Carson National Forest · New Mexico · Trail 2

Pot Creek Interpretive Trail

Pot Creek Interpretive Trail is a 0.8 miles trail in Carson National Forest, New Mexico. The Forest Service rates it trail class 5, fully developed. It is open to hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Carson 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 end36.2796, -105.5772 · Directions ↗
Other end36.2797, -105.5771 · 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

Length0.8 miles, of which 0.8 miles evaluated accessible
Trail class5, fully developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material (hard)
Typical grade0-5 percent
Typical tread width36-48 inches
Minimum width36 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers2
ForestCarson National Forest (unit 0302)
StatesNew Mexico
Detail publishedmanagement 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

HikingAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
SnowshoeingAllowed 11/01 to 04/01 (month/day)
Cross-country skiingAllowed 11/01 to 04/01 (month/day)

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.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

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

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

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

  • Wildfire
    Frijoles

    30 mi from the trail midpoint · 15,956 acres · 74% contained

  • Prescribed
    Comanche Powderhouse Rx

    42 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Mogote Ridge

    43 mi from the trail midpoint · 152 acres · 90% contained

  • Wildfire
    Zero

    47 mi from the trail midpoint · 12 acres

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 Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

0.8 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Carson National Forest. 0.8 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail start?

The line begins at 36.2796, -105.5772 and ends at 36.2797, -105.5771. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Source: Carson National Forest official page

How developed is the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

Trail class 5, which the Forest Service describes as fully 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 Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 0.8 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

Carson National Forest, Forest Service unit 0302. The trail is in New Mexico.

Source: Carson National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Pot Creek Interpretive Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Frijoles at 30 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named POT CREEK INTERPRETIVE TRAIL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0302. 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.