The Mesitas area of the Santa Fe National Forest, located off 31-Mile Road west of Española, is a well-known spot for gathering wood in the fall and winter months. But it also offers easily accessible wilderness for anyone with a good map.
Santa Fe National Forest outdoor recreation planner Miles Standish said with virtually no visitors and no road or trail markings, Mesitas is a great place for a summer adventure. Bring a map, GPS and survival essentials, he said.
“It looks like wilderness, but it’s not,” Standish said. “It’s a good route-finding exercise.”
Standish said well-prepared visitors can discover beautiful canyons, forests, large mountain meadows and the many forks of Polvadera Creek. Along Forest Road 27, which runs north from 31-Mile Road, there is a labyrinth of old skid trails and logging roads largely undiscovered by campers, mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders, Standish said.
“You’d be surprised to run into anybody,” Standish said.
For those who are a bit less adventurous, Standish said there are several trails ripe for mountain biking or hiking on Forest land west of Medanales and accessible directly from Highway 84. The area has been designated off-limits to motorized vehicles for many years, but two years ago the Forest erected gates to enforce that rule.
Standish said since that time, visitors have reported seeing a resurgence of elk herds in the area.
To access the trails, take Highway 84 north past Chili. Look for green gates on the west side of the road — each one marks an old road leading into the Forest.
For more information, visit the Forest office in Española at 1710 N. Riverside Drive or call 753-7331. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m.