New Mexico is a different kind of ski adventure, for sure. It can be described as “out there” and perhaps not as refined as those areas people might be more familiar with, but don’t let that deter you. There are some of the most rewarding and breathtaking adventures in the country, and we encourage you to explore New Mexico’s hidden cross-country ski opportunities.
Cañada Bonita Trail (Our home trail system)
The Southwest Nordic Ski Club partners with the National Forest Service to maintain 12-18 kilometers of beautiful ski trails through rolling, forested terrain near Los Alamos. The trail loop summits at a scenic overlook that affords views of the Valles Caldera National Monument and the Sangre De Cristo mountains. These trails are groomed by our volunteer groomers, and conditions vary depending on the snow and groomer availability. Check the grooming report for current conditions. The trail begins at the parking lot for Pajarito Mountain ski area. Trail maintenance and grooming is funded by donations and club membership.
We regularly update our Grooming Report / Trail Status
Enchanted Forest Cross-Country Ski Area
Enchanted Forest Cross-Country Ski Area, in Red River, NM, is a short drive north of Taos, and is a full-service Nordic ski area (rentals, lessons, etc.), with wonderful trails for both xc skiing and snowshoeing. It also offers two overnight yurts: Little John Yurt (just beyond the midway warming hut), and the Long John Yurt, at the far end of the area, overlooking the Wheeler Peak Valley and with probably the greatest view of Wheeler Peak (NM’s highest mountain) anywhere. It is a bucket-list adventure that you do not want to miss!
Editor’s suggestion for a “Grand Tour” of the best trails at Enchanted Forest:
- Powder Puff from base area
- –> turn left onto Jackalope
- –> turn right onto March Hare
- –> ski to Sherwood Forest, turn right (downhill) to Midway Yurt & Little John trail
- –> turn left on Little John, ski past Little John Yurt
- –> continue on Little John to Long John, out to Piece de Resistance & Wheeler Peak viewpoint
- –> turn back via Northwest Passage, continue all the way back to Powder Puff
- –> turn right on Powder Puff
- –> turn right on Sven Wiik
- –> ski to Sherwood Forest (2nd time past Midway Yurt), go uphill (left)
- –> ski all the way up to Jabberwocky
- –> ski Jabberwocky all the way back to Base Area!
This loop is approximately 20km, and a LOT of fun skiing, with some amazing views to take in along the way.
Angel Fire Nordic
While not as well-known, Angel Fire, NM also has a full-service Nordic center (rentals, lessons, etc.) at the Angel Fire Resort golf center. They provide 15km of groomed trails on moderate terrain for both skate and classic techniques that is family friendly, right outside of the golf center club house. There is a small terrain park and a sledding hill as well, all accessed from the golf club house. Angel Fire is home to one of NM’s largest Alpine ski areas and mountain bike parks. There is something for everyone at this resort. Things are a little swankier here than other xc ski areas in the state, but sometimes it’s nice to be fancy, and it’s about on par with what people experience at well-known resorts around the country. So, get in a few easy kilometers of cruising-type xc skiing, and then take some time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate from the comfy environs of the club house.
Angel Fire Resort Nordic Center
Sandia Nordic Club – Sandia Peak xc ski trails
Right above New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque, lies the rim of a massive uplifted fault block known as the Sandia Mountains at over 10,600 feet in altitude. These mountains often sit in the middle of storms that approach from the south or southeast in a circular motion, and suck all the moisture in the form of snow out of every cloud. There are times when the Sandias can be buried in deep snow, while just a short distance away, and over 5,000 feet below, Albuquerque manages to stay warm and dry.
The Sandia Nordic Ski Club maintains and grooms a 10km trail system up and over the Sandia Crest through an agreement with the Cibola National Forest. They have been trying to improve the trails, so keep an eye out for bigger and better things to come. In the meantime, definitely go check out this wonderfully unique ski experience, just a breathtaking short tram (short in time, long in distance) ride from the city. It is also possible to drive up the Sandia Crest Highway to access the trails via the Ellis Trailhead.
Also please support the efforts of the Sandia Nordic Ski Club! They, like us, are a completely volunteer non-profit that rely on memberships and donations to provide these unique opportunities.
