Route Editor
Route Scout
The Spillway trail is a wide light trail it runs for 1.15 miles from the south Trailhead located at Signal Butte and McClellan Road to its north end where it intersects with the Meridian Trail. The following description is from south to north. The trail itself connects with the Signal Wash, Levee, Channel, Ruidoso Trails and Meridian. The trail is an excellent way into the center of the trail system in Usery Mountain Park. The route helps avoid the more crowded trailhead located in the main park area and the other popular ones. The trail itself on the southern end is flat and sandy with little to no shade. As you go north from the southern trailhead will first pass the Signal Wash trail at its southern end and then again at its northern end as you approach the southern bank of the Levee at the top of the Levee you intersect with the Levee Trail. You will notice signs asking you to please use the ramps as the traffic erodes the Levee walls. Once on top of the levee you can pause and enjoy some of the valley. Now you move north and descend into the levee channel and climb up the ramp on the north side to the intersection with the Channel Trail. From here the trail narrows some and more Palo Verde and Ironwood trees line the trail giving you a short shaded break. In this area you will see more birds, rabbit's lizards and chipmunks. As you continue north the next trail intersection is the Ruidoso Trail continue north to the intersection with the Meridian Trail which is the termination point on the trails north end. It is a popular way for local runners, hikers, mountain bikers and horse back riders to access the trail system in Usery Mountain Park. Note: This trail gets lots of Mountain Bike and Equestrian activity so the trail can be rutted and also lots of road apples watch where you step. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
One-Way Notice This hike is listed as One-Way. When hiking several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Reviews
Spillway Trail - Usery
Normally this is an uneventful exercise hike for me after work or before dinner I rarely take any camera other then my cell phone, but tonight I happened to have my regular camera and was treated to not 1 but 2 great horned owl's on the southern peak of Cat Peaks.
As I rounded the peak on the west side I heard hooting and all of a sudden I saw a rock move at the top of the peak I watched for a while and attempted to get some non fuzzy photos with my point and shoot super zoom while doing that I noticed another moving rock which happened to be a second owl. The second Owl turned around at which point the other Owl jumped on top of the lower owl and did this a few times. I am not 100% sure of what was going on but it looked like they were enjoying the beautiful sunset also.
As I rounded the peak on the west side I heard hooting and all of a sudden I saw a rock move at the top of the peak I watched for a while and attempted to get some non fuzzy photos with my point and shoot super zoom while doing that I noticed another moving rock which happened to be a second owl. The second Owl turned around at which point the other Owl jumped on top of the lower owl and did this a few times. I am not 100% sure of what was going on but it looked like they were enjoying the beautiful sunset also.
2014-01-28 BEEBEE
Spillway Trail - Usery
Pass Mountain 26K
wanted to try something new and this worked out well. perfect day for a long run.
great event and really well put together
rolled my ankle last week so i was very deliberate with my footing. thankfully came out unscathed
great event and really well put together
rolled my ankle last week so i was very deliberate with my footing. thankfully came out unscathed
2013-11-16 fricknaley
Spillway Trail - Usery
I met my friend Frank and his son for a off road baby buggy friendly hike in Usery. We started out from the Trail head on Crismon and Mckellips headed north on the Levee Trail to Moon rock where we went east and joined the Blevins trial. From all the rain last week there were lots of ruts cut where the washes cross the Blevins. Some areas were filled more from the silt but the trail was not muddy just moist in places. As we passed Cat peaks we joined Meridian and then headed south on the Spillway trail down and across the Levee channel which was very muddy and had lots of standing water in places. After crossing the Levee we headed West on the Levee trail. Looking down into the channel all the spots where the various washes empty into the flood control channel were piled high with fresh silt from the rains. The Channel trail itself looked like a muddy mess with some spotty mountain bike tracks on it. The hike was a nice quick one and the Jeep Baby Buggy did well.
