Taos Area Mountain Bike Trails

This is some of the best Mountain Biking in all of New Mexico! Be prepared for bad weather and carry all the food and water you can! Stop by or call Taos Cyclery (505) 758-5551 for trail maps or additional information.

Trails

This is by far the most popular trail in Taos. It is also one of the most difficult to follow. For people not familiar with this ride they should start at El Nogal parking lot off of 64 East. This is Expert level technically hard climbing with large rock gardens. The climbing is about 5 miles and ends at a meadow, Paradise Park. The next section from Paradise Park to Garcia Park is difficult to follow. Ask for detailed direction from Doug or Chad.

Loops from Valle Escondido and Black Lake on Trail 164 are both 21 miles. Ask for very detailed direction. These are challenging climbs with fast single track descents. This descent is know as "Heaven on Earth" and in the Fall, "The Yellow Brick Road" because of the Fall foliage covering the trail. This is one of the most scenic Mountain Bike rides in all of New Mexico.

A popular local’s trail. Very steep and technical. Used by hikers so control your speed. Best time is early mornings or any time there are less than 4 cars at the parking area. South Face , right at the fork, is stepper and more technical. The North Face is gradual and less technical climbing. Riders are mixed on which direction is preferred.

Forest Roads

Accessed off 518 South of Taos in Talpa. 437 follows a stream and requires some climbing as you head East. 437 gets the most traffic as it is closest to Taos. Thus, it is usually not the best choice, except as access to Garcia Park or as an exit.

This is a good choice as it is closed 7 miles up. Past the closure the road has deteriorated into less of a road and more like a trail. This is a good opportunity to see wildlife because there’s little traffic.

The furthest from Taos and gets the least use. It is technically the most difficult trail as it is particularly steep and rocky. It is also very scenic as the canyon walls are narrow.

There are many ways to connect these roads. Loops varying in length from 25-50 miles or more. Please stick to the main roads unless you are positive about any side roads. Most logging roads lead to dead ends which require retracing your route back. Getting lost is a serious and possible life threatening condition!

Doug's Trail Report

Updated 6-10-07

Trails are clear except for downfall. This is being cleared daily by riders and locals alike. South Boundary is in good enough shape that after riding it once, some mountain bikers from Boulder wanted to do it again the next day. The only trails hampered by snow at this time are up high and north facing, such as Gold Hill to Long Canyon out of the Taos Ski Valley and The Enchanted Forest at Red River.