West Rim Trail to Overlook in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, NM

Hike West Rim Trail to Overlook Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, NM

Class 1 1.4 miles Minimal gain <1 hr Out + Back Jun 8, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

West Rim Trail to Overlook GPX Track

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Rio Grande del Norte National Monument has some nice hikes along its rim and down to the riverbed. This hike starts on the west side of the impressive Rio Grande Bridge and heads south. This could have been a really nice walk along the west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge, but the absurdly wide trail seems to hug the cliff edge very infrequently, resulting in a hot and open desert stroll. I found myself using social trails to get to viewpoints of the gorgeous cliffs, which like, isn't the point of a trail to get you to the prettiest stuff? Anyway, I ended up just turning around after getting a feel for the hike after reaching a bench that overlooked the Rio Grande Gorge.

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The West Rim Trail looks like this.
The West Rim Trail looks like this.
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You kind of have to leave the trail to get views, which in my opinion defeats the purpose of having a trail.
You kind of have to leave the trail to get views, which in my opinion defeats the purpose of having a trail.
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At the overlook where I turned around.
At the overlook where I turned around.
Close-up of the mountains near Taos Ski area, Wheeler Peak in there somewhere.
Close-up of the mountains near Taos Ski area, Wheeler Peak in there somewhere.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!