Little Mineral Springs Trail, NM

Alamogordo is adjacent to numerous hiking opportunities, but if you are looking for a very local hike, the pickin's are a bit slim. "A" Trail (119) is a bit too steep for many folks. Alamo Canyon is the opposite, just flat hiking for miles up the canyon bottom. To split the difference without committing to a lot of driving, Mineral Springs trail provides a nice alternative. If you are in town for a few days, then yes, You might as well do it...

It starts out on a marked trail (#5579) but you need to have a bit of an idea of just where you are headed; these first miles are crosscut with numerous old routes that are the play areas of local ATV. Quite simply, stay on top the levee moving back to the south until it intersects a large wallow, then connect with the old roadway heading east on up into the foothills. You will know you are on the right route when you pass close to the dry wash, on your left, deeply cut and accented with a nice waterfall, colored with bright graffiti. That's the local party spot. The trail moves nicely uphill from there at a gentle slope until it intersects the drainage on your right, at which point you'll angle to your left and begin to climb more steeply.

The next mile is the nicer part of the hike... you move up and around and if you take the time to venture a bit off trail the canyon on your right provides some distracting scenery. The trail terminates around the 2.5 mile point, dropping a bit down into that canyon drainage. Any progress from there would be off trail, and prickly.

The total elevation gain makes for a nice workout and there will be constant city scenes as you make the climb. Since you're there, you might as well check out the Space Museum which is directly adjacent to this trailhead, to the north.

Fun in Alamogordo!

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2010-02-11 imike