USFS National Forest System Trails · New Mexico · Updated June 2026
Carson National Forest Mountain Bike Trails
Carson National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of A: 78% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Excellent — most rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access too.
Carson National Forest carries 613 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 324 mi across 51 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Mar–Nov. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 23 segments (104 mi).
What the USFS data shows for Carson National Forest
Of the 613 mi of mapped trail in Carson National Forest, 53% — 324 mi across 51 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.
Tread is overwhelmingly native dirt: USFS lists native material on 177 of 177 surfaced segments (100%).
On the USFS difficulty rating, advanced is the most common designation here — 144 of 178 rated segments (81%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.
The headline bike season runs Mar–Nov; individual segments vary, with 4 distinct season windows recorded across the sampled bike trails.
The longest single named bike segment in the data is Continental Divide Trail at 102.85 mi on native dirt, rated intermediate by USFS and open May–Oct.
Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 23 segments (104 mi), and 2 segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.
Trail surface
- Native Material177
USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)
- Class 3106
- Class 266
- Class 13
- Class 52
- Class 41
53% of this forest's mapped trail is bike-designated. Note: USFS records trail grade (steepness), not technical MTB difficulty — we surface grade where present but do not infer a black/blue/green rating from it.
Largest bike-designated trails
| Trail | Miles | Surface | Trail class | Bike season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Divide Trail | 102.85 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| South Boundary | 20.58 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Tony Marquez | 19.5 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Elliot Barker | 12.47 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Tusas Loop | 11.92 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Ojitos | 9.48 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| North Boundary | 9.37 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Martinez Canyon | 9.31 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Ojito Maes | 9.14 | Native Material | — | — |
| Elephant Rock North | 9.13 | Native Material | — | — |
| Comales Canyon | 8.35 | Native Material | — | — |
| Mondragon | 8.12 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Canjilon Mountain | 7.25 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Agua Piedra | 7.07 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Lost Lake | 6.99 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Policarpio | 6.56 | Native Material | — | May–Dec |
| Capulin | 6.46 | Native Material | — | — |
| Yeso | 6.15 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Rio Grande Del Rancho | 6.11 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| Osha Canyon | 6.07 | Native Material | — | — |
| Rio Chiquito | 5.81 | Native Material | — | May–Oct |
| Elephant Rock South | 5.52 | Native Material | — | — |
| East Fork | 5.36 | Native Material | — | Mar–Nov |
| La Cueva Canyon | 5.05 | Native Material | — | — |
| Devisadero Loop | 4.99 | Native Material | — | Year-round |
Every trail in Carson National Forest
All 65 ridable trails in this forest — every trail where USFS data designates mountain-bike or Class 1 e-bike use, grouped by grade-based steepness. Grade reflects slope, not technical difficulty. Each trail links to its full data profile.
Easy grade (7)
Gentle grade band (shallow average slope).
- South Loop2.2 mi · bike
- Lower Loop1.2 mi · bike
- Cebolla Mesa1.2 mi · bike
- Knob Spur1 mi · bike + e-bike
- Pot Creek Interpretive Trail0.8 mi · bike
- Meadow Loop0.5 mi · bike
- Hidden Loop0.5 mi · bike
Intermediate grade (8)
Moderate grade band.
- Continental Divide Trail103 mi · bike
- Elephant Rock North9.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Agua Piedra7.1 mi · bike + e-bike
- Elephant Rock South5.5 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Elephant Rock Mill3.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Tio Maes Canyon2.5 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Elephant Rock Connector2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Elephant Rock Middle1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
Advanced grade (50)
Steep grade band.
- South Boundary20.6 mi · bike
- Tony Marquez19.5 mi · bike
- Elliot Barker12.5 mi · bike
- Tusas Loop11.9 mi · bike
- Ojitos9.5 mi · bike
- North Boundary9.4 mi · bike
- Martinez Canyon9.3 mi · bike
- Ojito Maes9.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Comales Canyon8.4 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Mondragon8.1 mi · bike
- Canjilon Mountain7.3 mi · bike
- Lost Lake7 mi · bike
- Policarpio6.6 mi · bike + e-bike
- Capulin6.5 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Yeso6.2 mi · bike
- Rio Grande Del Rancho6.1 mi · bike
- Osha Canyon6.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Rio Chiquito5.8 mi · bike
- East Fork5.4 mi · bike
- La Cueva Canyon5.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Devisadero Loop5 mi · bike
- Pioneer Creek4.7 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Sardinas Canyon4.7 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Comales Cutoff4.4 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Indian Creek4.3 mi · bike
- Buena Suerte4.2 mi · bike
- 70 Motorized Trail4.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Rito De La Olla4 mi · bike
- Drake Canyon Loop3.9 mi · bike
- Amole3.8 mi · bike
- Bear Mountain3.8 mi · bike
- Cordova Canyon3.3 mi · bike
- La Cueva3.3 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Agua Sarca3.1 mi · bike
- Gallegos3.1 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Indian Lake3 mi · bike
- Paradise2.9 mi · bike
- Angostura2.9 mi · bike
- 4th Of July2.9 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Salazar2.9 mi · bike
- Rim Vista2.9 mi · bike
- Mondragon Spur2.4 mi · bike
- 4th Of July Canyon2.4 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- Red River Nature1.8 mi · bike
- Lady Slipper1.5 mi · bike
- Upper Cut Off1.2 mi · bike
- Rito Angostura1.2 mi · Class 1 e-bike
- La Cueva Cutoff1.1 mi · bike
- El Nogal Nature Trail1.1 mi · bike
- Vega Paz0.6 mi · bike
Carson National Forest bike-legal trail list (CSV)
Download all 65 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in Carson National Forest — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.
E-bikes in Carson National Forest
Class 1 on 23 segments · Class 2 on 23 · Class 3 on 23. See full e-bike rules for Carson National Forest →
Where it is
Approximate center of Carson National Forest. USFS trail geometry isn't mapped here — use the ranger district for trailheads.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the bike access grade for Carson National Forest?
- Carson National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of A: 78% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Excellent — most rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access too.
- How many miles of mountain bike trail are in Carson National Forest?
- Carson National Forest has about 324 mi of bike-designated trail across 51 segments, out of 613 mi of total National Forest System trail.
- What is the riding season in Carson National Forest?
- Most bike-designated trails in Carson National Forest carry a Mar–Nov season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
- Are e-bikes allowed in Carson National Forest?
- Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 23 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.
Where to stay near Carson National Forest
Cabins, lodges, and campgrounds near Carson National Forest in New Mexico — compare places to stay for a mountain-bike trip.
Top-rated places to stay near Carson National Forest
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