Easy Trails:
Our Easy Trails Will Allow Stock 4WD Vehicles
Box Canyon
This scenic trip explores the canyons around Picacho Peak and Box Canyon. Most stock 4WD vehicles can handle this trip. There are lots of areas to test your ability, such as Lee's Rock but all obstacles have by passes.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Box Canyon Trail is located about 5 miles West Northwest of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd); turn left (West). Turn right on SR 185, left on CR D052, and right on Rocky Acres Trail. Air down anytime after hitting the dirt road (note: this is also the trailhead for several other trails in this area). Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,000 feet to 4,300 feet, the trail takes you near Apache Dam, around Pichacho Peak (which is about 4,900 feet in elevation), and of course through Box Canyon. The trail consists mostly of dirt/gravel roads, portions of which contain small rocks (less than 6 inches to 8 inches in diameter), and sand/rock-filled arroyos. At waypoint BX18, there's a small rock ledge to climb, and at waypoint BX22, a sandy hill climb. Finally, around waypoint BX26 is what I call a "playground" (a series of trails that loop around and interconnect with each other). The trail is just under 10.5 miles long and takes approximately 3 hours to 4 hours to complete.
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Pimento Pass Overlook
This is a new trail that starts on the East side of the Chile Canyons, winds around and climbs to the top of the mountain. This is one of the most scenic runs with beautiful views of Las Cruces and a birds eye view of the Chile Canyons. 4WD will be needed but all stock vehicles should do fine.
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The Pasado Trail
This is a fun canyon for the beginner 4 Wheeler. It starts in the Box Canyon area and ends by the exit of Tobasco Twister. It is suitable for most stock 4WD vehicles.
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Coyote Canyon
This trail is located in Coyote Canyon, North of Tularosa, NM. This trail was built and maintained by our good friends at Desert Mountain Four Wheel Drive Club. It can be either an Easy or possibly a Moderate, depending on driver / weather / etc.
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Moderate Trails:
For Our Moderate Trails We Recommend 31” Tires &/or 1 Clutch Type Locker (Or An Experienced Driver)
Doña Ana Mountains - Possibly Closed Now???
The Doña Ana Mountains are located north of Las Cruces on I-25, between Exits 9 and 18. Don't let the optical illusion of these mountains fool you-they only look small. One "small" arch visible from the freeway, Eye of the Needle, is actually large enough to drive a Jeep through!
Scattered among the sandy arroyo bottoms are some large rock formations and mountains that are large enough to fit three groups of 20 vehicles at one time! Each version of the Doña Ana Mountains trails, (easy, moderate and hard) takes a different path in. on and around the mountains. This is a great area for easy and moderate trail runners to witness "Hard" trails up close.
Many obstacles are off-camber and at step angles. The hard trail climbs up the "back way" to the Eye of the Needle which has a couple of tough, sandy ledges. The exit is over the mountain and down the Alpine Downhill. You will notice your rear tires will lift off the ground on this descent, don't hesitate, just close your eyes, hang on and go! Some of the "crazies" in the group will turn around and try to go up the Alpine Downhill! A feat few have accomplished.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Dona Ana Trail is located about 5 miles North of Las Cruces. However, it's more of a "playground" than a trail, consisting of several trails that loop around and interconnect with each other. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd); turn left (West). Turn right on Dona Ana Rd, then right again on SR 158 (Hill Rd). Air down anytime after crossing under I-25. Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,800 feet, the trail takes you in and around the foothills of the Dona Ana Mountains. Much of the trail consists of sandy arroyos, but there are several rather steep hill climbs and descents, and a few scary off-camber obstacles. Just a few miles to the West is Dona Ana Peak (which is about 5,700 feet in elevation). The portion of the trail shown below is just under 10 miles long and takes approximately 2 hours to 3 hours to complete.
