Exploring Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument

The Rio Grande del Norte is a beautiful National Monument in New Mexico that overlooks the Red River and the Rio Grande Gorge. There are numerous recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, biking, and longboarding. Rio Grande del Norte has five developed campgrounds as well as the option to do some primitive camping down in the gorge!

Quick Info About Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

Directions: The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Visitor Center is located at 1120 Cerro Road in Cerro. From Questa, take NM 522 north for about 2.6 miles and then turn left on State Road 378. Continue on State Road 378 until you see the national monument entrance sign.

Cost: $0 – $3; there is a fee area at the far end of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument that costs $3 for day use although there are some trails that can be accessed before entering the fee area.

Getting Around: There are lots of great hiking trails, overlooks, campgrounds, and a visitor center. Use this map to pick and choose what to see on your adventure! 

What to See in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

There are several hikes of various lengths and difficulties in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Some of the trails are open to horses and bikes as well. And the views from the overlooks are gorgeous! Here are some of the features in the monument that we checked out:

Chiflo Trail

Our first stop in the monument was at a pull off for Chiflo Trail. There is a large parking area and the trail is .4 miles each way for a total of .8 miles. Chiflo Trail is short and sweet (and kinda steep) providing access to the Rio Grande. The trail leads down to the bottom of the canyon granting beautiful views of the towering colorful canyon walls from within. This hike is good for nice views from above and below, taking almost no time at all or as much time as you like to hang out in the gorge!

La Junta Overlook

Once past the fee area we drove to the end of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and checked out La Junta Overlook.

The La Junta overlook is wheelchair accessible and offered some great views of the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Red River deep down in the beautiful gorge.

Near the La Junta Overlook is the La Junta Trail and the La Junta Campground. The La Junta Trail is 1.2 miles one way and accesses the confluence below. The trail is rated as difficult and has an 800 feet elevation change. Since it was a little rainy the day that we visited we opted to skip the steep wet trail and just enjoyed the views from the overlook.

On our way back to the parking lot, we followed the Rio Bravo Nature Trail. That is when we found a herd of mountain goats checking out the trail, too!

We stayed still and kept our distance as they became aware of us. They watched us and we watched them.

Eventually, they passed by us and continued on. It was an amazing experience to witness such beautiful creatures!

Big Arsenic Trail

Next, we drove north to Big Arsenic Trail. This trail was one mile one-way rated as moderate with an elevation change of 680 feet. 

The Big Arsenic Trail is a self-guided interpretive trail with informative signs about the area, geology and vegetation to read along the way.

The trail offered a fun learning opportunity, as well as exercise and great views of the river and the canyon. After the trail descended into the gorge it paralleled the beautiful blue Rio Grande.

Eventually, the trail leads to a beautiful and clear cold spring with lots of large boulders.

Further on the trail, there were restrooms and primitive camping areas down by the Rio Grande. And as if this hike wasn’t already great, next we encountered some boulders with petroglyphs.

From here, we headed back and made the ascent back up. This hike was really enjoyable and we didn’t encounter many other people.

Chawalauna Overlook

Our last stop that we made in the monument was the Chawalauna Overlook. It is a short, developed walk to the vista point. This overlooked the Big Arsenic area of the Rio Grande which we had just experienced from down below. The views were just stunning! And the overlook really showcased the enormous size of the gorge with the large Rio Grande snaking its way through. We stayed here for a little while and enjoyed the vast beauty.

There was also a rock formation across from the overlook trail that had a hole, or a “window”, in it. If you looked “out the window” from the right angle you could see down to the Rio Grande through it. It was a fun and unique addition to the already magnificent overlook.

With an abundance of hikes and even more spectacular views, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is definitely worth experiencing. It’s a beautiful area with lots to see and do for free or for a small fee! And it was not crowded like many places tend to be.

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for reading about our adventure here at the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument in New Mexico. Please leave any questions or comments about this adventure in the comment section below!

Feel free to check out some of our other hikes and adventure articles here. Or if you prefer your adventures to have wheels, read about our longboarding adventures here! 

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