Please click here to jump to the Overview section with all tour details including pricing.

New Mexico Singletrack: Highlights

From the mountainous heights of Cumbres Pass in southern Colorado to the high-desert canyons near Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, this mostly-singletrack through-ride takes in some of Northern New Mexico’s finest scenery enjoyed along some of the state’s most sublime riding. The Continental Divide Trail through Carson National Forest has been completely re-routed and converted to singletrack over the better part of the last two decades. Think alpine meadows, rocky ridges, crisp mountain creeks, and dark, loamy forests.

New Mexico Singletrack: 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

To easily register for a particular tour, please click the Book Now! link after the tour date listed below. This will select the tour name and the appropriate date on the registration form.

This tour runs from Monday to Friday unless noted otherwise.

2024 Tour Dates

• September 2 to 6, 2024 (Book Now!)
• September 9 to 13, 2024 (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 that we can commit to that date.

For starters, when you OPEN a date you get to pick your preferred departure date, 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 its 6 rider minimum.

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.

In conclusion, if you want a tour to run, we need you to sign up and not wait for others to do the same! Waiting for others may mean that a tour date takes longer or does not confirm. Just Do It! Once a few riders jump into the proverbial waters, others will follow!

New Mexico Singletrack: Overview

Tour Length: 5-Days (4-Days Cycling)/5-Nights Camping/Lodging

Starting & Ending Town/Airport: Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque International Sunport – ABQ). Santa Fe, New Mexico is an option for private groups.

Total Miles: 100 miles (additional mileage options available)

Mileage Range: 15 to 30 miles

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

Fitness Level: Same as Technical Ability

Tour Cost: $1,905 per person (5-Day with 4-Nights camping and 1-Night lodging).

Tour Discounts: Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page to learn more about Reptile Rewards, Tour Discounts, and Group Discounts. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions – only the highest valued discount is provided. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Tour Includes: 4 days of guide service, camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and dry bag), all meals, campground fees, forest service fees, one night lodging at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles, and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental, and massage are additional.

Mountain 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.

Mountain Bike Rentals

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott Spark 930, a truly fantastic way to go up or down a mountain. We have been riding mountain bikes for a very long time here at Lizard Head, but we can easily say our rentals are the most fun mountain bikes we have ever ridden. The Spark 930 blends the featherweight lineage of its race focused cousin with the single track chops of a 120mm travel ripper - this bike is up for anything.

The Spark 930 features: Spark Carbon HMF-Alloy Frame, FOX 34 Float Performance 130mm Fork, FOX Nude EVOL/120mm/TwinLoc rear shock, Shimano XT-SLX 12 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Deore Disc Brakes, Syncros X-25 TR Rims, Maxxis Rekon Folding Tires, plus Syncros Dropper Post. Approx. Weight: 28.88 lbs / 13.10 kg (without pedals)

Mountain E-Bike Rentals

The Strike eRIDE 920 offers SCOTT’s latest technologies together with the newest Bosch motor. Versatile, reliable, and accessible, the Strike puts the accent on the comfort with 150mm of travel, slicker tires, thicker grips and saddle to give you a solid choice for any outing.

☛ Learn more about our Mountain Bike & E-Bike Rentals 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 guide prepared 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 a someone who loves it all – we will keep you well fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepares 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.

Overall Route Map

New Mexico Singletrack: 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 as to what to expect while on this tour.

Day 0: Arrival in Albuquerque

Day 0 is the day before the tour starts. Guests either drive to Albuquerque, New Mexico or fly into Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ). We meet mid afternoon and then shuttle north to Hopewell Lake Campground to set up camp for the night and enjoy our first evening in Carson National Forest.

Day 1: Hopewell Lake to Lagunitas Campground
20 miles with up to 2,380 feet of climbing

After a hearty breakfast, packing a lunch, and then breaking down camp, we start our first day of riding heading north from Hopewell Lake and around Jawbone Mountain. Today is mostly singletrack and a few bits of doubletrack surrounded with tremendous vistas and old growth aspen forests. Just after mile 12 is a fast and furious nearly 2 mile descent crossing the Rio San Antonio at the bottom. We then arrive at our camp for the night at Lagunitas Campground and enjoy a well deserved dinner.

Day 2: Lagunitas Campground to Cumbres Pass
22 miles with up to 1,970 feet of climbing

The route along the CDT today offers up fast and narrow rolling singletrack along a rich loam base for mile after mile. The views continue to be spectacular, especially early in the ride at Brazos Ridge with the Cruces Basin Wilderness and the central Sangre de Cristo range in the far distance. Heading further north the wide-open expanses soon become dense stands of timber. After crossing into Colorado the ride ends at Cumbres Pass and we shuttle from here back to camp once again at Hopewell Lake Campground.

Day 3: Hopewell Lake to Canjilon Lakes
24 miles with up to 2,385 feet of climbing

Starting for a second time from Hopewell Lake, but this time we head in a southerly direction through more dense forest and along an hour-long decent until reaching Rio Vallecitos. From here it is a 1,500′ climb to more level terrain and broader vistas with views of Canjilon Mountain and the Jemez Mountains in the far distance. We end the day to setup camp at Canjilon Lakes Campground and recall another fine day of singletrack riding around the campfire.

Day 4: Canjilon Lakes to HWY 84
27 miles with up to 890 feet of climbing

Everything goes downhill today… literally! Most of the final day of riding is downhill, but also along some challenging terrain. So what the ride offers in a lack of climbing makes up for it with perhaps the most technical riding of the tour. Soon after leaving camp we ride over Mogote Peak and then through dense stands of aspen trees. Back into more open terrain, we traverse downhill through Martinez Canyon and then end the ride at HWY 84.

We then shuttle to the historic Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa. Ancient peoples, the ancestors of today’s Native American Tewa tribes, built large pueblos and terraced gardens overlooking the springs. Surrounding the springs are the ruins of the cities populated before the birth of history. A soak in the hot springs after the last 4 days is highly recommended!

Day 5: Return to Albuquerque

Spend the early morning enjoying another dip in the hot springs at Ojo or hike to the nearby ruins. We then will depart Ojo late morning and shuttle back to Albuquerque to end the tour.

New Mexico Singletrack: 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.

Generally, if contracting COVID causes clients to cancel or interrupt their tour, trip insurance companies would treat it as any other illness as long as it is contracted after the insurance was purchased. Please check your individual plan documentation for details. Please note that quarantine is usually only covered if clients are actually sick with COVID. If a state requires quarantine upon arrival because of standardized state law, coverage is generally not covered. Again, check your individual plan documentation for details.

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

 

---

Lizard Head Cycling Guides operates under permit on the Carson National Forest.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)/

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339./

To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD 3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:/

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; email: program.intake@usda.gov./