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Amatista Ledges
This trail is located in the Chile Canyons. Views of the Mesilla Valley and surrounding mountains are inspiring. This trail is another good trail to run and with time permitting, you can pass by some of the extreme trails to watch the action.
It starts off by going down Big Jim canyon, a series of ledges and small waterfalls. It then heads up stream to the "Grease Pit", an obstacle officially on the Hopping Jalapeño trail. A short way up the arroyo is the "Bath Tub", a deep long "V" to straddle. The remaining trail up and out of the canyon consist of a series of ledges and waterfalls.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Amaitista Ledges Trail is located about 5 miles West of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd); turn left (West). Turn right on SR 185, left on CR D052, and right on Rocky Acres Trail. Air down anytime after hitting the dirt road (note: this is also the trailhead for the several other trails in this area). Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,800 feet, the trail takes you down into some very rocky arroyos, with rocks as large as 18 inches to 24 inches in diameter. There are also several steep ledges (ranging in 2 feet to 4 feet), which you must descend. "The Bathtub", which gets it name from the approximately 4-foot deep crevice that fills up with water during the wet season. It's highly recommended that you use a spotter to navigate the Bathtub! Otherwise use the bypass to the right. The trail is only a little over 5 miles long and takes approximately 4 hours or so to complete.
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Hopping Jalapeño
This trail consist of four canyons in the heart of the Chile Canyons. It heads up and down each canyon depending on its difficulty. This is a great trail for the beginning four wheeler who's ready to step up to step up to something more difficult.
Their several ledges to drop off or to climb, depending on your direction. The optional deep "V" known as the "Grease Pit", is a test of nerves to straddle. It is easily deep enough to change your oil without crouching. There are no single obstacles that stand out on this trail. It is just one ledge after another.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Hopping Jalapeño Trail is located about 5 miles West of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd); turn left (West). Turn right on SR 185, left on CR D052, and right on Rocky Acres Trail. Air down anytime after hitting the dirt road (note: this is also the trailhead for several other trails in this area). Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,700 feet, the trail takes you down into some very rocky arroyos, with rocks as large as 12 inches to 18 inches in diameter. There are also a few ledges (ranging from 2 feet to 3 feet), which you must ascend and descend. At Waypoint HJ19 is "The Grease Pit", which gets it name from the approximately 4-foot deep crevice that that you must carefully straddle to cross; over which, you might want to change your oil if you have time . It's highly recommended that you use a spotter to navigate the Grease Pit! Otherwise use the bypass to the left. The trail is a little less than 3.5 miles long and takes approximately 3 hours or so to complete.
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San Diego / Tonuco Mine Loop
North San Diego Mountain
San Diego Mountain is located just west of 1-25 approximately 25 miles north of Las Cruces. The trail passes the Doña Ana Mountains, Ft. Seldon Monument and Signal Peak. From the top of the mountain on a clear day, you can see the southern end of the Trinity explosion site, were the first atomic bomb was detonated. Also a great view of I-25, the cars and trucks look like ants.
The trail starts with the sandy arroyo bottoms of Articulation Alley. Next, the trail heads to the Mine Loop up and around an old mine. Two ore chutes are still visible. This part of the trail is very off camber and a steady hand and heart is necessary. During a short break for lunch, you can visit some petroglyphs dating back to 1200-1300 a.d.
Then, the ascent to top of San Diego Mountain. There are some large rolling boulders in this section, but a steady pace will get you to the view at the top. The trail continues down the north side of the mountain. Switchbacks and a few washouts are the obstacles to mention here. We have had a couple of near roll overs in this section, be careful! It's a long way down.
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Rincon / Salem Canyon Trail
Salem Canyon is about 25 miles north of town. It’s a boulder filled playground about 5 miles long. There are by passes on all obstacles. This is fun trail for everyone and a great place for new “Rock Crawlers” to learn the art. It does have a good amount of highway travel, but the drive is worth it.
