For Our Moderate Trails We Recommend 31” Tires &/or 1 Clutch Type Locker;
(Or An Experienced Driver)

Doña Ana Mountains
The Doña Ana Mountains are located north of Las Cruces on I-25, between Exits 9 and 18. Don't let the optical illusion of these mountains fool you - they only look small. One "small" arch visible from the freeway, Eye of the Needle, is actually large enough to drive a Jeep through!

Scattered among the sandy arroyo bottoms are some large rock formations and mountains that are large enough to fit three groups of 20 vehicles at one time! Each version of the Doña Ana Mountains trails, (easy, moderate and hard) takes a different path in. on and around the mountains. This is a great area for easy and moderate trail runners to witness "Hard" trails up close.

Many obstacles are off-camber and at steep angles. The hard trail climbs up the "back way" to the Eye of the Needle which has a couple of tough, sandy ledges. The exit is over the mountain and down the Alpine Downhill. You will notice your rear tires will lift off the ground on this descent, don't hesitate, just close your eyes, hang on and go! Some of the "crazies" in the group will turn around and try to go up the Alpine Downhill! A feat few have accomplished.

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To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click HERE.

The Dona Ana Trail is located about 5 miles North of Las Cruces. However, it's more of a "playground" than a trail, consisting of several trails that loop around and interconnect with each other. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd) turn left (West). Turn right on Dona Ana Rd, then right again on SR 158 (Hill Rd). Air down anytime after crossing under I-25. Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,800 feet, the trail takes you in and around the foothills of the Dona Ana Mountains. Much of the trail consists of sandy arroyos, but there are several rather steep hill climbs and descents, and a few scary off-camber obstacles. Just a few miles to the West is Dona Ana Peak (which is about 5,700 feet in elevation). The portion of the trail shown below is just under 10 miles long and takes approximately 2 hours to 3 hours to complete.

Amatista Ledges
This trail is located in the Chile Canyons. Views of the Mesilla Valley and surrounding mountains are inspiring. This trail is another good trail to run, and with time permitting, you can pass by some of the extreme trails to watch the action.

It starts off by going down Big Jim canyon, a series of ledges and small waterfalls. It then heads up stream to the "Grease Pit," an obstacle officially on the Hopping Jalapeño Trail. A short way up the arroyo is the "Bath Tub," a deep long "V" to straddle. The remaining trail up and out of the canyon consist of a series of ledges and waterfalls.

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To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click HERE.
The Amaitista Ledges Trail is located about 5 miles West of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd) turn left (West). Turn right on SR 185, left on CR D052, and right on Rocky Acres Trail. Air down anytime after hitting the dirt road (note: this is also the trailhead for the several other trails in this area). Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,800 feet, the trail takes you down into some very rocky arroyos, with rocks as large as 18 inches to 24 inches in diameter. There are also several steep ledges (ranging in 2 feet to 4 feet), which you must descend. "The Bathtub," which gets it name from the approximately 4-foot deep crevice that fills up with water during the wet season. It's highly recommended that you use a spotter to navigate the Bathtub! Otherwise use the bypass to the right. The trail is only a little over 5 miles long and takes approximately 4 hours or so to complete.

Hopping Jalapeño
This trail consist of four canyons in the heart of the Chile Canyons. It heads up and down each canyon depending on its difficulty. This is a great trail for the beginning four wheeler who's ready to step up to step up to something more difficult.

Their several ledges to drop off or to climb, depending on your direction. The optional deep "V" known as the "Grease Pit," is a test of nerves to straddle. It is easily deep enough to change your oil without crouching. There are no single obstacles that stand out on this trail. It is just one ledge after another.

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To view a map, GPS coordinates, and a couple snapshots for this trail, click HERE.

The Hopping Jalapeño Trail is located about 5 miles West of Las Cruces. To get to the trailhead, take I-25 North out of Las Cruces and exit at Dona Ana (SR 320, E. Thorpe Rd) turn left (West). Turn right on SR 185, left on CR D052, and right on Rocky Acres Trail. Air down anytime after hitting the dirt road (note: this is also the trailhead for several other trails in this area). Ranging in elevation from approximately 4,100 feet to 4,700 feet, the trail takes you down into some very rocky arroyos, with rocks as large as 12 inches to 18 inches in diameter. There are also a few ledges (ranging from 2 feet to 3 feet), which you must ascend and descend. At Waypoint HJ19 is "The Grease Pit", which gets it name from the approximately 4-foot deep crevice that that you must carefully straddle to cross over which, you might want to change your oil if you have time . It's highly recommended that you use a spotter to navigate the Grease Pit! Otherwise use the bypass to the left. The trail is a little less than 3.5 miles long and takes approximately 3 hours or so to complete.  

San Diego / Tonuco Mine Loop
North San Diego Mountain
San Diego Mountain is located just west of 1-25 approximately 25 miles north of Las Cruces. The trail passes the Doña Ana Mountains, Ft. Seldon Monument and Signal Peak. From the top of the mountain on a clear day, you can see the southern end of the Trinity explosion site, where the first atomic bomb was detonated. You can see a great view of I-25, the cars and trucks look like ants.

The trail starts with the sandy arroyo bottoms of Articulation Alley. Next, the trail heads to the Mine Loop, up and around an old mine. Two ore chutes are still visible. This part of the trail is very off-camber and a steady hand and heart is necessary. During a short break for lunch, you can visit some petroglyphs dating back to 1200-1300 a.d.

Then, the ascent to top of San Diego Mountain. There are some large rolling boulders in this section, but a steady pace will get you to the view at the top. The trail continues down the north side of the mountain. Switchbacks and a few washouts are the obstacles to mention here. We have had a couple of near roll overs in this section. Be careful! It's a long way down.

Rincon / Salem Canyon Trail
Salem Canyon is about 25 miles north of town. It’s a boulder filled playground about 5 miles long. There are by passes on all obstacles. This is fun trail for everyone and a great place for new “Rock Crawlers” to learn the art. It does have a good amount of highway travel, but the drive is worth it.