Trail Compass

Hiking trails in New Mexico

20 trails across 2 state parks, national forests, and recreation areas — filtered by difficulty.

Hiking trails in New Mexico span every kind of public land the state has to offer — state parks, national forests, recreation areas, county preserves, and a few NPS units. Trail Compass currently lists 20 trails across 2 parks in New Mexico, organised by difficulty so you can land on the right route in a few clicks.

Browse by difficulty using the four filter cards directly below, or scroll to the full state trail table. Easy and moderate routes dominate near the population centers; hard and expert routes cluster in the higher, more remote corners of the desert southwest.

Best hiking season across New Mexico is generally late October through early April; summer heat regularly exceeds 100°F and makes mid-day hiking genuinely dangerous. Shorter walks at lower elevations stay accessible longer than alpine routes — if you are hiking in a shoulder month, lean toward state-park trails near urban centers and save the high country for peak season.

Expect to share the trail with desert bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, roadrunners, collared lizards, and the occasional rattlesnake basking on warm rock. Carry bear spray where signage advises it, store food properly, and remember that the wildlife was here first.

Pick a difficulty tier from the filter cards below, or jump straight to a specific park.

Browse by difficulty in New Mexico

Easy 8 easy trails in New Mexico Moderate 7 moderate trails in New Mexico Hard 5 hard trails in New Mexico

Parks in New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

10 trails

White Sands National Park

10 trails

All 20 trails in New Mexico

TrailParkLengthDifficulty
Carlsbad Caverns Summit Trail Carlsbad Caverns National Park 7.9 mi Hard
Carlsbad Caverns Lakeshore Trail Carlsbad Caverns National Park 2.44 mi Easy
Carlsbad Caverns Meadow Loop Carlsbad Caverns National Park 1.29 mi Easy
Carlsbad Caverns Backcountry Traverse Carlsbad Caverns National Park 12.34 mi Hard
Carlsbad Caverns Rim Walk Carlsbad Caverns National Park 3.65 mi Easy
Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness Loop Carlsbad Caverns National Park 9.7 mi Hard
Carlsbad Caverns Pine Forest Trail Carlsbad Caverns National Park 2.6 mi Easy
Carlsbad Caverns Saddle Trail Carlsbad Caverns National Park 6.36 mi Hard
Carlsbad Caverns Old Mine Trail Carlsbad Caverns National Park 3.89 mi Moderate
Carlsbad Caverns Cabin Loop Carlsbad Caverns National Park 2.87 mi Easy
White Sands Bluff Trail White Sands National Park 4.54 mi Moderate
White Sands Headwaters Loop White Sands National Park 6.31 mi Moderate
White Sands Plateau Trail White Sands National Park 4.59 mi Moderate
White Sands Wild Garden Loop White Sands National Park 1.31 mi Easy
White Sands Vista Loop White Sands National Park 1.51 mi Easy
White Sands Ridge Trail White Sands National Park 4.63 mi Moderate
White Sands Overlook Trail White Sands National Park 2.34 mi Easy
White Sands Falls Trail White Sands National Park 3.17 mi Moderate
White Sands Canyon Loop White Sands National Park 5.38 mi Moderate
White Sands Summit Trail White Sands National Park 7.87 mi Hard