Switchback
Photo: Kaesop, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 6.4 mi
- round trip
- 480 ft
- climb
- 8,228 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Switchback open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for Lincoln National Forest.
Order# 03-08-26-002: Temporary Road Closure
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · Order 03-08-26-002 · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
Current Fire Restrictions and Related Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
Order# 03-08-02-26-001: Bluff Springs Temporary Closure on Sacramento Ranger District
Agency alert covering Sacramento Ranger District · Order 03-08-02-26-001 · USFS · Sacramento Ranger District
Order# 03-08-02-25-001: Sacramento Ranger District Area/ Dispersed Camping and Motor Vehicle Use
Agency alert covering Sacramento Ranger District · Order 03-08-02-25-001 · USFS · Sacramento Ranger District
InciWeb - for current incidents
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Lincoln National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Switchback is a 6.4-mile out-and-back hike in the Sacramento Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, managed by the Forest Service. The trail rises about 480 feet from a low point of 7,713 feet to a high of 8,228 feet, and it is rated hard. The route is on natural surface, and bikes are allowed. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from the nearby Cloudcroft weather station show May highs around 66°F and September highs around 67°F, while July and August bring the most wet days, about 16 each month. Several other trails start close by, including Toboggan Cyn and Crossover Trail, each about 0.6 miles away, and Overlook at 0.8 miles. For an overnight stay, Fir Lower Gc is about 1.4 miles off.
- Toboggan CynHikingPhoto: Kaesop, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.6 mi
Crossover TrailHikingPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.6 mi- OverlookHikingPhoto: Kaesop, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.8 mi
- Fir Lower GcCamping1.4 mi
- Upper FirCamping1.5 mi
- SlideCamping2 mi
Sunny Side (Right End)Rock climbingPhoto: Chris_Short, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)6.1 mi- The DigRock climbingPhoto: Chris_Short, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)6.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Toboggan CynHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: Kaesop, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Rim Trail (105)Hiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- OshaHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Crossover TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- ChippewayHiking · ~8 min drive
- Little Apache Trail (124)Hiking · ~3 min drive
- Village Spur Trail (5001A)Hiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Dry CanyonHiking · ~13 min drive
- FirHiking · ~3 min drive
5688 to 10Hiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Switchback
Best months: May–June and September–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
42° / 19°
6 wet
Feb
45° / 22°
6 wet
Mar
51° / 26°
6 wet
Apr
58° / 31°
4 wet
May
66° / 38°
5 wet
Jun
74° / 45°
9 wet
Jul
72° / 48°
16 wet
Aug
71° / 47°
16 wet
Sep
67° / 42°
10 wet
Oct
60° / 34°
6 wet
Nov
51° / 26°
5 wet
Dec
43° / 19°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cloudcroft, NM, 1.6 mi away at 8,679 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
