rim trail

Love the scenery and walking paths. They are all well maintained and easily followed. There is something out there for everyone and skill ability. Spends some time walking along the trail and was so happy to finally be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Great place to just get away...also around the is a lot of side trails to go off roading... I think it is a great place to unwind...

Easy walks on good surfaces. The views through the clouds were terrific. I could see all the way into the sunny valley

We hiked a portion of the trail, starting at Parking 1. There are a few rocks, but nothing that can't be navigated by a novice. Most of the trail is pretty smooth and easily navigable. Next time, we'll bring our bikes and go all of the way!

If you enjoy hiking, you'll love this trail. In its entirety, its @ 20 miles from near the village of Cloudcroft south to Sunspot and beyond, looking out to the west over the desert floor. The trail meanders up and down, variously taking you into the forest and providing vistas west. There are multiple "jumping on" points all along the Sunspot Highway. Walk it in segments of 3-4 miles over a number of days if you're not up taking it all on at once.

Nice trail but way too many tree roots for a mountain bike ride. You have some gorgeous views throughout the trail and excellent chance of running into deer, turkey and even elk.

There are several numbered parking areas for trailheads on the Sunspot Highway. My map showed at least five. This time we stopped at Parking Area #4. These parking areas are just wide spots in the highway for perhaps 4-5 cars. We were the only ones there on Sunday. There is one problem for older people. The first part of the trail from one's car to the gate, which was closed but could be opened (and closed again) is a bit steep, and the part right where you go through the gate is dirt with small rocks, as well as steep, so one has to be very careful of one's footing. After that, there is a 1/4 mile walk to the Rim Trail itself. We just walked the quarter mile, stopped in a meadow-like area under some very large pine trees to rest and enjoy the bird sounds and the nice breeze. We take a ground cloth with us (just for this purpose) and of course, water. We also now use walking sticks. We heard crows and small birds. The sky was blue with puffy white clouds. We got to the Rim Trail junction (which is marked). One can go either way, but the left fork looked a bit rocky and uphill, so we decided not to pursue it, as we'd already hiked the Nelson Vista Loop Trail (also off Sunspot Highway) that day.