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Northern New Mexico Gravel Tour: Highlights

Familiar Territory on Dirt!

Experience the wild beauty of Northern New Mexico on gravel, where quiet backroads, high mountain routes, and rich cultural landscapes create an unforgettable ride. This tour follows some of the legendary Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, traverses remote terrain through Carson National Forest, and explores expansive alpine meadows. Riders will venture into the breathtaking Valle Vidal, a vast and rugged wilderness known for its sweeping grasslands, elk herds, and dramatic views of the southern Rockies. With years of experience in the area, Lizard Head Cycling Guides captures the adventurous spirit and soulful landscapes of the Land of Enchantment.

Northern New Mexico Gravel Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

2026 Tour Dates

• September 12 to 18, 2026  (Book Now!)
• September 19 to 25, 2026  (Book Now!)

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should You Sign Up Now And OPEN A Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so we can commit to that date.

When you OPEN a date, you get to pick your preferred departure and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets the rider minimum. Don't wait. Just do it!

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

NOTE: In anticipation and encouragement of future tour sign-ups prior to reaching the tour minimum, the Lizard Head Cycling website may be updated to show TOUR A GO prior to actual tour confirmation. Even if the website says that the tour is a GO, please wait for your official Email Confirmation before booking non-refundable travel reservations.

Northern New Mexico Gravel Tour: Overview

Tour Length: 6-Days Cycling/5-Nights Camping & Lodging

Meeting/Ending Town: Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe Regional Airport – SAF)

Total Miles: 230 miles (additional mileage options available)

Ability Level: Intermediate (2/3) , Upper Intermediate (3) , Advanced (3/4)

Tour Cost: $2,995 per person. Add $575 per person to this Tour Cost for a private room each night of the tour (includes 3 Nights). Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page for more information on Group Discounts. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

PLEASE NOTE: The standard tour ends on Day 6 at Ponil Camp Grounds in Cimarron, New Mexico where they offer a $8/pp non-camper shower before we embark on the 160 mile shuttle back to Santa Fe.

Tour Includes: 6 days of guide service, 3 nights lodging, 2 nights camping, all meals (EXCEPT dinner on Day 0 and Day 6), park service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, in-tour shuttles, and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages and bike rental are additional.

Lodging & Camping for 5 Nights: (subject to change)

• Night 1, 2: Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, Ojo Caliente, New Mexico (elevation 6,300’)
• Nights 3: Chili Lime Depot (camping and lodging options available), Tres Piedras, New Mexico (elevation 8,101’)
• Night 4: Taos Goji Retreat and Cabins, El Prado, New Mexico (elevation 7,123’)
• Night 5: Camping in Valle Vidal

Meeting Hotel and Ending Hotel reservations and costs are NOT included unless specified otherwise. Guests are on their own to make reservations at the Meeting Hotel or Ending Hotel, or other nearby hotels.

Gravel Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott 2023 Addict 30 which is light, can handle rough terrain, fits chunky tires and has enough mounts to carry all the liquids and freeze-dried chicken curry you want. What's really important, though is what this bike allows you to do. Now, perhaps more than ever, the Addict Gravel 30 is your ticket to adventure when you need it most.

The Addict 30 features: Addict Gravel Disc HMF Carbon Gravel geometry, Shimano GRX 22 speed drivetrain, Shimano BR-RX400 hydraulic disc brakes, Schwalbe G-ONE Bite Performance 700x45C tires. Approx. Weight: 20.3 / 9.2 kg (without pedals)

☛ Learn more about our Rental Bikes and Equipment

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted), including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and, occasionally, guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guides preparing meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten free, Dairy free, Vegan, or someone who loves it all – we will keep you well-fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepare healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu, including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour, if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days, sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Ability Level: Can I Ride This Tour?

Definition of Ability Levels

= Intermediate (2/3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 1 to 3 times a week for a total of 50 or more miles.
= Upper Intermediate (3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 2 to 4 times a week for a total of 75 or more miles.
= Advanced (3/4) Rides and/or takes spin classes 3 to 5 times a week for a total of 100 or more miles. Has ridden multi-day tours and done a century ride.
= Expert (4) Rides 4 or more times per week totaling 150 or more miles. Rides E.F.I. with regularity. Has done numerous multi-day tours, century rides and races.

How Fit do I Have to Be? If one month prior to the tour, you can ride 2 to 3 times a week, equaling a total of 75 or more miles a week, you'll do just fine. We like to jokingly say that "one is ready for a Lizard Head Cycling Tour when they are finished with the tour" and this is true! The only way to simulate a week-long bike tour is to go on a week-long bike tour.

Our average rider age is 55 years. These are bike tours, not races, so we take our time to stop, take pictures and see the sights. We have all day to reach our destination and most riders take "bumps" at some point. We offer reduced mileage options for each day. Of course, if someone wants to ride E.F.I. (Every Freaking Inch), we love to show them all the extra climbs, loops and hidden canyons that can be included!

