Tanbark Canyon (FR 108), NM

Glancing at the topo map for this area will show the upper reaches of Tanbark Canyon to lie west of Forest Road 108. In fact, the canyon proper lies all around that winding forest road. Forest Road 108 is Tanbark Canyon. As such, this route lacks a bit for totally positive aesthetic in regards to hiking... but, the level of traffic is so low along this stretch that you might convince yourself you're just wandering on a very wide dirt trail...? Not really. Still, this does provide a connecting route for a variety of great trails, including the far north end of the Crest Trail (#25). Nogal Peak Trail (#26)also orients from the upper crest of this canyon road.


Skull Canyon Trail (#41)takes off from the lower reaches. At the bottom you connect along Bonita Creek (Forest Road 107) to Argentina Canyon Trail (#39), Turkey Canyon Trail (#40), and Big Bonita Trail (#36).There are a variety of additional canyon, ridge and old logging road routes spurring off from this canyon.

Perhaps the best use of this roadway: mountain biking! This route runs immediately along the White Mountain Wilderness area... the trails within those boundaries prohibit mountain biking... you can score many of the same views along the higher ridges of this canyon!

What most folks may like... just below the canyon lies a real lake... full of water year round! That is rare for this area.

The upper stretch of this canyon road is a series of steeper switchbacks, but the road is usually maintained with most of the rougher spots graded out. The top is not the end of Forest Road 108, but it is the upper end of the canyon...

Check out this area... you will not be disappointed!

2013-05-07 imike