Mt. Taylor RD Zuni Mountains

The Mt. Taylor Ranger District is comprised of two mountain ranges, Mt. Taylor and the Zuni Mountains, totaling nearly 520,000 acres of National Forest land. Elevations range from 6,500 to 11,301 feet. The Zuni Mountains are rich in cultural resources including many historic sawmills and logging communities. The Grants area, like much of New Mexico is rich in history.

The District brought together history and recreation when they developed the Hilso Trailhead, which was named for the historic Hilso Sawmill. Visitors will catch glimpses of the remains of a thriving sawmill community as they ride through parts of the 26-mile trail system. Hilso was dedicated in 2011 and quickly became a popular location for biking and as a top-flight mountain biking destination.

The trailhead was developed following years of collaboration between the Mt. Taylor Ranger District and their business, county, state and federal partners. Some of these same partners have joined forces to develop the Zuni Mountain Trail Partnership. This ambitious project resulted in designating over 180 miles of trail network of interconnected mountain bike and hiking trails in the Zuni Mountains.