CDT/GET North from Mud Hole, NM

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

This ride combines doubletrack, jeep road, and singletrack riding for a great day in the mountains. Riding this loop counter-clockwise was the way to go. Keep your eyes peeled for the various signs of the CDT, including tree blazes, cairns, and the trademark CDT signs. There are several roads that connect within the loop to make a shorter ride.

I gave this 4 stars because it is a great ride, but it is an adventure ride. The trail can be tricky to follow in places, but it is well-marked and is super rideable.

There are restrooms at CDT trailhead on the south side of the road. Park at end of Adobe Ranch Road #521 or at the CDT trailhead on the south side of road. Free camping abounds.

There are services in Winston and a coke machine at Beaverhead Work Station, a USFS office.

Respect private land, hunters, and ranchers—they are nice folks and have been out here long before bikers started exploring the area. If you see any CDT hikers give them a snack and cheer them on!

This route follows the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) north from the Burnt Cabin Flat to Chloride Canyon section, onto the CDT: NM Hwy 59 TH (NM Sec. 12) section. From the well-marked trailhead on the south side of Highway 59, find the less well-marked trail on the north side of the road. This singletrack starts to parallel a two-track, and then eventually follows a well-established two-track.

As you follow the ridge north, the two-track starts to fade into a less travelled jeep trail. Fun and somewhat technical sections dot the jeep trail. There are lots of gate crossings—leave all gates the way you find them. Eventually, the jeep track goes through a gate and turns back into singletrack. The views and singletrack on the northern part of the CDT are fabulous. Views look north to the Luera Mountains and plains of the Divide.

To note: there is one large cairn on rider's right (east side of the trail) that marks a gate that you need to cross through to stay on the singletrack, so keep your eyes peeled for tree blazes, cairns, and the trademark CDT signs to stay on the trail. There is some hike-a-bike to get to the high point of the ridge, but not much, and well-worth it. A sweet, long downhill takes you to the northern part of the loop.

At the northernmost part of the loop, the trails meets a forest service road where there is a tank on the right, and the trail proper will start to climb to Wahoo Peak. Instead of climbing to Wahoo, follow FS Road #4052 S to the west. Then take a left onto House Mountain Road #107 (not sure if these are marked—follow GPX, have map handy, or use the MTB Project mobile app).

There is super fun downhill riding on this segment and all the roads for this return—all the more reason to do this as a counterclockwise loop. Follow 107 left onto FS Road #4052 M. Then go left on Adobe Ranch Road #521 which has signs to Highway 59. This is more of a main road and will take you back out to the highway.

It is fine to park at the end of this road or at The CDT trailhead on the south side of the road.

This trail is where The CDT meets the Grand Enchantment Trail (GET).