New Mexico County Highpoints

The County Highpoints of New Mexico

New Mexico is a varied land of high alpine mountains, forested ranges, cliffs, interesting rock formations, and for variety, mind-numbing flat plateau in the east. Its 33 county highpoints offer a variety of hiking experiences from multi-day backpacks, some techical peaks, a few 'flatties' where orienteering is the challenge, a wide selection of fun day hikes to high summits, and a few on private property where your charm will have to suffice to win permission.

Highpoint Information and Links

The following is a table of the county highpoints of New Mexico. The Summitpost link is given if a page exists, otherwise alternative links are offered in the fourth column. I have supplied my personal trip reports as well. The best resource for many of the lesser-known highpoints would be at www.cohp.org, where various trip reports are posted, often giving recent new information on access issues, etc.

Two pairs of counties share highpoints. Rio Arriba and Mora Counties both share South Truchas Peak as its highpoint, while Grant and Sierra County share McKnight Mountain. In Grant County's case, another spot elevation of equal height must also be visited.

Highpoint Name (summitpost link)	Elevation	County	Other links
Wheeler Peak by Alan Ellis	13,161	Taos	surgent • cohp.org
Truchas Peak by dsnell	13,102	Mora & Rio Arriba	surgent • cohp.org
Santa Fe Baldy by dsnell	12,622	Santa Fe	surgent • cohp.org
Little Costilla Peak by A. DePasquale	12,584	Colfax	surgent • cohp.org
Sierra Blanca by surgent	11,973	Otero	surgent • cohp.org
Elk Mountain	11,661	San Miguel	surgent • cohp.org
Lookout Mountain by attm	11,580	Lincoln	surgent • cohp.org
Mount Taylor by dsnell	11,301	Cibola	surgent • cohp.org
Redondo Peak	11,254	Sandoval	surgent • Valles Calderas Preserve • cohp.org
Whitewater Baldy by streeyyr	10,895	Catron	surgent • cohp.org
South Baldy by streeyyr	10,783	Socorro	surgent • cohp.org
Sandia Crest by dsnell	10,678	Bernalillo	surgent • cohp.org
Caballo Mountain by surgent	10,460	Los Alamos	surgent • cohp.org
McKnight Mountain by surgent	10,165	Grant & Sierra	surgent • cohp.org
Manzano Peak by streeyyr	10,098	Torrance	surgent • cohp.org
Beautiful Mountain	9,388	San Juan	surgent • cohp.org
Cerros de Alejandro	9,166	McKinley	surgent • cohp.org
Organ Needle by surgent	8,980	Dona Ana	surgent • cohp.org
Manzano West Range	8,960	Valencia	surgent • cohp.org
Sierra Grande	8,720	Union	surgent • cohp.org
Animas Peak	8,565	Hidalgo	cohp.org
Cookes Peak by surgent	8,408	Luna	surgent • cohp.org
Dog Canyon Overlook (Guadalupe Mtns)	7,480	Eddy	surgent • cohp.org
One Tree Peak	7,089	Chaves	surgent • cohp.org
Sugarloaf Mountain	6,455	Harding	surgent • cohp.org
Mesa Leon	6,339	Guadalupe	surgent • cohp.org
Loma Alta	5,583	De Baca	surgent • cohp.org
Luciano Mesa	5,560	Quay	surgent • cohp.org
Northwest Corner	4,792	Curry	surgent • cohp.org
Northwest Corner	4,780	Roosevelt	surgent • cohp.org
Mescalero Ridge	4,476	Lea	surgent • cohp.org

Also, check out John Kirk's informative New Mexico Counties Website for more information and photographs.

New Mexico County Map

County Map

Resources

• County Highpointers Website, hosted by Adam Helman and the archive of trip reports for virtually all U.S. counties. • County Highpoints of the United States, ordering information for Andy Martin's remarkable book of lists. • My New Mexico Counties Page, a collection of my reports of the New Mexico County highpoints.

Private Property Issues

A few of the New Mexico County highpoints are located on private or restricted lands. You should always endeavor to ask permission before entering onto these restricted lands.

• Animas Peak - Hidalgo County: This is located on a working ranch and access is almost always denied. See the summitpost page and other links for useful background information.

• Redondo Peak - Sandoval County: Located on the Valles Calderas National Preserve, the peak is currently closed to the public for the time being. Hiking is available on the preserve (as is biking, hunting and all sorts of winter activities) but as of yet no access to the summit is being allowed. Old roads do lead to the top, which is broad and flat. Please see the above links for some useful information.

• Cerros de Alejandro - McKinley County: I was there in 2000, and I have recently heard the surrounding lands have been fenced. I do not know how this will impact access to the summit, or how actively the area is patrolled. The region is a checkerboard of public and private lands.

• Sierra Grande - Union County: A thin strip of New Mexico Public Lands offers access from the east side but navigation is difficult. You may try asking permission from the landowners on the north flanks of the peak, where a rough 4wd road leads to the summit. This has worked well in the past - the landowners are friendly. Be prepared to possibly hike the whole road from the base as it is very rough.

• Cookes Peak - Luna County: Access past a gate on the road can be requested from the rancher. Please see the link for information. Otherwise, an all-public route exists from the gate to the top, adding about 5 miles to the overall journey.

The Flatties!

Much of Eastern New Mexico sits atop the Llano Estacado, or the "Staked Plains", a vast plateau that straddles New Mexico and Northern Texas, notable for its total flatness on top and the abrupt bluffs and cliffs that surround it. The county highpoints of Curry, Quay, Roosevelt and Lea are found here, all on their northwestern corners, and all are very easy to visit. So... if you have all the big county peaks done, come out this way for a fun day of flatties. A bunch of county highpoints in Texas sit astride the NM/TX state line as well. A wonderful harvest for the highpointer who has no shame!

List of Completers

For a complete list of who has completed New Mexico's 33 county highpoints, click Here.

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Images

View New Mexico County Highpoints Image Gallery - 4 Images