Comanche Canyon
- 6.1 mi
- round trip
- 1,633 ft
- climb
- 8,206 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–May, Aug–Oct
- best months
Caution at last check
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 14 h ago
Is Comanche Canyon open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Cibola National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Cibola National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Comanche Canyon is a hard hike in the Manzano Mountain Wilderness, part of the Mountainair Ranger District of Cibola National Forest in New Mexico. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is an out-and-back of about 6 miles with a one-way climb of roughly 1,600 feet, from a low of about 6,579 feet to a high of about 8,206 feet. The trail is on natural surface, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The climb is steep, so plan for a long day on foot. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mountainair show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 68°F, while July and August bring highs in the upper 80s and the most wet days of the year. Nearby, the Manzano Crest Trail is about 1.7 miles away, and the Gavilan and Capilla Peak Road hikes are each about 2 miles off. Fourth of July Campground, about 5.8 miles away, is the closest place to camp.
Local outfitters
- Turquoise Trail Campground30 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Manzano Crest TrailHiking1.7 mi
- GavilanHiking2 mi
- Capilla Peak RoadHiking2.1 mi
- Comanche Trail (182)Hiking2.1 mi
- Manzano MountainsRock climbing4 mi
- Mighty WallRock climbing4.7 mi
- Radical WallRock climbing4.8 mi
- Fourth of July CampgroundCamping5.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Manzano Crest TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- Manzano Crest TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Manzano Crest Trail (170)Hiking · ~5 min drive
- Old Bosque TrailHiking · ~6 min drive
- Capilla Peak RoadHiking · ~4 min drive
- Encino TrailHiking · ~5 min drive
- New Canyon Trail (101)Hiking · ~6 min drive
- Trail Canyon Trail (176)Hiking · ~4 min drive
- Vigil TrailHiking · ~6 min drive
- Yellowstone RouteHiking · ~7 min drive
Best time to visit Comanche Canyon
Best months: April–May and August–October. 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.
Jan
46° / 18°
5 wet
Feb
51° / 23°
4 wet
Mar
58° / 27°
5 wet
Apr
66° / 32°
4 wet
May
76° / 41°
5 wet
Jun
87° / 50°
6 wet
Jul
88° / 55°
11 wet
Aug
85° / 53°
10 wet
Sep
79° / 45°
8 wet
Oct
68° / 36°
5 wet
Nov
55° / 25°
4 wet
Dec
47° / 19°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mountainair 8nw, NM, 9.5 mi away at 6,672 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
