Overview

Uff! The last six miles of road batters your suspension. The burned crest batters your sensibilities. The thorn brush batters your gear. The clutch of abandoned trails batters your soul. You might ask, “why bother?”. The answer is: Trigo Canyon. In its lower stretches the canyon echos with running water, pools and waterfalls abound, gigantic ponderosa pines tower above you, spectacular rock outcrops tower above the ponderosa, while huge canyon walls shadow the outcrops. Kick your day into high-gear and stroll up the lower reaches of Trigo Canyon.

It should be admitted that it took me several trips to hike the short distance described here. There are many roads leading to the canyon and finding a good driving route was unexpectedly difficult. There is little signage. The driving directions (below) might be of particular use for this hike.

2021-11-24 Update: The New Mexico Volunteers For The Outdoors visited Trigo Canyon on several occasions in May and June of 2020, and as a result of their labor the trail has been cleared substantially. I’ve updated the post to reflect their hard work. I understand that an active court case interfered with the removal of New Mexico locust and other prickly flora, so keep your heavy gaiters and gloves ready-to-hand. The road remains a mess, so high clearance vehicles are still very much recommended.