Gonzales Canyon

Gonzales Canyon

Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544

Official Website
Canyons and Longer Hikes map

About this Location

Park at the Bayo Canyon Trailhead just off of North Mesa Road, immediately east of the roundabout. Follow the North Bayo Bench Trail east into the canyon. You should end up on a flat trail that stays on the north side of the canyon and eventually is on a bench above the lower canyon. Follow this bench until the mesa finger to the north ends and a fork in the trail allows you to wrap around to the north side of the mesa finger. This puts you into Gonzales Canyon and on the Gonzales Canyon Trail. Follow this trail upstream to the head of the canyon (just below Barranca Road and across from the Aspen School. For the shortest possible hike, pre-stage a car on Camino Encatado just off of Barranca Road, about 300 feet to the west (left) of where you exit Gonzales Canyon. For more hiking, turn back and hike down through Gonzales Canyon. Now you can either walk back to the car along the North Bayo Bench Trail or you can add extra mileage by finding the trail that heads down to the bottom of Bayo Canyon and keep taking right forks in the trail until you find yourself at the bottom of Bayo Canyon on a trail that slowly ascends the southern slope of the Canyon. Follow this trail all the way back to the head of the canyon, the trailhead, and your car.

Notable Trails

The Canyons and Longer Hikes map has an interactive map of this hike.

Content from Official Website