Fall colors at the Big Tesuque Trailhead on Hyde Park Road in October 2023. Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway is one of 25 designated scenic byways in the state.
Luis Sánchez Saturno/New Mexican file photo
The drive to the trail
Before your hiking shoes even hit the dirt, the trip to the trailhead will get you in the mood to spend a day outdoors.
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I’ve lived in six states. I can say without question that the roads and the drivers in New Mexico have been the worst, but the views out the window are by far the best.
There are 25 designated scenic byways in New Mexico covering more than 2,900 miles, including nine National Scenic Byways, eight state byways and eight federal agency back country byways on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land.
The High Road to Taos, the Enchanted Circle, the Jemez Mountain Trail and the Turquoise Trail are just a few scenic byways in Northern New Mexico that will take your breath away. There are many undesignated routes that are just as incredible.
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San Ysidro Trials, a little over an hour’s drive southwest of Santa Fe, offers opportunity for exploration through slot canyons and around tinajas, which are depressions in the rock that fill with snowmelt and rain to form pools.
Matt Dahlseid/New Mexican file photo
The diversity of landscapes
Frequently depicted as an arid desert state, New Mexico’s geographic diversity comes as a surprise to many who visit.
The fifth-largest state in the U.S. has a wide-range of landscapes that make hiking here never feel stale. There are badlands, grasslands, mesas, mountains, canyons, forests, rolling hills, volcanic fields and more. The place is a geologist’s dream. And the best thing is, the varied elevations allow for year-round hiking.
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Nearly one-third of the state is covered in forest, and there are pockets where you can feel more like you’re in the Pacific Northwest than the desert Southwest.
But, yeah, there’s a lot of desert, too, and it can be a lot of fun to hike. The San Ysidro area northwest of Albuquerque is among the desert regions I enjoy exploring. Just make sure to stick to the cooler months and bring plenty of water and sun protection in every season.
A reconstructed portion of an ancient complex on the mesa top at Puye Cliff Dwellings.
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Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
Connecting with human history
Footprints preserved in an ancient lake bed at White Sands National Park offer evidence that humans existed in North America 21,000 to 23,000 years ago, about 7,000 years before previously thought. The footprints, discovered in 2009 and carbon dated in 2021, are not currently accessible at the park, but there are many other locations in New Mexico where visitors can gain a better understanding of the long human history on the land.
The Ancestral Pueblo and Mogollon people lived in present-day New Mexico well over 1,000 years ago. Their settlements of grand pueblos and cliff dwellings supported hundreds to thousands of people. Their descendants still live in New Mexico and across Four Corners region.
Places like Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Bandelier National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings and Puye Cliff Dwellings allow visitors to learn about the fascinating human history of these areas. With all such locations, practice Leave No Trace principles and do not disturb any historic structures or cultural artifacts.
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Buildings constructed for the production of Oppenheimer can be seen in the valley beneath Cerro Pedernal near Abiquiú.
Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
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Feeling like you’re in a movie
Walking through the sandy bottom of a striking canyon or emerging from the pine trees into a large alpine valley can seem like a cinematic experience to hikers in New Mexico. If you feel like you’re passing through the setting of a Western film, it’s quite possible that you are.
Oppenheimer is the most recent of the blockbuster productions filmed in the state, but the movie industry has used New Mexico’s varied landscapes as a backdrop for many other iconic pictures and television series over the decades.
Diablo Canyon near Santa Fe, Valles Caldera in the Jemez Mountains, and Ghost Ranch and Plaza Blanca in the Abiquiú area are some of the more popular filming locations in Northern New Mexico, and all of these sites offer memorable hiking opportunities.
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Alamo Canyon as seen from Upper Alamo Trail in Bandelier National Monument. While Bandelier’s Pueblo Loop Trail is frequently bustling with people, its backcountry trails see little traffic.
Matt Dahlseid/New Mexican file photo
Discovering solitude
As much as the state is working to grow the outdoor tourism industry, New Mexico still lags well behind its Four Corners neighbors in that regard.
