New Mexico · Hiking · Near Santo Domingo Pueblo

Cerro Grande Route

2.3 mi
round trip
1,241 ft
climb
Out and back
route
Moderate
difficulty
May–Jun, Sep
best months

Is Cerro Grande Route open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists an alert for Bandelier National Monument.

As of · Source: NPS · Bandelier National Monument. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Cerro Grande Route is a 4.58-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico managed by the National Park Service. The trail gains 1,241 feet of elevation.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Camp May

    Campground

    Campground · 3.7 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Pig + Fig

    Restaurant

    Open after 6

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Santo Domingo Pueblo
  • Nearby · Valle Grande Trail · Birding By Car Stop 1 · Coyote Call Trail
  • Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep

    Best time to visit Cerro Grande Route

    Best months: May–June and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      36° / 9°

      9 wet

    2. Feb

      38° / 12°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      44° / 20°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      52° / 25°

      8 wet

    5. May

      62° / 32°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 39°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      74° / 45°

      15 wet

    8. Aug

      71° / 43°

      15 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 35°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      57° / 26°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      45° / 17°

      6 wet

    12. Dec

      36° / 9°

      9 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Los Alamos 13 W, NM, 5.6 mi away at 8,716 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Valle Grande TrailPhoto: Paul and Jill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Valle Grande Trail

~1 min drive

1.98-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 570 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Birding By Car Stop 1

~1 min drive

This site, near the South Valle Grande Trailhead along NM State Route 4, is predominantly mixed conifer forest and woodland (both dry and moist mesic). Prevalent plant species include blue spruce and ponderosa pine, fox tail, wildflowers, and yarrow. Watch for these birds each…

Coyote Call TrailPhoto: Paul and Jill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Coyote Call Trail

~4 min drive

2.86-mile loop trail in New Mexico with 1,009 ft gain and 9,237 ft max elevation.

HIKE

Alamo Spring

~3 min drive

10.51-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 355 ft elevation gain.

Rabbit Ridge TrailPhoto: Paul and Jill, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rabbit Ridge Trail

~4 min drive

2.12-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 836 ft gain and 9,550 ft max elevation.

HIKE

Cerro La Jara Stop 2

~7 min drive

As you walked, you probably noticed that you are walking in a large valley and there are rounded hills or mountains in the distance, behind you, and to your right. You are walking in a volcanic caldera – a depression formed during a volcanic eruption. This caldera was formed…

HIKE

Sawyer Mesa Ski Trail

~1 min drive

6.52-mile out-and-back ski trail in New Mexico with 749 ft gain/loss

HIKE

Valle Trail (289)

~5 min drive

5.70-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 1,179 ft of elevation gain.

Valle TrailPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Valle Trail

~4 min drive

0.22-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 31 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Birding By Car Stop 4

~7 min drive

At the entrance station, we are surrounded by montane grasslands. Across the road is a small, forested lava dome called Cerro La Jara. If you're looking for a short hike with lots of wildlife watching opportunities, there's a wonderful 1.4-mile loop trail around the lava dome.…

Route details

Distance
2.3 mi round trip
Climbing
About 1,241 ft
Summit
10,201 ft
Difficulty
Moderate

Questions about this route

How long is the Cerro Grande Route on Cerro Grande?

About 2.3 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Cerro Grande Route?

About 1,241 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Cerro Grande Route?

It is rated moderate.

Conditions and forecast on Cerro Grande

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.