The canyons and mesas in and around Los Alamos are linked by a 58-mile network of trails. Hikers, runners, horseback riders, mountain bikers, and other trail users delight in the variety of trails from which to choose. The trails offer a quick escape from the hectic pace in the town, a route to commute to work, an easy stroll or a physical challenge, and a chance to observe wildlife or to soak in impressive views.
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Los Alamos Community Trail Plan
Los Alamos County has enlisted the assistance of Trail Solutions, a program of the International Mountain Bike Association, to assess the County Trail Network and develop a Community Trail Plan. Click here to visit the Community Trail Plan page.
Trail Trip Descriptions on EveryTrail
Looking for a hike, but not sure of which one to choose? Check out the list of trips on EveryTrail. You'll find maps, directions, and photos for 16 Los Alamos area hiking loops at the site, and it's all downloadable to your smartphone! Click on "Trips" on the menu bar under the gray box to see the trails posted on the site.
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Kwage Mesa Trailhead, Access Trail Relocated
Construction of the new covered riding arena at the North Mesa Stable Area is underway. The new facility will be constructed southeast of the rodeo grounds at the east end of the stables. The arena and entrance road will be built on top of the entrance to the Kwage Mesa Trail on the south side of the mesa. The trailhead at the south side of the Red Jackson Dressage Arena (bounded by a white fence) is closed, as is the access trail that begins at the trailhead.
To work around construction and the future entrance road and parking area, the trailhead for the Kwage Mesa Trail has been relocated to the parking area for the North Mesa Playlot and the tennis courts (if you've been here for a while, it's the east end of the FEMAville tract). There's a wooden trail sign near the playlot, and an existing trail skirts the BMX tract heading toward Kwage Mesa. You can't access this from the stable area; you must enter from the FEMAville road off of San Ildefonso Drive.
From the new trailhead, a 400-foot re-route of the main trail is in place. It's a bit rougher than the original route and right now (until it rains) the soil is a bit soft, but it should work for foot traffic and bikes. Access to the trail for equestrians is probably better via the road on the north side of the mesa.
Once the arena is completed, there may be an opportunity for access to the trail via the parking area.
Whenever it rains, the gas line road used as part of the South Pueblo Bench Trail near the site of the Pueblo Wastewater Treatment Plant turns to gooey mud. For years we've tried various fixes, none of which were successful. With increasingly intense storms, the eastern part of this segment turned into a deepening rut and users have tracked new routes all over the place.
The only solution was to move the trail segment onto a sustainable route. An 800-foot re-alignment is complete and ready for use. The soil is the same, but the new trail is outsloped (tilted slightly downslope) and there are many grade reversals (small dips) so the trail should shed water.
Also, over the years users have worn a singletrack route near the rim of Pueblo Canyon as an alternate to the gasline road that used to service the Peggy Sue Bridge. That road has long been another erosion nightmare, so I'm going to start calling the singletrack the South Pueblo Bench Trail (it used to be the road). There are several "branch" trails in this area, and most of them are highly used and in good shape, so those won't change.
Other Current Trail Conditions and Closures
Due to construction work on the Los Alamos Reservoir, the road to the reservoir is currently closed.
All other trails on Los Alamos County Open Space and in the Española Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest are open.