Name | Guaje Canyon Trail | |
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Summary | Cañada Bonito is unique in that it is one of very few high mountain grasslands in the area, which has not been subjected to livestock grazing since 1943 | |
Type | Day Hike - Out and Back | |
Distance (Total) | 4.0 miles / 6.4 km | |
Elevation Gain | 650 feet / 198 meters | |
Minimum Elevation | 9,000 feet / 2,743 meters | |
Maximum Elevation | 9,650 feet / 2,941 meters | |
Hiking Season | - Spring - Summer - Fall | |
Things To See | - Canyon - Woods | |
Difficulty | Easy | |
Rating | Trail has not been rated. | |
Nearby Town | Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States | |
Link | http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/sfe/recreation/districts/espanola/trails/282_guaje1.html | |
Permit Required | No | |
Trail Map |
This section of the Guaje Canyon Trail is an old forest road now closed to motorized vehicles, and is in excellent condition. From Camp May Road, the trail curves northward through mixed conifer forest along the side of a ridge and ascends slightly for approximately three-quarters of a mile. It soon passes a junction with the popular Pajarito Nordic Ski Trail, and then drops down into the Cañada Bonito grassland, a research natural area.
The trail borders the research natural area for one mile, and then ascends a low ridge marking the actual rim of the extinct volcanic caldera as it approaches the boundary with the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The trail then descends through stands of aspen and fir to Pipeline Road, where signs mark the continuation of the trail.
This section of the Guaje Canyon Trail 282 is best reached by way of the Camp May Road (FR 1), which travels northwest from Highway 501 approximately one and a half miles west of Los Alamos. The trailhead is a quarter of a mile below Camp May, just beyond the large ski area parking lot. The trail, formerly a forest road, starts just north of Camp May Road.
Latitude | 35.8944737054 degrees / 35° 53.668' / 35° 53' 40.11" |
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Longitude | -106.3886833191 degrees / -106° 23.321' / -106° 23' 19.26" |
Created by Nick on 01/08/2008 |
Last edited on |