The Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway is a 13 mile closed-loop road providing
access to BLM's Wild Rivers Recreation Area within the Rio Grande National
Monument. The double-lane, low-speed, paved road provides the visitor with
access to scenic views and recreational facilities in the Recreation Area. For
information regarding what you will see, or the public lands you will have
access to along the byway, see BLM's Wild Rivers Recreation Area website.

<p>The Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway is a 13 mile closed-loop road providing access to BLM's Wild Rivers Recreation Area within the Rio Grande National Monument. The double-lane, low-speed, paved road provides the visitor with access to scenic views and recreational facilities in the Recreation Area. For information regarding what you will see, or the public lands you will have access to along the byway, see BLM's Wild Rivers Recreation Area website.</p>

* The Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway is free to travel, however if you decide to use the Visitor Center, Day Use Parking Areas, and/or campgrounds then the fees below apply.

Self-service pay stations are located at developed camping, picnic and
trailhead areas.

  * **Day Use** : $3.00/day per vehicle. 
    * An annual day use pass, good for the calendar year, is available for $20.00. 
  * **Camping** : $7.00/night for up to two vehicles. Maximum two vehicles and 10 people per site. 
    * Additional vehicles may park in day use parking for $3.00/day. 
    * Annual day use passes do not apply to camping fees. 
  * **Wild Rivers Inner Gorge Primitive campsites** : $5.00/night. 

  * **Wild Rivers** , **La Junta** , and **Aguaje** group shelters: $30.00 per day, $40.00 per night.
    * Group shelter reservations are made by submitting a request through blm_nm_tafo_admin@blm.gov.

The Rio Grande Gorge with Ute Mountain in the distance.

Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway

Shaped by millennia of geologic forces and human passage and presence, the Río
Grande del Norte National Monument protects a stark and sweeping high-desert
landscape where the Río Grande plunges through an 800‑foot gorge at the edge
of the Taos Plateau. From the sagebrush plains at roughly 7,000 feet, extinct
volcanic cones—Cerro de la Olla, Cerro San Antonio, and Cerro del Yuta—rise
above canyons, wild rivers, and native grasslands that harbor vital wildlife
habitat and unique scientific resources. Together, these features form an
extraordinary mosaic of extreme beauty and daunting harshness, offering rare
opportunities to understand the forces that shaped northern New Mexico’s
diverse ecological systems and enduring human cultures.

The Monument stretches from the border of Colorado to the village of Pilar, NM
and spans about 243,000 acres, including 2 Congressionally Designated
Wilderness Areas (Río San Antonio Wilderness and Cerro del Yuta Wilderness)
and over 50 miles of Wild and Scenic River (Río Grande and Red River). The
Monument’s resources create many world-class recreation opportunities,
including hiking, whitewater boating, fly fishing, hunting, camping, mountain
biking, and more.

**New Mexico State Trust Land**

Any public use of New Mexico State Trust Lands is strictly under the
jurisdiction of the New Mexico State Land Office and requires a recreational
access permit. For more information visit the New Mexico State Land Office.

<p>Shaped by millennia of geologic forces and human passage and presence, the Río Grande del Norte National Monument protects a stark and sweeping high-desert landscape where the Río Grande plunges through an 800‑foot gorge at the edge of the Taos Plateau. From the sagebrush plains at roughly 7,000 feet, extinct volcanic cones—Cerro de la Olla, Cerro San Antonio, and Cerro del Yuta—rise above canyons, wild rivers, and native grasslands that harbor vital wildlife habitat and unique scientific resources. Together, these features form an extraordinary mosaic of extreme beauty and daunting harshness, offering rare opportunities to understand the forces that shaped northern New Mexico’s diverse ecological systems and enduring human cultures.</p><p> </p><p>The Monument stretches from the border of Colorado to the village of Pilar, NM and spans about 243,000 acres, including 2 Congressionally Designated Wilderness Areas (Río San Antonio Wilderness and Cerro del Yuta Wilderness) and over 50 miles of Wild and Scenic River (Río Grande and Red River). The Monument’s resources create many world-class recreation opportunities, including hiking, whitewater boating, fly fishing, hunting, camping, mountain biking, and more.  </p><p><strong>New Mexico State Trust Land</strong></p><p>Any public use of New Mexico State Trust Lands is strictly under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico State Land Office and requires a recreational access permit. For more information visit the <a href="https://www.nmstatelands.org/" rel="nofollow">New Mexico State Land Office</a>.</p>

## Overview

El Aguaje Group Shelter is located on the Wild Rivers Plateau, looking down on
gorge where the Rio Grande and the Red River join. It is available from 11AM
the day of your reservation until 10AM the following day.

## Recreation

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area serves hiking, biking (road & mountain),
climbing, fishing, camping and Class V+ whitewater.

## Facilities

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is home to the Zimmerman Visitor Center and
the Wild Rivers Scenic Byway. The Scenic Byway, along with a network of
trails, connects five campgrounds on the plateau and two in the gorge with
pit-toilets and trails. The Wild River Recreation Area currently is has no
water.

