Hoodoo Pines Trail Hike – 03/09/2026

Returning to the Ojito Wilderness Area after a few years going elsewhere, to hike again on one of the many trails we so enjoyed in the past.

The Drive In

For those who haven’t (yet) ventured into the Ojito Wilderness Area – from Bernalillo drive west on US 550 for 20 miles. As you approach White Mesa (on top of which there is ongoing mining of gypsum for the sheetrock plant in Bernalillo, clearly visible from the highway), and before making the curve over the Rio Salado into San Ysidro, turn left on Cabezon Road. This road is well cared for (access to a pipeline pumping station) and well used (many people coming to hike and to practice shooting in the area, before getting to the Ojito Wilderness where shooting is not allowed).

About 4 miles on Cabezon Road we passed by the White Mesa Bike Trails, a popular area for some wicked mountain biking. It is also an interesting place for some hiking, short hikes to the ridge above a picturesque canyon, or along along Dragon’s Back, or down into the canyon. (GAIA has them marked). Continuing on Cabezon Road for another 6 miles we parked at the Hoodoo Trail trailhead (a parking area on the south side of Cabezon Road).

The Hike

Hoodoo Pines Trail Hike.JayMichael.2026-03-09
The graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
Click on the image for a full-screen view, browser <back> to return to page.

On our outbound leg, for the 1st mile or so, the trail was quite well used – sandy, wide, free of rocks. It presented a steady climb (almost imperceptible) towards the east extension of Bernalillito Mesa. Nearing the mesa itself we remained near the “cliff”, taking the “High Route” above the lower territory that was away from the Mesa. We encountered the first group of hoodoos at about half a mile, then continued around this extension of the Mesa to another group of hoodoos (about .9 mile).

On this “High Route”, the trail was up-and-down, generally sandy on the level sections but rock-strewn on the ups-and-downs. All the while we were intrigued by the various layers of rock on the side of the mesa, and curious about which rock up high would be the next to tumble down (there were already many that had experienced that fate). We pressed on around the northern extension of the Mesa deciding at 2 miles we had gone far enough and headed back.

On previous hikes, we had made somewhat of a loop, taking the “Low Route” back to the trailhead. This day, the “Low Route” became on-the-spot navigating because we did not find any signs of a trail until a half-mile from the trailhead. So to navigate (in flying, it is called ‘pilotage navigation’), we looked for a path that did not lead us to a dead end – a cliff to be circumvented or sheer end-of-canyon, and for slopes up and then down the numerous ridges that we must cross that were too steep. We did come across segments of trails, but none that we could follow for very long. Ultimately we did stumble on a trail that turned out to be -the trail- back to the trailhead.

Jay here: Always a favorite place to hike, Ojito offers loads of variety. Some easy trails and some hard slogs, but the scenery is always sensational. There are lots of New Mexico hikes that offer the unexpected, but Ojito has some jaw dropping scenery just about around every bend in the trail.

Highlight

Like many places in New Mexico, both the topography and geology are fascinating.

The topography, with the sheer cliff of Bernalillito Mesa above us and others in the distance beyond one or another arroyo. And the many colors in the rocks or surface areas – rudy red, black, even a hint of purple or green here and there.
The geology, with so many shapes, layers, rocks clear of erosion (even balanced on a hoodoo), big chunks (some I thought might be petrified logs), conglomerates, and more fascinating forms and settings.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.32 miles
Elevation: start 5,797 ft, maximum 5,957 ft, minimum 5,794 ft
Gross gain: 163 ft. Aggregate ascending 570 ft, descending 569 ft
Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 18% descending, 4.2% average
Duration: 3:35, Average Speed: 1.2 mph, Shade: 0%

Hoodoo Pines Trail Hike.JayMichael.2026-03-09 (KML)	2 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Hoodoo Pines Trail Hike.JayMichael.2026-03-09 (GPX)	2 Downloads
Link to GAIA GPS: “Hoodoo Pines Trail Hike…Jay..Michael…2026-03-09”
If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, give it a try. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get good idea of the hike and the terrain. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.