The red sandstone cliffs and soaring rock formations of the Rio Chama Canyon Wilderness are imposing enough from Forest Road 151, but a hike up a little-used yet nationally-known trail will open up even more of the Wilderness’ natural wonders.
The Continental Divide Trail crosses the Rio Chama at Skull Bridge on Forest Road 151 about nine miles from the turnoff on Highway 84 between Ghost Ranch and Echo Canyon Amphitheater. The trail follows the rough but passable (in dry weather) Forest Road to Skull Bridge. You can park by the bridge, which is closed to vehicles.
This trip up Ojitos Canyon is one of the featured hikes in Northern New Mexico of the Continental Divide Trail Alliance. The round trip hike is 10.7 miles, but a shorter, family-friendly hike of just four miles roundtrip also follows the same route.
The trailhead at Skull Bridge is just a little over an hour’s drive from Española, making it convenient for day-hiking possibilities.
The trail can be reached on the west side of the bridge. On your left, look for a wooden post with the initials “CD” carved into it. This is one of the markers for the route of the trail.
From here, the trail winds through sagebrush flats and is periodically marked. It climbs up Ojitos Canyon, which is named for the nearby springs. The property through which the route cuts was at one time a working cattle ranch and has several metal stock tanks and small ponds along the way.
Although it’s not advisable to drink from them, dipping your hands into the cool, clear water of the spring-fed metal tanks and splashing it on your face is refreshing on a hot summer day. In either case bring drinking water with you.
The trail climbs past massive red rock monoliths and soaring pinnacles on the right. As it climbs into the canyon the sagebrush gives way to piñon and juniper forest and later transitions into taller ponderosa pine as the elevation increases. Keep a look out for the markers along the way, although the trail in this area is well-defined.
The route is not well-traveled. A pair of hikers from Santa Fe and a lone bicycle track were the only signs of activity Sunday. In contrast, the river was crowded with rafts and boats, with lots of vehicles parked at the Big Eddy take out point just below Skull Bridge.
There are natural ampitheaters and slot canyons in the soaring walls that beckon for further exploration, The natural beauty of Ojitos Canyon rivals that of the Rio Chama Canyon, but is only accessible by traveling the trail.
Deer and elk inhabit the canyon, as well as birds, lizards and snakes. Rattlesnakes live in the canyon walls although they are seldom encountered. If you are fortunate enough to draw a deer hunting license for the area, Ojitos Canyon accesses some prime hunting territory
This time of year, keep an eye out for developing storms and an ear out for the sound of thunder. There are sections of the trail where it’s apparent that water drains down and several spots where the mud-caked surface indicates puddles will form. If you are unprepared for the rain, it’s best to head back to your vehicle at the sign of an approaching thunderstorm.
Chama to Jemez
The Continental Divide Trail bisects New Mexico from north to south, entering the state in Rio Arriba County in the cool, high terrain of the southern San Juan Mountains near Cumbres Pass east of Chama. The Trail does not exactly follow the actual Continental Divide in New Mexico, which is west of Chama. It meanders south past the Cruces Basin Wilderness Area skirting Jawbone Mountain west of Tres Piedras before crossing Highway 64 north of Hopewell Lake.
This stretch goes through high mountain meadow terrain at 10.000 feet in elevation with numerous small streams. Elk abound in this country and the forests include aspen, fir and ponderosa pine. Snow is measured in feet during the winter and is replaced in the summer with lush mountain grasses.
East and south of Canjilon Mountain, the trail turns to the west, traversing Mesa del Yeso on Carson National Forest. The Trail drops in elevation and enters the scrubbier piñon and juniper forest. The mountain terrain gives way to rugged red sandstone cliffs and water becomes scarcer while the surrounding temperatures rises. It crosses Highway 84, follows Forest Road 151 into the Chama Canyon to Skull Bridge.
Beyond the previously described Ojitos Canyon hike, the Trail crosses State Road 96 east of Gallina and then heads south up Cecilia Canyon, entering the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area before exiting Rio Arriba. The Parks are a beautiful series of high mountain meadows that can be traversed once hikers have completed the climb up to 10.000 feet. A second-featured hike of the Alliance in Northern New Mexico is an eight-mile loop through the San Pedro Parks.
The Trail will cover 770 miles when completed in New Mexico, according to Bob Woods, regional representative for the Alliance in New Mexico. In January 2009, it was estimated that 194 miles still needed to be finished.
“There is a complete route in New Mexico, but some of it follows roads and highways,” Woods said. “Ideally, 100 percent (when completed) will be completely off road.”
Within Rio Arriba, the Alliance has five projects involving improvement and completion of parts of the Trail. Two of the projects will be in the Rio Chama Canyon and will involve completing a trail from the Canyon onto the top of Mesa de Las Viejas. These projects are scheduled to be completed next month.
The third project will be in the San Pedro Parks Area. The fourth project will be in the Cruces Basin Area near Cumbres Pass and the fifth project will be at the Ojitos Trail.
In May at the southern end of the Trail in New Mexico, the Alliance completed 90 miles of trail from the Gila Wilderness to Columbus on the Mexican border, where the Trail ends.
“We’ve made great strides all over the state,” Woods said.
Woods may be contacted at 206-6882 for more information concerning future projects by the Alliance on the Trail. To get a map of the trail, visit www.cdtsociety.org.