Rio Quemado
Rio Quemado Trail is a 9.4 miles trail in Santa Fe 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 Pecos Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Santa Fe 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 | 35.9721, -105.7485 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 35.9701, -105.6342 · 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 | 9.4 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 | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 153 |
| Forest | Santa Fe National Forest (unit 0310) |
| 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 06/01 to 10/01 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 06/01 to 10/01 (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.
Wilderness
- Pecos Wilderness WildernessFS · about 93% 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
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
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
- WildfireFrijoles
11 mi from the trail midpoint · 15,956 acres · 74% contained
- WildfireEnchantment
39 mi from the trail midpoint · 20 acres
- WildfireZero
40 mi from the trail midpoint · 12 acres
- WildfireSanta Fe Trail
44 mi from the trail midpoint · 60 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 Rio Quemado Trail?
9.4 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Santa Fe National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Rio Quemado Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. 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 Rio Quemado Trail start?
The line begins at 35.9721, -105.7485 and ends at 35.9701, -105.6342. 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 Rio Quemado Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Pecos Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Pecos Wilderness Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Rio Quemado Trail?
Borrego Mesa Campground (1.3 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Rio Quemado 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 Rio Quemado Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Rio Quemado Trail?
Santa Fe National Forest, Forest Service unit 0310. The trail is in New Mexico.
Is there a fire near the Rio Quemado Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Frijoles at 11 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named RIO QUEMADO in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0310. 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.