Grande Vista Nature Trail

This short, interpreted nature trail lives up to its name: Grande Vista, or, (loosely translated), "great view", which you do get from this trail. Additionally, you get to learn more about the nature in the area.

Due to the 2011 fire, this trail is closed. You should check with the park before planning on hiking this trail.

Hike data

Waypoints

Maps

Getting to the trailhead

About the hike

Plants along the trail

Comments

Hike data:

Controlling agency:

New Mexico State Parks; Sugarite Canyon

Region:

Northeast; Sugarite Canyon State Park.

Elevation:

start:	7874ft; 2400m	end:	7874ft; 2400m
min:	0ft; 0m	max:	0ft; 0m

elevation gain/loss: 78ft; 24m.
Elevations from GPS. Max and min not recorded.

Length:

0.46mi; 0.74km.

Trail:

surface: mixed dirt/rock

condition: No value

ease of following: Easy

obstacles: None
The trail is interpreted. A guide is available at the trailhead.

Fee:

$5.00. Day use fee.

Season:

April 01 to November 30. The actual season depends on snowfall.

Dogs:

Unknown.

Bikes:

Unknown.

Handicapped accessible:

Unknown.

Trailhead facilities:

water, trash can(s), vault toilet(s), picnic area.

Hike attractions:

scenery, biology.

When we hiked it:

Date:	2004-09-03
Time it took us:	0:20.
Usage (people/hour):	0.00.
Cleanliness:	10.

Waypoints:

Waypoint	Type	Description
GVISTATH	Trailhead	Grande Vista trailhead in Sugarite Canyon state park
GV7	Trail point	View point on Grande Vista trail at Sugarite Canyon state park

Maps:

Paper maps:

Map name	Cartographer	Year	Scale	Topo map?	Online access	Notes
Wildernesses of New Mexico	US Forest Service	1981	1:1000000	N	No online copies.	Base map with national forests, wilderness areas and highways.

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Getting to the trailhead:

Take exit 452 from I-25 in Raton. Head east on NM 72 for 3.5 miles; this is the junction with NM 526. Take NM 526 (go straight) for 1.7 miles to the park visitor center.

From the visitor center, continue 2.2 miles to the turnoff to the Soda Pocket campground. This road is steep; keep this in mind if you are in a heavy or underpowered vehicle. This did not prevent RVs (especially trailers) from making it. The Soda Pocket campground is 1.5 miles up the road, and the trailhead is in the south-southwest part of the campground.

About the hike:

	The trail is mostly under the shade of oak trees.
Along the trail are numbered signs corresponding to a paragraph in the trail guide (available at the trailhead).
	At GPS GV7 (near the interpretative "7" sign"), there is a junction with a short trail leading to a nice viewpoint.

Plants we saw along the trail:

Yarrow (Asteraceae Achillea millefolium)
Fleabane (Asteraceae Erigeron)
Sunflower (Asteraceae Helianthus)
New Mexico locust (Fabaceae Robinia neomexicana)
Gambel oak (Fagaceae Quercus gambelii)
Wax currant (Grossulariaceae Ribes cereum)
Piñon pine (Pinaceae Pinus edulis)
Scarlet gilia or scarlet skyrocket (Polemoniaceae Ipomopsis aggregata)
Alderleaf mountain mahogany (Rosaceae Cercocarpus montanus)
Chokecherry (Rosaceae Prunus virginiana)
Mullein (Scrophulariaceae Verbascum)

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