Sure, there are some places where you may encounter heavy traffic on the trails — Bandelier National Monument, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and the route up Wheeler Peak in the summer, to name a few. But for those who prefer to appreciate the wonders of nature in peace, it doesn’t take much effort to get away from crowds.
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There are 39 wilderness areas across the state that cover nearly 2 million acres and all varieties of terrain.
While the most popular trails found on apps and websites are frequently fantastic, many of the least reviewed ones are, too. That’s where you’re most likely to experience the beauty of a forest or desert without another soul in sight.
Trail runners head down Penitente Peak with Santa Fe Baldy in the distance. Mountain peaks can be a good place to make new acquaintances with fellow nature lovers.
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Matt Dahlseid/New Mexican file photo
Meeting other people
You’re in New Mexico. You’re in the wilderness. You’re on top of a mountain. There’s one other person on the mountain. You begin conversing. You obviously have at least a couple things in common. You bond over those couple things. New friend? Maybe. At least for a few minutes.
As great as it can be to have space to yourself, it can also be kind of nice to meet other people. I don’t know if it’s the lack of oxygen or what, but I get more talkative on mountains and always seem to strike up a conversation.
Several times I’ve finished a hike with a stranger who I met halfway. Frequently, I’ll run into someone I met months or years ago on a trail and we’ll greet each other like old friends. A few times I’ve exchanged contact info and made a new hiking buddy.
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There are some pretty cool people out there on the trail. Sometimes it’s the chance encounters with total strangers can be the most memorable part of a hike.
The Bisti/De-Na-Zin (pictured) and Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah wilderness areas in northwest New Mexico offer some of the most psychedelic landscapes in the country.
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Matt Dahlseid/New Mexican file photo
Entering different dimensions
Immersive art and entertainment giant Meow Wolf has had visitors flocking to its House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe for nearly a decade to take a psychedelic adventure. Nature has provided its own venues for that for much longer.
Multiple mind-bending realms span the state. There’s the ethereal gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park in the south; the snaking slot canyon that opens to reveal towering cone-shaped formations at the aforementioned Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument between Albuquerque and Santa Fe; and then there’s the hallucinogenic hoodoos of the badlands of northwest New Mexico.
The Bisti/De-Na-Zin and Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah wilderness areas are among the most unique landscapes in the world, where manta ray shaped formations balance on eroding pedestals and large oval rocks with bizarre markings incubate in the “Alien Egg Hatchery.”
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But it’s not otherworldly. It’s just New Mexico.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep graze at 12,000 feet atop Penitente Peak in the Pecos Wilderness. The animals’ signature spiral horns can weight up to 30 pounds.
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Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
Creature encounters
New Mexico’s wildlife can leave just as big of an impression on a hiker as its landscapes.
Wave upon wave of sandhill cranes, snow geese and other migratory birds winter along the Rio Grande. Watching an avion mass ascension and hearing their cacophony of calls is both overwhelming and moving — a primal experience.
In the fall, the bugling of hundreds of bull elk echoes across the mountain valleys of the Valle Vidal and the Valles Caldera. Haunting and eerie, the sounds are as much a part of these spaces as their physical features.
Make your way to the top of a mountain and you may meet a cluster of bighorn sheep who barely acknowledge your presence as they graze on the slope.
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Whether it’s a bear, pika, lizard, snake, tarantula, mule deer or coyote, sharing space with another creature helps remind us that we have a responsibility to preserve the land for all its inhabitants.
Hikers pass through the narrows of the East Fork Box on the way to a waterfall on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. An 11-mile stretch of the East Fork of the Jemez River received a National Wild and Scenic River designation in 1990.
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Matt Dahlseid/New Mexican file photo
Finding water
Water is a precious resource in the Western U.S., particularly in New Mexico.
Just 0.2% of the landlocked state’s total area is covered by water, the smallest percentage of any state in the nation.
Used to seeing bone-dry arroyos during their day-to-day lives, New Mexicans are drawn to water for their outdoor fun.