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Hard Trails:
For Our Hard Trails We Recommend 33” or Larger Tires, At Least 1 Solid Locker & Experienced Driver
NEW TRAIL!!!
Sandia Gulch
Sandia Gulch is a new trail for Chile Canyons. It lays south of the main canyon and winds up to the top of the mountain over looking Patzcuarro's Revenge. It is narrow, with large and larger rocks, a wide waterfall (with an easy climb on one side to an impossible on the other) and it finishes with narrow steps up to the top.
This trail is considered a little harder than Broad Canyon, it provide good challenges and great views.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Sandia Gulch Trail is located about 5 miles West of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-10 West out of Las Cruces and take the Airport Exit (# 132). Make a U-turn to the right and travel Ease on the frontage road for just under a mile. Turn left onto the dirt road and air down. Travel northwest, and then north, on Airport Road for approximately 4 miles to Waypoint SG04. From here, you will be traveling "up" about half of the Box Canyon Trail. Make sure you turn right at Waypoint SG11; to the left is the Tabasco Twister Trail, which is rated "extreme"! The Sandia Gulch Trailhead is a left turn off of the Box Canyon Trail, at Waypoint SG15. Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,500 feet, the trail gradually climbs up a winding canyon. There are really only a couple of obstacles on this trail, but there aren’t any bypasses, and no easy way to turn around. So once you’re deep in the canyon, you’re pretty much committed! At Waypoint SG 21, there’s a short boulder field, with a series of large rocks ranging in size from 18 inches to 36 inches in diameter. At Waypoint SG22 is the "V" Rocks, consisting of two 36+ inch rocks which form a "V". Don’t attempt this obstacle without rocker panel protection, cuz it will rearrange your lower sheet metal! Short wheelbase vehicles fair better on this obstacle than do longer ones. The actual trail is less than 1.5 miles long and takes about 2 hours to 3 hours or so to complete. But there are a few play areas to and from the trailhead, such as the ledges near Waypoint SG07, which will make for a longer outing if you want.
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Broad Canyon
Broad Canyon is now famous for its playgrounds and vehicle testing capabilities. This is just what it sounds like, a broad canyon approximately 25 miles north of Las Cruces. The official trail follows a sandy, boulder covered arroyo bottom until finally reaching a graded dirt road to the exit. However, there are many and various rock formations to test your skills.
The Snake Pit changes with every rain. Therefore, the difficulty also changes frequently. However, there are always large boulders to maneuver over and then it's your choice to take the tight squeeze out or climb the wall! Most other obstacles have a bypass, or an easier way through.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Broad Canyon Trail is located about 20 miles Northwest of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and take Exit # 19. Turn left (West) onto SR 157 (Ft. Seldon Rd), then right (NW) onto SR 185. Travel approximately 6.8 miles and turn left onto the dirt road. Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,600 feet, the trail takes you through "Broad Canyon", which contains boulders as large as 24 inches to 36 inches in diameter. At Waypoint BD05 is "The Test Rock", which can be used as a test to see if you will make it through the rest of the trail. At waypoint BD10 is the Snake Pit, a 5-foot nearly vertical wall to climb. The bypass, in the arroyo, may or may not be blocked. Finally, at waypoint BD11 is a "playground" with various rocks and ledges you can climb. The trail is only a little under 9 miles long and takes approximately 5 hours or so to complete.
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Off Broadway
This trail was a new trail added for the 1999 Chile Challenge. It begins about 15 miles north of the fairgrounds at the west end of Broad Canyon. This trail also changes with rainfall and you never really know what's around the next corner. The terrain consist of a sandy arroyo bottom with large boulders and a couple ledges.
The boulders here are large and troublesome. Many fine, well equipped four wheelers have been snagged by these babies. Skill will be needed to place your tires in just the right spot, while always looking ahead for the next "land mine". There is one tight squeeze which has gotten a bit easier lately. However, it also has a bypass.
The following information provided by Glenn Bontly of webejeepin.com.