## Natural Features

The La Junta Overlook area is on the edged of the Wild Rivers plateau, looking
down into the basalt gorge where the Rio Grande and Red Rivers join.

## Nearby Attractions

The Wild River Recreation Area is the gateway to Bureau of Land Management
sites the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. It is close to the towns of
Questa, Red River, the Enchanted Circle Scenic Drive, and approximately 1 hour
and 30 minutes from Great Sand Dunes National Park.

<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>El Aguaje Group Shelter is located on the Wild Rivers Plateau, looking down on gorge where the Rio Grande and the Red River join. It is available from 11AM the day of your reservation until 10AM the following day.</p><h2>Recreation</h2>
<p>The Wild Rivers Recreation Area serves hiking, biking (road & mountain), climbing, fishing, camping and Class V+ whitewater.</p><h2>Facilities</h2>
<p>The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is home to the Zimmerman Visitor Center and the Wild Rivers Scenic Byway. The Scenic Byway, along with a network of trails, connects five campgrounds on the plateau and two in the gorge with pit-toilets and trails. The Wild River Recreation Area currently is has no water.</p><h2>Natural Features</h2>
<p>The La Junta Overlook area is on the edged of the Wild Rivers plateau, looking down into the basalt gorge where the Rio Grande and Red Rivers join.</p>
<h2>Nearby Attractions</h2>
<p>The Wild River Recreation Area is the gateway to Bureau of Land Management sites the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. It is close to the towns of Questa, Red River, the Enchanted Circle Scenic Drive, and approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Great Sand Dunes National Park.</p>

El Aguage Group Shelter with walkway, picnic tables, grills, and fire pit.

El Aguaje Group Shelter

Grills and picnic tables at El Aguaje Group Shelter

El Aguaje Group Shelter with picnic tables and grills

El Aguaje Group Shelter Grill

El Aguaje Group Shelter with walkway and fire pit

El Aguaje Group Shelter Preview

## Overview

La Junta Group Shelter is located at the La Junta Overlook, looking down on
the joining of the Rio Grande and the Red River. It is available from 11AM the
day of your reservation until 10AM the following day.

## Recreation

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area serves hiking, biking (road & mountain),
climbing, fishing, camping and Class V+ whitewater.

## Facilities

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is home to the Zimmerman Visitor Center and
the Wild Rivers Scenic Byway. The Scenic Byway, along with a network of
trails, connects five campgrounds on the plateau and two in the gorge with
pit-toilets and trails. The Wild River Recreation Area currently is has no
water.

## Natural Features

The La Junta Overlook area is on the edged of the Wild Rivers plateau, looking
down into the basalt gorge where the Rio Grande and Red Rivers join.

## Nearby Attractions

The Wild River Recreation Area is the gateway to Bureau of Land Management
sites the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. It is close to the towns of
Questa, Red River, the Enchanted Circle Scenic Drive, and approximately 1 hour
and 30 minutes from Great Sand Dunes National Park.

<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>La Junta Group Shelter is located at the La Junta Overlook, looking down on the joining of the Rio Grande and the Red River. It is available from 11AM the day of your reservation until 10AM the following day.  </p><h2>Recreation</h2>
<p>The Wild Rivers Recreation Area serves hiking, biking (road & mountain), climbing, fishing, camping and Class V+ whitewater. </p><h2>Facilities</h2>
<p>The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is home to the Zimmerman Visitor Center and the Wild Rivers Scenic Byway. The Scenic Byway, along with a network of trails, connects five campgrounds on the plateau and two in the gorge with pit-toilets and trails. The Wild River Recreation Area currently is has no water.</p><h2>Natural Features</h2>
<p>The La Junta Overlook area is on the edged of the Wild Rivers plateau, looking down into the basalt gorge where the Rio Grande and Red Rivers join. </p>
<h2>Nearby Attractions</h2>
<p>The Wild River Recreation Area is the gateway to Bureau of Land Management sites the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. It is close to the towns of Questa, Red River, the Enchanted Circle Scenic Drive, and approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Great Sand Dunes National Park.</p>

View of the La Junta Group Shelter and surrounding area.

La Junta Group Shelter

Looking at the grill and fire pit are of the La Junta Group Shelter.

La Junta Group Shelter Grills and Fire Pit

Inside La Junta Group Shelter

View of La Junta Group Shelter area and path

La Junta Group Shelter Preview

Contact the field office for more information.

Distant view of a large open area with tall mountains in the background.

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

**2025 update** : The La Junta Trail is closed until further notice due to
unsafe trail conditions. Access to the confluence of the Red River and Río
Grande can be reached by hiking down Little or Big Arsenic Trails.

