Hike a New Mexico Classic

The SST Trail is just over the Rio Grande, 10 minutes away from the nearest gas station and local elementary school in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. You would not believe this as you hike, mountain bike, or go horseback riding on this 6-mile trail. The crowds are sparse. You are more likely to encounter cows roaming the trail than another visitor. It is located within Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, which is in the Robledo Mountains, and surrounded by Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and the Robledo Mountains Wilderness Area.

The SST Trail is an in-and-out trail although you can make it a loop by returning on an OHV trail, part of the Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System. The trail is rocky and narrow. It dips down into the arroyo a few times, but always rises to the top of the hills to get scenic views of the rolling hills and the valley below. Sotol and ocotillo plants dot the landscape. It is an easy to moderate trail for hikers, but it is recommended that only strong intermediate to advanced mountain bikers attempt to ride this trail.

There is no shade on the trail besides a few junipers in the arroyo, so plan accordingly when hiking in the summer. Due to its location within Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, if you keep your eyes open, you can find small marine fossils embedded in the rocks such as the cross section of crinoid stems that look like tiny cheerios. These are organisms that lived more than 280 million years ago when this desert was, instead, a sea called the Hueco Seaway.

For more information, contact the BLM Las Cruces District Office at 575-525-4300.

Always remember to Recreate Responsibly, Tread Lightly, and Leave No Trace.

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