Upper Clear Creek
- 5.6 mi
- round trip
- 357 ft
- climb
- 10,302 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep
- best months
Is Upper Clear Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Cuba Ranger District. It doesn't name Upper Clear Creek, so check the source for the area it covers.
NFSR 313 Closed Due to Washout Near NM Highway 112
Agency closure covering Cuba Ranger District · USFS · Cuba Ranger District
Road Conditions
Agency alert covering Santa Fe National Forest · USFS · Santa Fe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Cuba Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Upper Clear Creek is a 5.6-mile out-and-back hike in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness, part of the Cuba Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in northern New Mexico. The trail rises from a low point of 9,936 feet to a high of 10,302 feet, a climb of 357 feet one way, and the nearest town is Deer Lake, about 4.5 miles away. The Forest Service manages the land. The route is rated hard, and it is a natural-surface trail. Bikes are not allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Los Alamos show July highs around 74°F with lows near 45°F, though that station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Winter is cold, with January highs around 36°F. The hike is open from about June 1 to December 1. Damian is about a mile away, and Clear Creek Trail is about 2.2 miles off. For an overnight base, Clear Creek Campground is about 4.4 miles away, and Rio De Las Vacas Campground is about 5 miles away.
- DamianHiking1 mi
- Clear Creek TrailHiking2.2 mi
- PerchasHiking2.5 mi
- PalomasHiking2.7 mi
- Clear Creek CgCamping4.4 mi
- Clear Creek GcgCamping4.5 mi
- Rio De Las Vacas CampgroundCamping5 mi
- Rio de las VacasCanoeing7.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Cdt - New Mexico SectionHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- PerchasHiking · ~4 min drive
- PalomasHiking · ~5 min drive
Hal Baxter Memorial TrailHiking · ~24 min drivePhoto: cogdogblog, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- LuceroHiking · ~5 min drive
- Vega RedondaHiking · ~8 min drive
Climbing trailHiking · ~24 min drivePhoto: snowpeak, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Rio Capulin Trail (31)Hiking · ~6 min drive
- Rio Puerco Trail 385Hiking · ~8 min drive
- Clear Creek TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
Best time to visit Upper Clear Creek
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.
Jan
36° / 9°
9 wet
Feb
38° / 12°
9 wet
Mar
44° / 20°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 25°
8 wet
May
62° / 32°
8 wet
Jun
72° / 39°
8 wet
Jul
74° / 45°
15 wet
Aug
71° / 43°
15 wet
Sep
66° / 35°
11 wet
Oct
57° / 26°
7 wet
Nov
45° / 17°
6 wet
Dec
36° / 9°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Los Alamos 13 W, NM, 23 mi away at 8,716 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.