To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click
HERE.
The Off Broadway Trail is located about 20 miles Northwest of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-10 West out of Las Cruces and take the Airport Exit (# 132). Continue traveling west on the frontage road for approximately 4 miles. Turn right onto the paved road with the arched sign above that says "Carralitos Ranch". Follow the main road northbound for about 6.75 miles; then turn left at the intersection. Travel northwest for approximately 11.8 miles, through several "dips" in the paved road. Turn right onto the dirt road, go through the gate (please close the gate after the last person is through), and air down (the dirt road is really rough). Proceed northeast; the trailhead is less then 2 miles away, at Waypoint OB12. Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,700 feet to 4,900 feet, the trail crisscrosses a dry streambed, with a continuous series of large rocks ranging in size from 18 inches to 36 inches in diameter. At Waypoint OB14, the trail follows the canyon to the right; however, there’s also an optional steep climb straight ahead up the side of the hill. The trail is less than 3 miles long and takes about 2 hours to 3 hours or so to complete.
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Extreme Trails:
Our Extreme Trails Require 33” or Bigger Tires, 2 Solid Lockers & Very Experienced Driver
Rocotillo Rapids
Rocotillo Rapids was a new trail added for the 1999 Chile Challenge. This trail is also located in the Chile Canyons and basically starts at the east side of the canyons and follows a grueling arroyo bottom to the west side of the canyons and back. All of the trails in the Chile Canyons will traverse sand and sandstone. Boulders, rock ledges and waterfalls are common.
This is perhaps our most difficult, technical trail. Every obstacle is a major obstacle. This trail is reserved for the biggest of the "big boys". Two waterfalls are "winch only". Some of the boulders at the start of the trail are larger than most vehicles! Bring extra food and plan for a long day, this could easily turn into a twelve hour day!
THIS IS A WINCH ONLY TRAIL ! You MUST have a winch to participate on this trail.
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The Gauntlet
Want a challenge? How about huge water falls and mean nasty rock ledges. Desert Mountain Four Wheel Drive Club has a world class trail in The Gauntlet, a challenge for any 4 Wheeler. This is not a run for “Porch Puppies”. It is located 70 miles east of Las Cruces, in Coyote Canyon, this is worth the drive.
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Patzcuarro’s Revenge
Patzcuarro's Revenge was the location of the finals for the 1998 BFG Rock Crawling Championship The trail begins next to Rocotillo Rapids and winds up in a neighboring arroyo at the loop road around the canyons
Although most participants fear (and break on) the first two waterfalls, there are several more challenging ledges, boulders and waterfalls upstream, one was the site of a recent roll over. The second waterfall, Nemesis Two, has a winch point if necessary. Please be careful and ask for a line - if you need one.
Dead Link Removed
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Tabasco Twister
This trail is located in the Chile Canyons area just north of Picacho Peak. The trail begins at the south edge of the Chile Canyons and heads northwest up and around the canyons. Scenery includes a great view of the Mesilla Valley and various surrounding mountain ranges.
After a short drive to the actual "entrance" to the trail, you will notice the boulders getting larger and larger. Next will come waterfalls which also get larger and larger. Although two of the most difficult waterfalls have winch points, they will still get your attention by their size and angle. Many hours will be spent watching or repairing vehicles along the way. Plan for a long day. Some vehicles have spent well over ten hours on this trail.
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Habenero Falls
Habanero Falls is located on the northwestern edge of the Chile Canyons system. You will enjoy spectacular views of the Mesilla Valley and the visibility can range over fifty miles on a clear day!
After a mild start down into the Chile Canyons , you will slowly start your climb out, this is were the fun begins. The climax of the trail is seven, yes seven, consecutive waterfalls. With good clearance and solid lockers you may be able to climb each without assistance. One of the waterfalls is featured in the WARN Chile Challange Poster!
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:frustrate 
- Shhhhhhh! 