Dramatic vistas of the Rio Grande can be seen from hikes along the rim of the gorge 800 feet above the river near Taos and Questa. And in the Jemez Mountains, the East Fork of the Jemez River attracts residents from Albuquerque and Santa Fe to hike along the tranquil stream.
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The jewels of New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the scattered alpine lakes set in the Pecos Wilderness. Most can only be reached by foot or hoof and take hours of difficult high-altitude hiking to reach, but the reward is well worth the strain.
Virga appears over the badlands north of Santa Fe in summer of 2023.
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Matt Dahlseid/New Mexican file photo
The sky
Ask residents what their favorite part of living in New Mexico is and some will say “the sky.”
The sky seems different here than elsewhere. Take a hike on a sunny day (which is the vast majority of days in New Mexico) and the blue looks bluer, especially when contrasted against colorful rocks or cliffs. The dry air, high elevation and lower levels of pollutants help make the sky’s colors appear more vibrant.
This can also be noticed during the state’s famous sunsets, which are appointment viewing like a prime-time television show.
Hiking in the badlands or foothills during golden hour is magical. The pink alpenglow on the mountains, the feathery curtains of rain in the spring that hang on the horizon and reflect the light, it’s all utterly spellbinding.
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Look to the sky, smile and give thanks, for you got to spend another day hiking in New Mexico.
What are your favorite things about hiking in New Mexico? Feel free to share in the comments.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A leader in the New Mexico Republican Party was arrested Wednesday, accused of a deadly hit-and-run in Las Cruces.
Former Treasurer of the Republican Party in New Mexico, Kimberly Ann Skaggs, 54, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene and tampering with evidence, jail records show.
Police documents show the charges stem from a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened Monday afternoon, which killed 40-year-old bicyclist, Andrew Brown.
Investigators believed Skaggs was involved after an investigation revealed that Skaggs allegedly was driving fast in the area, fled the scene after the crash and then tried to hide the vehicle from authorities.
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The investigation
According to police documents, a witness at the scene of the crash– 850 N. Fairacres Rd.– described seeing a dark blonde-haired woman flee in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV.
Afterwards, investigators said they saw on Flock cameras– A.I. powered license plate readers– a black Cadillac Escalade traveling near the site of the crash minutes before the incident.
READ MORE: Dona Ana County expands Flock license plate cameras as officials cite crime-solving gains
The license plates showed that the vehicle belonged to Skaggs and that, in September 2025, the Las Cruces Police Department had given her a citation for “racing on streets-exhibition driving.”
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Investigators stated that a business on Picacho Ave. captured what they alleged was the same black Cadillac Escalade driving fast.
Then, the documents described how investigators tracked down the Escalade using OnStar’s live GPS tracking, discovering the SUV was at a property on the 5000 block of Northwind Road, which investigators said the Dona Ana County Assessors Office confirmed is a property owned by Skaggs.
On Tuesday, at around 6:41 p.m.– over 24 hours after the deadly hit-and-run– investigators executed a search warrant on the property and described finding the black Cadillac Escalade behind a home, under a red metal carport.
Investigators noted damage on the SUV consistent with the crash, highlighting that there was blood splatter near one of the front tires, markings on the front bumper consistent with hitting a bicycle and parts missing, which investigators said were the same parts found at the scene.
Dona Ana County jail records show Skaggs was booked on Wednesday afternoon and remains jailed without a bond.
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About Skaggs
On the official website of the Republican Party of New Mexico, Skaggs was listed as the treasurer before she was removed.
KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the Republican Party to learn more and are waiting for a comment regarding the arrest.
Also, according to election statistics, Skaggs ran for State Representative in District 36 in 2022 and 2024, losing both times to Democrat Nathan P. Small.
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SANTA FE, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham asked Attorney General Raúl Torrez to investigate whether any Drug Enforcement Administration agents broke state law when pills reached New Mexico streets.
In a statement, Lujan Grisham said, “make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities.”
The governor also shared a timeline from 2022 to 2025 that she said shows when she asked federal officials for help with New Mexico’s fentanyl crisis and violent crime.
