Manzano Crest
Manzano Crest Trail is a 22.1 miles trail in Cibola National Forest, New Mexico. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Manzano Mountain Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Cibola National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 34.5923, -106.4468 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 34.8122, -106.3970 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 22.1 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 170 |
| Forest | Cibola National Forest (unit 0303) |
| States | New Mexico |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Manzano Mountain Wilderness WildernessFS · about 96% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Open April to November | 0 mi |
No season published | 0.2 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWhiskey
2 mi from the trail midpoint · 542 acres · 48% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Manzano Crest Trail?
22.1 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Cibola National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Manzano Crest Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Manzano Crest Trail start?
The line begins at 34.5923, -106.4468 and ends at 34.8122, -106.3970. The nearest recorded trailhead is Manzano Crest South Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Manzano Crest Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Manzano Mountain Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Manzano Crest Trail?
Capilla Peak (0.1 mi), Bosque Campground (0.9 mi) and Fourth Of July Campground (1.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Manzano Crest Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Manzano Crest Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Manzano Crest Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Manzano Crest Trail?
Cibola National Forest, Forest Service unit 0303. The trail is in New Mexico.
Is there a fire near the Manzano Crest Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Whiskey at 2 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named MANZANO CREST in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0303. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.