Tub Rock Canyon, NM

Walking up Lost Trail Canyon South you find yourself walking across some interesting slabs of rock layered into interesting formations… and pocked with one large tub depression in the middle.

What you may not easily note is that this formation is the result of added erosion from a canyon cut coming in from your right. Climb the slabs on your right and enter Tub Rock Canyon.

This Spur Canyon angles up and into Ortega Ridge North, terminating about halfway up the ridge.

You have the option to walk the canyon bottom… or, angle up and around on the nice game trails along the right hand side of the cut. Either route will carry you up to the first dryfall formation.

Once to that point the nicer way to enjoy the canyon is walking the ridgeline to the south. This gives you both Tub Rock Canyon views and allows nicer overviews down into Ortega Canyon North.

At the first highpoint, Fredo Peak, you will be looking across to the saddle between the two Ortega Canyon cuts.

Soon, Staircase Canyon - Yubao’s Cut will come into view… this perspective shows the great stepped features that make it one of the nicer canyon hikes.

The drainage slowly turns into a mostly ridge type hike, peaking out on the west side of Ridge Bluff Peak.

Effectively, this shorter, shallower canyon cut is best used as an approach to access Ortega Ridge North... but, it could also be enjoyed up to it’s interesting peak top.

Depending on the approach you take, you will hike one to one and a half mile to reach the mouth of the canyon from the city streets.


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