Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
The Active Vacation
Planner
You may be pleasantly surprised
at the range of outdoor fun available in the
Southwest. From the deserts of the south-
ern regions to the mountains and canyons
of the north, diversity reigns. Whether
you're interested in a short day hike or an
overnight horse trip, groomed ski trails or
backcountry adventures, you won't be
disappointed.
For more in-depth coverage of the
activities that follow, contact some of the
local outfitters or organizations that appear
in the “Outdoor Activities” sections, later
in this topic.
1 BICYCLING
It's inspiring to pedal out into the dry southwest air and see not only incredible terrain
but also ancient history. Just about the entire region is conducive to the sport, making it
one of the most popular places in the United States for avid cyclers, especially mountain
bikers.
For road warriors, many miles of pavement traverse the area. Rides range greatly in
length and difficulty; all provide beautiful scenery, and most have decent pavement with
good shoulders. In northern New Mexico, try biking the Enchanted Circle (see chapter
8); and, in southern New Mexico, try Silver City to Glenwood (see chapter 11). Road
biking is highly recommended in Utah's Zion National Park as well (see chapter 17).
Few can think of mountain biking without Moab, Utah, coming to mind. Moab and
many other parts of southern Utah hold hundreds of miles of trails, a wide variety of
terrain, and spectacular scenery. In addition to the mountain-biking possibilities on four-
wheel-drive roads in the national parks, abundant trails on Bureau of Land Management
and national forest lands are much less trafficked than national park routes. Moab's most
famous trail is undoubtedly the Slickrock Bike Trail, a scenic but challenging 9.6-mile
loop that crosses a mesa of heavily eroded pale orange Navajo sandstone just a few min-
utes from downtown Moab (see chapter 17 for information about Moab).
In New Mexico, bikers will find excellent trails in Albuquerque at the base of the
Sandia Mountains (see chapter 9). In Santa Fe, you'll find some very rugged and steep
mountain trails, most accessed off the road to Ski Santa Fe (see chapter 7). Taos is a
rider's paradise, with lots of extreme mountain trails, as well as some that are purely
scenic, such as the west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge (see chapter 8). In northwestern
New Mexico, you can ride around El Malpais National Monument in the Grants area
(see chapter 10). You can also take your bike with you to Chaco Culture National His-
torical Park and tour the Anasazi ruins (see chapter 6). In the southwestern region, bikes
are not allowed in the Gila Wilderness, but they are permitted in other parts of Gila
National Forest; you'll find terrific trails that originate in Silver City, particularly the
Continental Divide Trail. In the southeast region, the Cloudcroft area has some excellent
 
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