further uphill from the Trail 164 head. A couple more miles of uphill left us winded, but we were quickly rewarded with a fast single-track descent across the Taos/Colfax county line and into the heart of the national forest.

The trail soon switched back to an ascent — a long, slow, grueling ascent up to the Quintana Pass area and on to Río Chiquito, winding through beautiful green foliage punctuated by an occasional clearing where you can take in views of the surrounding Fernando Mountains. After a lunch break at García Park — bringing plenty of water and snackables is crucial on this roughly 25-mile trek — the trail eases up a bit to more level ground as you wind along south of Valle Escondido and Shady Brook.

You’re soon speeding across the ridge south of US 64, cutting laterally across the slope with verdant forest uphill and downhill. The occasional break in greenery reveals gorgeous panoramas of the Taos Canyon and Wheeler Wilderness Area. Near the end of the trail is the intersection of the Ojitos and El Nogal trails. Despite its loose, rocky slopes, Ojitos is the easier of the two and ends in a series of whoop-de-do’s for the experienced biker to launch off. The Ojitos trail ends near the intersection of 64 and NM 585.

El Nogal offers a steeper, more technical descent to the El Nogal camping area about five miles east of Taos. For a shorter ride, the eastern end of the trail can be left off by taking Forest Road 437 up from Valle Escondido to García Park. This is a shuttle ride; you will need to either leave a vehicle at your ending point and find a ride to the trailhead or leave your vehicle at the trailhead and find a way back.

Another word of warning: Trails and forest roads criss-cross the national forest between US 64, NM 518 to the south and NM 434 on the east. Until you know your route, be sure to go with an experienced rider who knows the way. And finally, make sure you’re in shape and start early; this ride can take several hours, even for fit, prepared cyclists. Despite living in Angel Fire at an altitude of 8,500 feet, there were still times I felt the lack of oxygen. The trail can leave you breathless, just make sure it’s from the views.