Important Notices
10/28/2024: Hiking in New Mexico now has a new URL: ==NMHiking.com==
Category Archives: San Juan Basin
Ceja Pelon Hike – 05/07/2024
Our 3rd visit to the Cuba Badlands in the San Juan Basin, this to the Ceja Pelon the 4th badlands going west from Mesa de Cuba. Like the other recent hikes, this is the time of year to visit these … Continue reading
Mesa de Cuba Southwest Walkabout – 05/02/2024
Weather continued to be perfect for visiting the openness of the San Juan Basin and the Badlands near Cuba, NM. The San Juan Basin covers the northwest quarter of New Mexico and a portion of Colorado along the NM-CO border. … Continue reading
Mesa Penistaja West Walkabout – 04/18/2024
This is the time of year to get out into the open plains, when the temperatures are moderate. After a driveabout the week before into the San Juan Badlands south and west of Cuba, we returned this week with sufficient … Continue reading
Rattlesnake Ridge Trail Hike – 11/19/2020
This is the 2nd of 2 short hikes on a day trip to the area once inhabited by the Gallinas culture. The area is north of Cuba some 28 miles on NM 96>NM 112. In years past I’ve read about … Continue reading
Nogales Cliff House Trail Hike – 11/19/2020
This hike is the first of two short hikes on a day trip to the area once inhabited by the Gallinas culture. The area is north of Cuba some 28 miles on NM 96>NM 112. In years past I’ve read … Continue reading
San Jose Badlands Hike – 11/09/2018
We’ve so enjoyed visits to other Badlands in the San Juan Basin; we chose this time to visit the San Jose Badlands. The Drive In From Albuquerque, go west on US 550, 5.5 miles beyond Cuba. Turn right on NM … Continue reading
Cliff Ruins Expedition – 08/20/2018
Lanny and I had seen a video by Jeff Gilkey flying over Pueblo ruins atop a small mesa, specifically Mesa Pueblo. We located them using GoogleEarth, and headed that way. The Drive In As you can see from the red … Continue reading
Mesa Chijuilla Expedition – 02/20/2015
Vince and I went ‘wandering’ beyond Mesa de Cuba in the San Juan Badlands. This “expedition” (multiple hikes) began with exploration of the east side of Mesa Chijuilla. We then checked out another area with interesting features some 3 miles … Continue reading
Lybrook Badlands Walkabout – 05/13/2018
After visiting various places in the Ojito Wilderness, then working our way west into the area around Cuba – Mesa de Cuba West, Mesa Penistaja, and Ceja Pelon Mesa, I came upon maps of ‘all’ the badlands, extending all the … Continue reading
Ceja Pelón Mesa Hike – 05/08/2018
This is the next in the string of mesas going west from Mesa de Cuba, after Mesa Chijuilla and Mesa Penistaja. Various sources have described the area as rife with petrified wood – and we were not disappointed. Access is … Continue reading