Do the Bump! Daily mileage options allow cyclists of varying abilities to enjoy this tour. One of our favorite options is to give cyclists a "bump" via the support vehicle, or a 10 to 20-mile lift down the road representing an hour of pedal time. After the bump, the rider is "off the front" and riding at his or her own pace without feeling they are being left behind the group. They'll then have time to linger and take in the spectacular scenery. All cyclists come together in time for lunch. Afterward, cyclists can take another bump and/or continue riding.

Seamless Mileage Options. Lizard Head Cycling Guides designs multiple mileage options for each tour – something we're well known for in our business. This technique is similar to heliskiing in that one does not ski everything, they ski the best. 🙂

Slow or Fast? Many cyclists who sign up for our tours have worried themselves silly about not being able to keep up, but then they're surprised to find that all the worrying was about nothing. They do just fine! Slow and Fast only exist relative to other cyclists. Speed does not matter as long as one is moving on the bike. As long as one is moving, they are truly going fast enough.

Questions? If you have questions about your ability to ride this tour, please contact our office via email or call us at 970.728.5891, we will be more than happy to guide you!

Please also see this blog post for more information.

Overall Route Map

Below is an example of the daily routes for this tour, which are subject to change based on season, available accommodations, road closures, and other factors. The actual routes will be made available to registered participants before their tour, so please view these routes as a general outline of what to expect.

Northern New Mexico Gravel Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline of what to expect while on this tour.

Day 0: Arrival in Santa Fe

If you are flying in for this tour, book flights to Santa Fe Regional Airport – SAF. Lizard Head provides a Day 1 morning shuttle from The meeting hotel to the start of the riding in El Rito, NM and then a post-tour shuttle on the last day of the tour back to Santa Fe Airport or the meeting hotel.

If you are you driving to this tour, you can leave your car at long-term parking at the Santa Fe Regional Airport. At the end of the tour we will shuttle you back to Santa Fe Regional Airport.

Please refer to your tour confirmation documents for more detailed pre-tour and post-tour travel logistics.

Day 1: El Rito Loop
33 miles, +3,382 ft / -3,382 ft (87% unpaved, 13% unpaved)

Our gravel adventure begins in Santa Fe, where we will start our journey in the small town of El Rito. We will visit an old church, and get ready for some riding after our short shuttle out of Santa Fe. From the town of El Rito we will head into the hills for a dive right into the gravel of Northern New Mexico. This loop will get us into hills of juniper and sagebrush, alongside many other desert plants. Once returning to El Rito, we will head down to Ojo Caliente, a wonderful place to rest and relax.

 

Day 2: Great Divide Sampler
42 miles · +2,817 ft / -2,817 ft (43% unpaved, 57% paved)

After a relaxing evening enjoying the hot springs of Ojo Caliente, we head out in the morning to ride a section of gravel that is on the Great Divide Trail, a long bikepacking route that stretches from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. This loop takes us through some small New Mexico towns high in the hills, before heading back to Ojo Caliente for another evening of enjoying the healing mineral springs.

 

Day 3: Tres Piedras
40 miles · +4,133 ft / -2,258 ft (26% unpaved, 74% paved)

After a relaxing morning soak, we get saddled up for a journey north to Tres Piedras. Our route starts out on a slight paved climb before the road turns to dirt, and we climb into the high elevations of New Mexico that offers better habitat for larger trees. Once we get to Tres Piedras, there will be great opportunities to look at the stars in a remote area, and enjoy the peace of New Mexico.

Day 4: John Dunn Bridge
42 miles · +1,375 ft / -2,382 ft (79% unpaved, 21% paved)

After some time exploring a couple small sections of the Great Divide trail, we head out into the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument and cross the valley towards Taos. This is a remote stretch of desert, with our destination of the John Dunn bridge, a former toll bridge, that will allow us to cross the Rio Grande River. When crossing the bridge, admire the deep canyon the river has cut through the landscape, before heading to our lodging for the evening.

Day 5: Valle Vidal

30 miles · +2,527 ft / -850 ft (72% unpaved, 28% paved)

Valle Vidal is a magical, wondrous landscape. This ride was the inspiration behind this tour, with the founder of Lizardhead, John Humphries, having explored this area in his twenties, with memories of elk herds, and lush, high elevation grasslands. This area is a truly remote area, lightly impacted by human touch, and surrounded by snow capped peaks. There is a chance to see where the former town of La Belle was, a true cowboy town that only lasted a few years in the early 1900’s. This will be our most remote night camping under the stars and eating classic camp food.

Day 6: To Cimarron
43 miles · +1,359 ft / -4,425 ft (88% unpaved, 12% paved)

Wake up to the silence of remote paradise, before getting a chance to explore more of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. This day offers lots of descending, and even more chances to see Elk, Aspens, and high peaks. We descend down past the Philmont Scout Ranch, as well as near one of Ted Turner’s ranches, before entering the town of Cimarron. We will get a quick bite to eat in town before shuttling back to Santa Fe for the end of the trip.

Northern New Mexico Gravel Tour: Logistics & FAQs

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead