NW New Mexico?

[bncrshr77]

I will be visiting a friend in Gallup NM soon and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience bikepacking in the Cibola national forest / Zuni mountains area or anywhere else near there? I'm just trying to get her into so a night or two would probably be good.  Thanks!

[wahday]

I would focus on the McGaffey/Twin Springs area which has some excellent singletrack riding, ample camping opportunities and good access from Gallup. There is also a labyrinth of old logging roads that are fun to explore and fairly hard to get lost on.

This will take you to more info on that area (though not bikepacking specific): http://www.galluptrails2010.com/gallup-area-trail-info

Even car camping at Hillso (QuakingAspen) or Twin Springs, riding the single track and exploring the logging roads by bike would be a great trip and a good intro to camping/biking.

I've explored the Zunis more to the southeast of that area - north of El Morro National Monument. This weekend I'm doing an overnighter south of there along the Chain of Crater Scenic Byway. The Continental Divide Trail passes through here and meanders among volcanic cinder cones.

Some images from a Zuni overnighter earlier this summer: http://highaltitudehomestead.blogspot.com/

[warofattrition]

Where are some good mtb trail/great divide route/zuni/gallup links for a four/five day bikepacking trip...300-500 miles?
There is so little info on nw nm trails and link ups...any help would be great.

[wahday]

This site has what you need as far as Gallup area and Zuni riding in the NW part of the range.

http://www.galluptrails2010.com/gallup-area-trail-info

There are also Zuni trail and logging road maps here: http://www.zunimountaintrailpartnership.com/mapping-the-zunis.html

I believe the great divide route comes through the Zuni area via Mt Taylor which is near Grants and a little east of the Zuni mountains. It then heads west on SR53 to the northern end of Chain of Craters Back Country Byway which is also CR42. It's an unimproved road that connects to SR117 on the southern end. There are also some singletrack sections of the CDT you can access in there as well.

I'm pretty familiar with this area and have ridden some and plotted other trips on the SEastern end of the Zunis. Let me know if I can be of help. The link I posted earlier in this thread has pics of rides throughout that area including chain o craters and Bonita canyon, a CDT thru hike route.