Dry Canyon Plateau, NM

If you check the most recent Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map, you will not find this area to be included in the approved routes sections. But... plan on encountering a wayward motorist, especially on the weekends. This area is the closest and nicest of the old Jeep tracks at this lower elevation to Highway 82. That said...

...if you are looking for some pleasant hiking or mountain bike riding over softly rolling terrain, this just might fit the bill. The maps label the old roads as 90J (off West Side Road, Forest Road 90) and 5572. There are no signs and numbers out on the plateau; just a winding maze of tracks curving up and down and around through the scrub. Basically, if you are going up, south and east, you are probably heading back to West Side Road. If you are going down, north and west, you are heading for the outer edges of the plateau.

The plateau is bordered on the north and west by dramatic cliff formations. Dry Canyon forms the Western boundary. Highway 82 forms the Northern border. On the East is West Side Road and Sacramento Gulch. For all practical purposes, the Southern boundary is Pig Canyon.

While you could remain in the confines of the plateau and have a great day, there are also connecting route potentials, including Pig Canyon, Rock House Canyon, Dry Canyon Buttes, Dry Canyon... and all of the other routes flowing off of West Side Road. Just the options connecting off of Dry Canyons make for dozens of great loops.

If you are looking for some very easy backpacking at this moderate elevation, this just might be a great choice.

The true mileage and elevation gains for your outing will be contingent on the route you choose. Try not to get lost.

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2013-04-22 imike