Pelones

Pelones is a hard hike in the Coyote Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico, managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back of about 6.2 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 1,036 feet, taking you from a low point of about 9,314 feet to a high of about 10,311 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and does not allow bikes. The most comfortable stretch for a visit runs from May through October, when typical averages from a nearby weather station at Los Alamos show highs in the low to mid 70s and lows in the mid 30s to low 40s. That station sits roughly 1,600 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The hike is open from May 1 to December 1. The River Trail lies about 0.7 miles away, and San Jose and Rio Gallina are both within about 2 miles. Upper Gallina is about 3 miles off.