El Camino Real Historic Route Trail

El Camino Real Historic Route Trail is a long-distance hiking route connected to the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail in New Mexico. It runs through the Santa Fe National Forest and the Caja del Rio area, following the route’s historic trade-travel corridor.

Typical outings are planned around an ~11.1-mile hike (often as an out-and-back), with shorter loop options also available depending on where you turn around.

Surface is generally sandy and mixed-use, and the ground can feel loose underfoot. Expect terrain that’s more straightforward on foot than for casual bicycling, while still being workable for hikers.

Starting elevations land around 5,812 ft, with the hike climbing to roughly 6,178 ft, so plan for a gradual uphill effort rather than steep sustained grades.

Common access is via the Diablo Canyon trailhead, or from Santa Fe County Road 62 in the vicinity of the Caja del Rio plateau.

The route crosses open-range cattle areas. Treat livestock and cattle-road etiquette as part of the experience—stay alert and give animals space when they’re on or near the route.

For navigation, track the exact alignment of the historic route using a trail-guide layer so you can stay on the correct tread in the desert-forest network around Caja del Rio.

More information: Wikipedia, Hiking Mount Elbert - Colorado's Highest Point, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - New Mexico