Introduction
It is great to get back on the trail after many months dealing with medical issues. Oak Flats is a perfect area – well used smooth trails, generally smooth and with easy and minimal elevation changes. Plus, it isn’t far from home, it is an open forest of oak and ponderosa pine trees, and we can have breakfast or brunch at one of our favorite places, Roots Farm Cafe in Tijeras.
The Drive In
From Albuquerque eastbound on I-40 exit at Tijeras onto NM 337 southbound (folks who have been in these parts for many years know it as South 14). From Roots Farm Cafe (1/3 mile from the stoplights), proceed uphill for 8.5 miles, then turn left (east) onto Oak Flat Road. A mile on turn left into the Oak Flats Group Campground complex,then turn to the left to follow the road around to the parking area and the Trailhead.
The Hike
Oak Flats “Easy Pickin” Loop Hike.Pat.2025-06-20
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
We’ve done many hikes or walkabouts in Oak Flats over the years. I can’t add much to what I wrote for previous posts, so please check out this one in particular: Oak Flats Trails Walkabout – 08/04/2023
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.69 miles
Elevation: start 7,694 ft, maximum 7,706 ft, minimum 7,644 ft
Gross gain: 12 ft. Aggregate ascending 57 ft, descending 52 ft
Maximum slope: 18% ascending, 15% descending, 4.3% average
Duration: 1:11, Average Speed: 1.4 mph
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If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.
Related Posts
References and Resources
All Trails: Oak Flat Loop
Photos
Last Updated on June 30, 2025 by George Young