Updated October 2026
Carson National Forest Mountain Bike Trails
Mountain bike
324mi
designated on 51 segments
53% of mapped trail
E-bike
104miClass 1
designated on 23 segments
17% of mapped trail
Mountain bike
324mi
designated on 51 segments
53% of mapped trail
- Season on record
- Mar–Nov
- Bike Access Grade
- A78% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade
E-bike
104miClass 1
designated on 23 segments
- Class 1104 mi
- Class 2104 mi
- Class 3104 mi
Treated as a motor vehicle: ridden only where designated.
- Ridable trails
- 65
- Mapped trail
- 613 mi on 178 segments
Both lanes share one scale: the 613 mi of National Forest System trail mapped in Carson National Forest, New Mexico. From USFS National Forest System Trails records, updated October 2026.
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 |
|---|---|
| Continental Divide TrailNative MaterialMay–Oct | 102.85 |
| South BoundaryNative MaterialMar–Nov | 20.58 |
| Tony MarquezNative MaterialMay–Oct | 19.5 |
| Elliot BarkerNative MaterialMar–Nov | 12.47 |
| Tusas LoopNative MaterialMay–Oct | 11.92 |
| OjitosNative MaterialMar–Nov | 9.48 |
| North BoundaryNative MaterialMar–Nov | 9.37 |
| Martinez CanyonNative MaterialMay–Oct | 9.31 |
| Ojito MaesNative Material | 9.14 |
| Elephant Rock NorthNative Material | 9.13 |
| Comales CanyonNative Material | 8.35 |
| MondragonNative MaterialMar–Nov | 8.12 |
| Canjilon MountainNative MaterialMar–Nov | 7.25 |
| Agua PiedraNative MaterialMar–Nov | 7.07 |
| Lost LakeNative MaterialMar–Nov | 6.99 |
| PolicarpioNative MaterialMay–Dec | 6.56 |
| CapulinNative Material | 6.46 |
| YesoNative MaterialMay–Oct | 6.15 |
| Rio Grande Del RanchoNative MaterialMar–Nov | 6.11 |
| Osha CanyonNative Material | 6.07 |
| Rio ChiquitoNative MaterialMay–Oct | 5.81 |
| Elephant Rock SouthNative Material | 5.52 |
| East ForkNative MaterialMar–Nov | 5.36 |
| La Cueva CanyonNative Material | 5.05 |
| Devisadero LoopNative MaterialYear-round | 4.99 |
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 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Lower Loop1.2 miNative Material, class 1, Mar–Novbike
- Cebolla Mesa1.2 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Knob Spur1 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike + e-bike
- Native Material, class 5bike
- Meadow Loop0.5 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
- Hidden Loop0.5 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
Intermediate grade (8)
Moderate grade band.
- Continental Divide Trail103 miNative Material, class 3, May–Octbike
- Elephant Rock North9.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Agua Piedra7.1 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike + e-bike
- Elephant Rock South5.5 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Elephant Rock Mill3.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Tio Maes Canyon2.5 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Native Material, class 1Class 1 e-bike
- Unknown, class 3Class 1 e-bike
Advanced grade (50)
Steep grade band.
- South Boundary20.6 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Tony Marquez19.5 miNative Material, class 2, May–Octbike
- Elliot Barker12.5 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Tusas Loop11.9 miNative Material, class 2, May–Octbike
- Ojitos9.5 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- North Boundary9.4 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Martinez Canyon9.3 miNative Material, class 2, May–Octbike
- Ojito Maes9.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Comales Canyon8.4 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Mondragon8.1 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Canjilon Mountain7.3 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
- Lost Lake7 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Policarpio6.6 miNative Material, class 3, May–Decbike + e-bike
- Capulin6.5 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Yeso6.2 miNative Material, class 2, May–Octbike
- Rio Grande Del Rancho6.1 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Osha Canyon6.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Rio Chiquito5.8 miNative Material, class 3, May–Octbike
- East Fork5.4 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- La Cueva Canyon5.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Devisadero Loop5 miNative Material, class 3bike
- Pioneer Creek4.7 miNative Material, class 2Class 1 e-bike
- Sardinas Canyon4.7 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Comales Cutoff4.4 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Indian Creek4.3 miNative Material, class 2, May–Octbike
- Buena Suerte4.2 miNative Material, class 3, May–Decbike
- 70 Motorized Trail4.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Rito De La Olla4 miNative Material, class 3, May–Octbike
- Drake Canyon Loop3.9 miNative Material, class 3, May–Decbike
- Amole3.8 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Bear Mountain3.8 miNative Material, class 3, May–Octbike
- Cordova Canyon3.3 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
- La Cueva3.3 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Agua Sarca3.1 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Gallegos3.1 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Indian Lake3 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Paradise2.9 miNative Material, class 3, May–Decbike
- Angostura2.9 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- 4th Of July2.9 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Salazar2.9 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Rim Vista2.9 miNative Material, class 3, May–Octbike
- Mondragon Spur2.4 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- 4th Of July Canyon2.4 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- Red River Nature1.8 miNative Material, class 4, Mar–Novbike
- Lady Slipper1.5 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
- Upper Cut Off1.2 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
- Rito Angostura1.2 miNative Material, class 3Class 1 e-bike
- La Cueva Cutoff1.1 miNative Material, class 2, Mar–Novbike
- El Nogal Nature Trail1.1 miNative Material, class 3, Mar–Novbike
- Vega Paz0.6 miNative Material, class 2, May–Octbike
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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