New Mexico · Trail 495

North Boundary

North Boundary Trail is a 9.4 miles trail in Carson National Forest, New Mexico. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Carson National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end36.3905, -105.5312 · Directions ↗
Other end36.3867, -105.4721 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length9.4 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers495
ForestCarson National Forest (unit 0302)
StatesNew Mexico
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near North Boundary Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.67 inches of precipitation, 6.0 inches of snowFebruary: 0.45 inches of precipitation, 3.3 inches of snowMarch: 0.71 inches of precipitation, 4.0 inches of snowApril: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 1.9 inches of snowMay: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.77 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.34 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowNovember: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 2.8 inches of snowDecember: 1.07 inches of precipitation, 9.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 27.1°F averageFebruary: 32.9°F averageMarch: 40.2°F averageApril: 46.8°F averageMay: 55.0°F averageJune: 65.5°F averageJuly: 69.6°F averageAugust: 67.7°F averageSeptember: 61.4°F averageOctober: 49.7°F averageNovember: 37.8°F averageDecember: 28.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Taos, 6 miles from the trail midpoint at 6,965 feet, station USC00298668 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 28 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 2,200 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 03/15 to 11/15 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 03/15 to 11/15 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed 03/15 to 11/15 (month/day)

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Corrals

    38 mi from the trail midpoint · 15 acres

  • Wildfire
    Frijoles

    40 mi from the trail midpoint · 15,956 acres · 74% contained

  • Wildfire
    Mogote Ridge

    46 mi from the trail midpoint · 152 acres · 90% contained

  • Wildfire
    Dash

    48 mi from the trail midpoint · 55 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the North Boundary Trail?

9.4 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Carson National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the North Boundary Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the North Boundary Trail start?

The line begins at 36.3905, -105.5312 and ends at 36.3867, -105.4721. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the North Boundary Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the North Boundary Trail?

Las Petacas Campground (0.4 mi) and La Sombra Campground (0.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the North Boundary Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the North Boundary Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the North Boundary Trail?

Carson National Forest, Forest Service unit 0302. The trail is in New Mexico.

Source: Carson National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the North Boundary Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Corrals at 38 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named NORTH BOUNDARY in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0302. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.