A steep unpaved road to the summit of Picuris Peak in New Mexico

Picuris Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.280m (10,761ft) above the sea level, located in Taos County, in northern New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of New Mexico.

Picuris Peak

Located in the Picuris Mountains range, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Forest Road 114 (Picuris Peak Trail). Accessibility is largely limited to the summer season. It is not generally snow-free until late June or even July in some years. The summit offers stunning views of Penasco, Truchas Peaks, Espanola, Jemez and the Sangre de Cristo Range.

There are some radio antennas and equipment at the top. The road is pretty steep. Starting from the paved State Highway 518, the ascent is 11.26km (7.0 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 672 meters. The average gradient is 5.96%.

 

 

 

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