New Mexico trails · Apache Kid
Apache Kid
A 19.7-mile out-and-back in New Mexico, with 2,933 ft of climbing. Reaches Blue Mountain and other pass/spring/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the first third: 49% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 6.6. It gives back about 4,562 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Blue Mountain (summit)
- Indian Spring (spring)
- San Mateo Spring (spring)
- Cyclone Saddle (pass)
- Twentyfive Yard Spring (spring)
- Pothole Spring (spring)
Heads up
Getting there
Apache Kid access — parking nearby. About 1 h 44 min drive (57 mi, 14 of them unpaved) from Socorro. 33.57554, -107.40404 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:48 a.m., the sun rises at 7:13 a.m. and sets at 6:37 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:02 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 24 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 39.5-mile round trip works out to roughly 17 h 33 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- San Mateo + Smith + Apache Kid — 15.1 mi loop, 5,735 ft gain
- San Mateo + Apache Kid + Smith — 16.6 mi loop, 4,864 ft gain
- Apache Kid + Milo + Milo Trail #349 — 6.2 mi loop, 773 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Cold Spring — 7.6 mi
- East Red — 11.8 mi