Lujan Grisham said the first request came on June 21, 2022, when she wrote to then-Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray and asked for 50 additional federal agents.
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She said she wrote to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland on Sept. 15, 2022, asking for more agents, resources and support for New Mexico law enforcement.
Lujan Grisham said she wrote Garland a second time on Aug. 8, 2023, with the same request.
What came next?
About a month later, Lujan Grisham said she sent Garland a third letter and said New Mexico needed more federal law enforcement to curb violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
She said her most recent request came on Sept. 4, 2025, when she wrote to former Attorney General Pam Bondi and again asked for additional agents and resources.
The governor’s statement says those requests span several years as she pressed the federal government for more help in New Mexico.
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Full statement from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham:
“I am appalled by reporting this week by the Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal that revealed federal authorities made a deliberate decision to let hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills flood into New Mexico communities, despite knowing that fentanyl is so lethal the White House has designated it a weapon of mass destruction.
Let me say that again: the Drug Enforcement Administration watched as 74,000 fentanyl pills were delivered to a mobile home park in Albuquerque, and they did nothing. And that’s just one transaction. Shockingly, the federal government stood by while monitoring shipments, tallying exact pill counts, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets.
There are no words to describe how reckless and dangerous these decisions were. Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway. The result: hundreds of New Mexican parents burying their kids. Hundreds of New Mexican kids growing up without stable parents. All while the federal government stood by.
If the justification for letting these pills flood our communities was that it would somehow make New Mexico safer down the road through bigger eventual busts, the results say otherwise. New Mexico now leads the nation in the increase in overdose deaths for the second straight year, despite deaths dropping nationwide.
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Today, I wrote to Attorney General Raúl Torrez and asked him to investigate whether any federal agents broke state law when they allowed lethal drugs to remain on our streets, and to prosecute anyone responsible — regardless of whether they are a federal agent or not.
I have spent years working across two administrations — writing letters, traveling to Washington, meeting directly with President Joe Biden and his cabinet, pushing for accountability, asking for more federal agents to be deployed to New Mexico to help fight this crisis.
On June 21, 2022, I wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray, imploring the FBI to assign no less than 50 additional agents to New Mexico to stem escalating drug trafficking and violent crime.
On September 15, 2022, I wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that the Department of Justice provide additional federal agents, resources and support to New Mexico law enforcement. We asked the department to match the level of investigative, analytical, and technical resources the FBI had deployed in its Buffalo, NY surge.
On August 8, 2023, I wrote again to Attorney General Garland, renewing my request that the DOJ expeditiously assign more federal agents to New Mexico.
On September 7, 2023, I wrote to Attorney General Garland for a third time, reiterating my request once more federal law enforcement support to curb violent crime, drug and human trafficking.
On September 4, 2025, I wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, once again requesting additional agents and resources.
I have declared the surge of drugs like fentanyl to be a public health emergency. I have deployed the National Guard to both Albuquerque and Española. While my administration was doing everything we could to stem the tide of fentanyl coming into our state, the federal government deliberately allowed it to flood in.
New Mexican lives are not the federal government’s cost of doing business.
I plan to hold the federal government accountable for this disaster and will explore every possible avenue of action against the federal government to right these wrongs.”
The Canyon Venado Fire has grown to 852 acres east of Clines Corners and crews say wind farms in the area are threatened.
CLINES CORNERS, N.M. – The Canyon Venado Fire has grown to 852 acres east of Clines Corners and crews say wind farms in the area are threatened.
The fire is burning just east of Clines Corners, south of Interstate 40.
It forced the closure of eastbound Interstate 40 at Clines Corners on Tuesday night. I-40 reopened Tuesday night. I-40 is back open but smoke still affects visibility.
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“We’re on the side of I-40 so drivers have to be pretty cautious. As far as our establishment itself we’re pretty isolated by the freeway itself as a nice fire break,” said Lincoln Tarantino, Clines Corner general manager.
The fire has burned around 852 acres, up from just 20 at this time Monday.
Crews say the fire is not contained and wind farms in the area are threatened.
