Hike New Mexico
w/Tom & Ken
Hike New Mexico
w/Tom & Ken
Ladrone Travertine Canyon
Hike Statistics
Nearby City / Locale:
Belen
Hike Difficulty:
Moderate
Total Length of Hike:
4.4
Max to Min Elevation:
335 ft
* Total Ascent / Descent:
980 /
980 ft
Estimate based on track data
Logistics: Loop
Exposure Type: Full sun
Seasons :
Oct-Apr
"Wow" Factor: Awesome hike through an unexpected canyon
Authors last hiked: 2026-01-03
More!
View Full Page Map
Download GPX File
On-line directions to the trailhead:
Google Directions
Scroll down to see photos and additonal information. Click on photos for enlarged view. Red segments on the elevation chart indicate slopes of 18 degrees or higher.
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TRAIL TIPS!
To locate the starting point from the road, a photo marker has been provided on the map with a picture of the intersection. Watch for the sign and take Salado Road south to the trailhead. The marker is far from the starting point, so in order to see it, you will have to zoom out - best done on the full page map for visibility. You can also see it in the photos below, captioned: "Watch for this sign..."
This hike does not have a set trail, however you will be going down the streambed in the canyon so route finding is relatively straight-forward. However, on the return you should be familiar with route finding techniques to navigate from the canyon rim to the road and ultimately back to the trailhead. As with any hike, be prepared with plenty of water and snacks. Good boots are recommended since you will be navigating a wash with large rocks and small 'waterfalls'. Be prepared for some scrambling down 'waterfalls' and across large rocks, though these are not too difficult to navigate.
This hike explores a series of amazing canyons set into an alluvial fan that is sourced from Ladrone Peak. The capping rock is made of alluvial fan deposits that have been cemented by travertine, so it forms beautiful 'mosaic' rocks made of this travertine. I describe a loop on this trail description, but you may choose to do an out-and-back along the canyon rather than the climb out of the canyon described here. Both make a nice hike.
The trail starts at a gate marking the boundary of the Ladrones Wilderness Study Area. Go southwest from the parking area to the small drainage and toward some white rocks. This is your entrance to the canyon. Navigate down the small 'waterfall' through the travertine blocks and into the canyon. Travel is relatively straight-forward since you just follow the streambed down to the canyon confluence below. You will need to navigate a couple more small 'waterfalls' on the way down, but these are relatively easy to go down ... just take care.
The gpx trail turns left to go up a different branch of the canyon. At this point, you can choose to return the way you came, go further down the canyon to make a longer hike, or continue on the loop as described here.
Travel up the canyon along the stream bed. In this section you will need to cross several large rocks and a couple of 'waterfalls', but navigation isn't too bad. The ends of the canyon are inaccessible due to high 'waterfalls', so follow the gpx track up the north side of the canyon to get out of the canyon (note: in the gpx route I tried going up the south side of the canyon but the caprock was too steep, so this was a dead end). The climb out of the canyon is steep but offers excellent views down the canyon towards Magdelena Peak. You will scramble over a few small rocks at the top but it's not too bad.
Follow the track along the canyon to the road that will lead you back to the car.