The Red River, located within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, is
designated Wild and Scenic for its lower 4 lower miles before it joins with
the Río Grande. Flowing out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico,
the Red River was the head of a smaller Rio Grande of ancient times.
Scientists believe that some 400,000 years ago, a closed drainage basin with
no outflow existed in the San Luis Valley to the north in Colorado. With
changes causing the region to become wetter, the lake within this basin
overflowed to the south and drained into the Red River. The volume of water
continued to increase as it cut through the earth, forming the modern Río
Grande Gorge we know today. As a result, the Red River became a tributary and
the headwaters of the Río Grande repositioned to central Colorado.

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is on the mesa above the Red River.
Exceptional views of the confluence of the Río Grande and Red River is found
at the La Junta overlook in the Wild Rivers Recreation Area.

<p><strong>2025 update</strong>: The La Junta Trail is closed until further notice due to unsafe trail conditions. Access to the confluence of the Red River and Río Grande can be reached by hiking down Little or Big Arsenic Trails. </p><p>The Red River, located within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, is designated Wild and Scenic for its lower 4 lower miles before it joins with the Río Grande. Flowing out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, the Red River was the head of a smaller Rio Grande of ancient times. Scientists believe that some 400,000 years ago, a closed drainage basin with no outflow existed in the San Luis Valley to the north in Colorado. With changes causing the region to become wetter, the lake within this basin overflowed to the south and drained into the Red River. The volume of water continued to increase as it cut through the earth, forming the modern Río Grande Gorge we know today. As a result, the Red River became a tributary and the headwaters of the Río Grande repositioned to central Colorado. </p><p>The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is on the mesa above the Red River. Exceptional views of the confluence of the Río Grande and Red River is found at the La Junta overlook in the Wild Rivers Recreation Area.  </p>

* **Day Use** : $3 per vehicle. 

    * A $20.00 annual day use pass, good for the calendar year, is available. 

  * **Camping** : $7.00/night for up to two vehicles. Maximum two vehicles and 10 people per site. 

    * Additional vehicles may park in day use parking for $3.00/day. 

  * **Wild Rivers Inner Gorge Primitive campsites** : $5.00/night. 

  * **Wild Rivers** , **La Junta,** and **Aguaje** group shelters: $30.00 per day, $40.00 per night.

    * Group shelter reservations are made by submitting a request through blm_nm_tafo_admin@blm.gov.

Bird's eye view of the park

Red River Wild and Scenic River

The Rinconada Loop Trail is a wide, 5-mile long, all weather surface, beginner
level trail within Wild Rivers Recreation Area.

<p>The Rinconada Loop Trail is a wide, 5-mile long, all weather surface, beginner level trail within Wild Rivers Recreation Area.</p>

Rinconada Loop Trail

The Río Grande Wild and Scenic River, located within the Río Grande del Norte
National Monument, includes 74 miles of the river as it passes through the
800-foot deep Río Grande Gorge. Flowing out of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains
in Colorado, the river journeys 1,900 miles to the Gulf of America. Here the
river flows in a rugged and scenic part of northern New Mexico. The river was
made a part of the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1968; among the
first eight rivers Congress designated as Wild and Scenic. The river gorge is
home to numerous species of wildlife, including big horn sheep, river otter,
and the Río Grande cutthroat trout.

The Río Grande Wild and Scenic River provides a wide variety of recreational
opportunities, luring anglers, hikers, artists, and whitewater boating
enthusiasts. Two developed recreation areas are located along the river: Wild
Rivers on the north and Orilla Verde in the south. In addition to these scenic
recreation areas, a spectacular vista of the gorge can be viewed from the High
Bridge Overlook where highway 64 crosses.

<p>The Río Grande Wild and Scenic River, located within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, includes 74 miles of the river as it passes through the 800-foot deep Río Grande Gorge. Flowing out of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in Colorado, the river journeys 1,900 miles to the Gulf of America. Here the river flows in a rugged and scenic part of northern New Mexico. The river was made a part of the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1968; among the first eight rivers Congress designated as Wild and Scenic. The river gorge is home to numerous species of wildlife, including big horn sheep, river otter, and the Río Grande cutthroat trout.</p><p>The Río Grande Wild and Scenic River provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities, luring anglers, hikers, artists, and whitewater boating enthusiasts. Two developed recreation areas are located along the river: Wild Rivers on the north and Orilla Verde in the south. In addition to these scenic recreation areas, a spectacular vista of the gorge can be viewed from the High Bridge Overlook where highway 64 crosses.</p>

* **Río Grande Gorge Visitor Center**
    * **Orilla Verde Recreation Area**
  * **Wild Rivers Recreation Area**
    * **Wild Rivers Zimmerman Visitor Center**
    * **Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway**

Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River

Horsethief Mesa Trail is about a 12-mile loop that is rated an intermediate
level of difficulty with some technical, rocky sections.

<p>Horsethief Mesa Trail is about a 12-mile loop that is rated an intermediate level of difficulty with some technical, rocky sections.</p>

Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway

Directions

Reviews

Nearby Parks

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

Red River Wild and Scenic River

Rinconada Loop Trail

Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River

Horsethief Mesa Trail