Cross-Country Ski Country in Chama, NM
While Chama, NM is known more for its vintage narrow-gauge Cumbres & Toltec steam engine train experiences, elk hunting and fly fishing in the Rio Chama, in the winter, it is a back-country skier’s paradise. It is also home to one of the West’s oldest and most venerable cross-country ski races, the Chama Chile Classic, held every January on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. The race (now two days of racing, 20km freestyle, 15km classic) is now 50 years in running and is legendary in difficulty, beauty, and outright wackiness. Expect some crazy things if you come for this one, from crazy snowy weather and slow grooming (the start is often delayed just so groomers can finish after heavy snow falls the night before), to having to pass someone wearing a bunch of painted cardboard boxes and feather boas as part of their zany costume. But, make no mistake about it, this is a tough, competitive race at the sharp end, and with none other than New Mexico’s (and Chama’s) own 4x- Indy 500 champion Al Unser starting each year’s race, it is bound to be fast!
While Chama does not have a truly dedicated area for winter season groomed skiing, the prospect is in the works. Otherwise, be sure to bring your trusty back-country or AT skis and explore the mountains just outside of town. This is definitely BIG SNOW country, being in that same belt of San Juan snow that the Wolf Creek ski area seems to be in. The Windy Point xc ski “set-aside area” is usually not traveled [as much] by snowmobilers, leaving some great rolling terrain and powder lines for back-country and AT skiers to explore.
Additionally, there are some great back-country yurts with both the Southwest Nordic Center (no affiliation) yurts, and the Spruce Hole Yurt (a favorite in early spring!) to choose from. These are definitely “out there” yurt adventures that you’ll talk about for years.
Other New Mexico Cross-Country Ski Adventures
There are other areas to explore as well. The Jemez Mountains has a lot of options beyond the SWNSC trails in Los Alamos, including the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The VCNP ostensibly provides a groomed area by park service staff, but it is not your normal groomed xc ski area experience. You may want to call ahead if you’re looking for a nicely maintained groomed track, otherwise, bring your touring skis and be ready for something between off-piste rugged back-country skiing, and a truly groomed experience. There are times when there’s new snow, careful grooming, and no wind, when the skiing is pretty amazing. The best time to check out the ski experience at the VCNP is when spring freeze-thaw begins (right around spring break), and there are those glorious morning hours when the crust cruising is sublime.
Very near to the VCNP (actually, pretty much across the highway in one spot) is the highest elevation reaches of Bandelier National Monument, just off of NM Highway 4. There are some ski touring trails available that can be very fun after a storm, or during those few cold weeks when the snow doesn’t transform too much. This little xc skiing area is called the Upper Frijoles Trail, and is easily accessed via a parking lot just off of the highway.
A local Jemez Mountain favorite is to ski out to the San Antonio Hot Springs on FS-376.
The New Mexico Cross Country Ski Club has a few resources and information on their page, so check it out if you’re interested. They have a great information sheet on the various locations in the Jemez Mountains where cross country ski touring is pretty nice. Follow this link for the cross country ski guide in the Jemez.
And Beyond!
Other locations that are notable, having been developed specifically for and maintained for cross country skiing in the past are:
Amole Canyon near Taos (home of the former Taos Stampede xc ski race)
NORSKI Trails just below Santa Fe ski basin
The NORSKI trails are really awesome, and we actually used to groom it, having spent quite a bit of effort to improve it for groomed skiing and hosting events…but, it was hard to maintain. The FS never allowed a “skiing/snowshoeing only” restriction, so it just got beat up immediately after we’d groom it, making it unsustainable to groom. They do get a lot of snow there, but the lower side of it faces directly south into the sun and gets icy once the cold, dark days of December and January are gone.
Aspen Vista, Santa Fe
This is just below NORSKI, and is a forest road access to Tesuque Peak. It is the venue for the Big Tesuque “Trail” Run each fall. It often has snow before anything else in the SF/LA area.
Mt. Taylor – Grants, NM
Mt. Taylor is home to “The Quad” – the very awesome winter quadrathlon that was begun many years ago by UNM’s former XC ski coach, Swiss hardman Klaus Weber. There is good snowpack (normally) around the volcanic high country surrounding Mt. Taylor, or what the Diné (Navajo) call Tsoodził as one of their four sacred mountains that frame their ancestral land. As such, quite a number of intrepid back-country ski routeurs do adventure over to explore some of the trails and service roads that offer some interesting ski opportunities. There are often some FS roads that have been traveled by snowmobiles, with ski-only trails intertwining among the trees, plateaus, and ridges that define the area.
Way Down South, New Mexico Way
…and finally, down south in the White Mountains and Sacramento Mountain ranges, home to Ski Apache and NM’s southernmost ski area (also in the whole nation?) – Ski Cloudcroft, there are actually some really decent places to explore on cross country skis. In those years when there is a southern storm track, they can have amazing amounts of snow. There are some areas around Ruidoso and Cloudcroft that have some very interesting trails, some even dedicated for cross country skiing in the winter. The Little Apache and Fir Trails off of US Hwy 82 are quite fun to ski when the snow is good.