2011-12-21 BEEBEE
Spillway Trail - Usery
Okay so maybe deciding to finally hike the Pass Mountain Loop trail from the Trailhead by my house with a late start when the temps were all ready hitting 90 was not a great idea. I have wanted to make the loop from home for the last few weeks but something would come up that time wise would prevent me from doing it. so I finally decided today was going to be the day. I got up at 630 and prepared. Then after several things came up around the house it was 930 and I was walking to the trailhead. It was all ready getting warm. It was in the high 80's as I entered Usery and the Spillway TH and I started thinking maybe I should just make this a shorter local loop and wait for another day, but I made up my mind that today was it.
I hiked the 2 miles up to where you leave Usery and enter the National Forrest and link up with the Pass Mountain Trail. I decided that based on the time of day that doing the west side first may be a better choice that way I might have an opportunity for some shade on the eastern side as the afternoon approached. I stopped at the Wind cave TH and topped off with water and continued around the west side to the north side of the mountain. The views are impressive and being up close and personal with the mountain I look at daily from home was cool. I snapped pictures and kept track on my GPS of my total distance traveled. As I made it around to the east side I was rewarded with more views of the Goldfields and the river valley. All the time the temps are still rising. As I found shady areas I took breaks to cool down and talked to a fellow hiker doing the loop from east to west.
As I got to the top of the saddle it was another rewarding view to the north more of the river valley, the Goldfields and up to the rim, and to the south and east the Sups the Santan's and the rest of the valley. I began my climb down the saddle and was realizing that I was not going to see shade for a while. I got down to the bottom of the saddle and made my way around the south side to the Cat Peaks Trail and started heading south to home. At this point I was overheated and even though I thoroughly enjoyed the hike and the views that accompanied it I was definitely approaching my limits for hiking in full sun and 90 + heat. I exited the park at Spillway and made my short walk home happy I got the loop done I have wanted to do for some time, but also happy to be out of the sun and able to cool off. I plan on doing this again once it cools down some more.
GPS Route and Pics to follow
I hiked the 2 miles up to where you leave Usery and enter the National Forrest and link up with the Pass Mountain Trail. I decided that based on the time of day that doing the west side first may be a better choice that way I might have an opportunity for some shade on the eastern side as the afternoon approached. I stopped at the Wind cave TH and topped off with water and continued around the west side to the north side of the mountain. The views are impressive and being up close and personal with the mountain I look at daily from home was cool. I snapped pictures and kept track on my GPS of my total distance traveled. As I made it around to the east side I was rewarded with more views of the Goldfields and the river valley. All the time the temps are still rising. As I found shady areas I took breaks to cool down and talked to a fellow hiker doing the loop from east to west.
As I got to the top of the saddle it was another rewarding view to the north more of the river valley, the Goldfields and up to the rim, and to the south and east the Sups the Santan's and the rest of the valley. I began my climb down the saddle and was realizing that I was not going to see shade for a while. I got down to the bottom of the saddle and made my way around the south side to the Cat Peaks Trail and started heading south to home. At this point I was overheated and even though I thoroughly enjoyed the hike and the views that accompanied it I was definitely approaching my limits for hiking in full sun and 90 + heat. I exited the park at Spillway and made my short walk home happy I got the loop done I have wanted to do for some time, but also happy to be out of the sun and able to cool off. I plan on doing this again once it cools down some more.
GPS Route and Pics to follow
2011-10-11 BEEBEE
Spillway Trail - Usery
I departed from the southern Trailhead for Spillway and hiked up to Meridian linked up with Blevins hiked the northern loop and extended it with Moon Rock. I then linked back up with Belivins Meridian and the the Spilway Trail back to home. Lots of mountain bikers today but not as many hikers.
2011-10-09 BEEBEE
Spillway Trail - Usery
This was a quick Morning hike now that the weather is cooling down. I started from the Spilway trail on Signal Butte and hiked up to the Meridian Trail, Blevins trail and then on the the Cat Peak loop trail and the back down Blevins, Meridian and Spilway back to home. I saw mostly Rabbits, Chipmunks and Lizards no Rattle Snakes today.
2011-10-04 BEEBEE
