Caja del Rio Rollabout

Caja del Rio is an offroad ride, sometimes also known as the Mudfest or Derailleur-Eater. It is west of Santa Fe overlooking the Rio Grande and Whiterock. There are a large number of options due to the maze of old ranch trails, logging roads and new roads. Watch the major mountains and nearby hills as reference points. This ride has great views of the Rio Grande and the Jemez Mountains opposite White Rock. The best time is the spring or fall since it can get quite hot in the summer. See the detailed writeup by Craig Martin. Getting There: West of Santa Fe. Take the Santa Fe Bypass, NM599, to Caja del Rio which is 9.7 miles from the northern NM599/US84 intersection or 5.25 miles north of the I-25 intersection in the south. Distance: 5 to 20+ Miles. Difficulty: Easy to Expert - See the guide for routes and details. Mostly double tracks so there are few technical areas. There are some somewhate rocky sections on climbs. None of the climbs are all that hard. Roadway: Mostly dirt roads in various states. REALLY muddy when wet. Notes: The Santa Fe National Forest Map is helpful but is out of date. These can be picked up at USFS Ranger stations in the area for about $6. Also see the White Rock and Horcado Ranch 7-1/2 quad maps but they are old too.