The easiest hikes in New Mexico, by the numbers
Of the 54 trails in New Mexico in our dataset, 8 (15 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 8 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Continental Divide Trail has the lowest rating: 53 ft of gain over 2.1 miles, 25 ft per mile.
Across the 8, gain runs from 53 to 291 ft and distance from 1.3 miles to 5 miles; the median gain is 138 ft and the median distance 2.5 miles.
6 of the 8 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental Divide Trail | 2.1 | 53 | 25 | 2% | 4,300 to 4,385 | 14.9 | |
| 2 | Wijiji TrailNational Park | 2 | 70 | 35 | 12% | 6,209 to 6,262 | 16.7 | |
| 3 | Vulcan Volcano LoopCentral New Mexico | 2 | 102 | 51 | 17% | 5,796 to 5,937 | 20.2 | |
| 4 | Tsankawi Ruins TrailNorth Central New Mexico | 1.3 | 173 | 133 | 11% | 6,505 to 6,675 | 21.2 | |
| 5 | Alkali Flat TrailWhite Sands NP | 5 | 95 | 19 | 6% | 3,936 to 3,984 | 30.8 | |
| 6 | San Juan College TrailNorthwestern New Mexico | 2.8 | 175 | 63 | 6% | 5,588 to 5,705 | 31.3 | |
| 7 | Peñasco Blanco TrailNational Park | 3.8 | 265 | 70 | 17% | 6,068 to 6,271 | 44.9 | |
| 8 | Red River Fault Loop TrailNorth Central New Mexico | 4.1 | 291 | 71 | 7% | 7,440 to 7,672 | 48.8 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "New Mexico" here means the 54 trails in New Mexico in our dataset, not every trail in New Mexico.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Continental Divide Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.