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New Mexico
17.2 mi
Distance
962 ft
Gain
No conditions check on file for this trail yet — always verify current conditions before you go.
Why you'll love it
Nm 603
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
No permit or access details on file for this trail — check with the local land manager before you go.
NM 603 is a challenging backcountry trail offering a substantial 17+ mile journey through New Mexico's diverse terrain. This extended route gains nearly 1,000 feet of elevation while traversing remote landscapes typical of the state's high desert and forested regions. The trail rewards dedicated hikers with solitude and expansive views characteristic of New Mexico's wilderness areas.
Lava Falls Trail Stop #8
~44 min drive
<h2>Wilderness: A Tricky Value to Define</h2> <p><br /> Most of El Malpais National Monument, including this trail, is managed as wilderness. Managing wilderness is a balance between maintaining an untrammeled and undeveloped area in a way that prevents future damage while als…
Escondido
~37 min drive
Easy 2.66-mile hike with 386 ft gain near Escondido.
Fishing Trail
~44 min drive
Moderate 5.6-mile forest hike with 571 ft elevation gain near water features.
Lava Falls Trail Stop #6
~44 min drive
<p>Although lava rock does not have many nutrients for plants to use, the McCartys lava creates a reservoir of precious water plants need to survive. Water trickles through the cracks of the rock and collects beneath the lava while still protected from the intense sunlight and…
Lake Overlook
~45 min drive
Steep 1.66-mile climb to scenic lake views with 822 ft elevation gain.
Lava Falls Trail Stop #7
~44 min drive
<h2>Pockets of Life</h2> <p>Lava does not always stay the same when it stops moving. As lava is exposed to outside air, it begins to cool. As lava cools, it contracts or shrinks, cracks, and sometimes falls apart. Rock may break apart and fall if there is nothing below a rock…
Vista Trail
~45 min drive
Scenic 1.82-mile climb with 660 ft gain and rewarding views.
Lava Falls Trail Stop #5
~44 min drive
<h2>Hot Gases Rise</h2> <p>Although you are slightly downhill from McCartys Crater, the inflation ridges around you might look like the opposite. However, these ridges formed from the lava rising up, rather than tall, thick lava flows flowing down. <br /> <br /> Lava can hold…
Sawmill Canyon
~49 min drive
Scenic 2-mile canyon hike with steady elevation gain near Sawmill Canyon.
Lava Falls Trail Stop #9
~44 min drive
<h2>Connections Over Time</h2> <p><br /> The McCartys flow may be young by geologic standards, but it is old enough to be included in human history. It is very likely that ancestors of today's Acoma Pueblo, Zuni Pueblo, and Navajo Nation all witnessed the McCartys eruption.<br…