not suitable for a cruiser bike

I did the Mexican Canyon trestle trail twice this summer. The second time I took two friends with me, who enjoy hiking and history. This trail is a mile long, with one short descent and ascent around a patch of private property, making this NOT a near-level trail. Historic plaques and views of the White Sands in the distance, make this worth experiencing.

While one can do this trail as a quick two-mile out-and-back trail, this trail is part of a network of trails in the Trestle Recreation Area. Grab a map at the replica depot and create your own four, six, or even eight-mile hike around historic former railroad grades.

In the three days we spent around Cloudcroft, we also hiked the Switchback trail, Old Cloudcroft Highway, and the Osha trail, all easily accessible near Cloudcroft.

If you plan on parking at the Replica depot, remember that it's closed for the season from I October to 1 March, but all trails are still accessible via other trail heads. The replica depot parking area closes at 6pm during the season, so if you plan on a long hike, park in town and walk in. The hosts promptly close the parking lot at 6pm.

Well maintained!

Nice trail! It is within biking distance from me. You have nice views of the Rio Grande and of the mountains, other than that it is pretty boring. I do use the trail sometimes to commute from Santa Teresa to Anthony, New Mexico.

My friend and I ride this trail from Alameda to Rio Bravo and back, about 32 miles. We started a long time ago when it was first opened, back then only a handful of people would be riding, walking, roller blading along it. I went recently and was blown away by how popular it has become. I strongly recommend going early in the morning. Be sure to put slime in your tires, bring a snack and water. I love that no motorized vehicles are allowed as I'm too old for that, lol. Enjoy your ride/walk just please keep an eye out for old farts like me.

This is a good trail for beginners or those who want a leisurely pedal in the mountain town of Los Alamos, NM. The west end of the trail starts at the giant parking lot for the Smith's Marketplace (groceries, Starbucks, deli and hotbar, and wine & cheese tasting bar) and winds along the Los Alamos Canyon rim through ponderosa and pinon pine and juniper forest, with great views of Los Alamos Canyon, the Rio Grande Valle, the Jemez Mtns to the west and the Sangre de Cristo Mtns to the east. There is a smaller parking lot with a nice clean indoor pit toilet at the east end of the trail, and if you would like to pedal a little further for some healthy refreshments, you can continue east on NM502 about 1/4 mi., then turn left (twice) and go to the end of Entrada Dr. (past Holiday Inn Express) to the Los Alamos Coop Market (organic and local groceries, soup and salad bar, deli, custom made sandwiches and fresh squeezed juices, and on Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. you can get and awesome omelet breakfast for $10!). This is one of the few bike routes in Los Alamos that requires no major hill climbing and boasts 2 separate "million dollar bridges" - one spanning a narrow deep canyon. This trail is a wide, asphalt multi-user trail so there are walkers, joggers, baby strollers and dogs, as well as the gamut of non-motorized cyclists. Great way to be introduced to outdoors Los Alamos!

This trail is very nice for beginners and those just looking for a leisurely pedal in Los Alamos. At the west end of the trail you can park in the giant Smiths with lot and at the west end is a smaller parking area with a clean pit toilet “relief station. You can continue east on NM 502 at this point..

First off the path is made of the best skating concrete! No cracks, and great changing views. Heartily recommend. The only reason I didn't 5 star is that it is a slope that goes to the west that is a bit much going east. Someone else may say it's a great workout :)

On a vacation from southern California, we rode the trail on a beautiful weekday morn in October of 2015. We parked at the north trailhead, pedaled down as far as the Botanic Garden, then headed back.
We pretty much had the trail to ourselves on a perfect fall day. The trail was flat, straight, smooth, and ideal for those looking for a fast paced workout. Being out-of-staters we were looking forward to majestic views of the mighty Rio Grande, but we were denied due to all of the trees between the river and the trail. On the bright side, at least some fall color was beginning to appear on those trees.
I think the highlights for us were admiring the grand estates that line the trail, and checking off another state on our quest to bike all fifty.