columbine trail

We had more fun here than anything else we did in the area. The llamas are trained, sweet and very easy to handle and they carry all your gear. We hiked up the mountain, ate a nice lunch while the llamas waited, and hiked back down. Stuart, the tour guide was full of knowledge about plant identification, about the llamas, and the whole area, and was happy to answer all our questions. We even went into an old gold mine! It's an amazing trip and well worth the money. Give Stuart a tip because you won't get a better tour guide anywhere.

I've been to this trail twice, and both times, it was beautiful. It is a slow incline on the way up and manageable for beginners. There is a stream that you will cross on rocks, which is exciting for the kids. We hiked about 2 miles up and back, for a total of 4 miles. The campground is supervised by a married couple, who may live on site & they are very helpful and friendly.

Easy . Very Beautiful . the kids loved it . the dog loved it. Nice place to camp in tent pop up or RV but come on Thursday to get a good spot if your coming on. Weekend

We stay at Columbine campground. This trail is used by lots of people on a daily basis. It isn't a hard trail even for someone who is "athletically" inclined. Take a picnic lunch and enjoy the beauty.

The best hike. Loved just walking, talking and seeing all of God's beauty ... meeting people along the way and just hanging out relaxing. Loved seeing all the different wild life. Watching hunters working on their game plan. I just ed loved looking at all the different sceneries.

Wow, what a beautiful, wonderful hike. We took hundreds of pictures of the flowers, landscapes, river and ski. You are in the middle of an lovely alpine, aspen forrest. I will make this a must hike when in the area again. We have been on dozens of hikes, this is my favorite!

We hiked in late August with a mixed group as far as age and ability. On our first hike we pledged a return to experience the aspen and Red Willows. Not only were we not disappointed we were so astounded to discover that in a few short weeks the trail had been groomed and two new safe crossing bridges had been built making the lower hike more amenable to our senior friends. One ford across stepping stones still exists but the meadow midway was glorious. We started the hike at 40 degrees F and by noon had peeled to shirtsleeves. The colors beat Vermont. Highly recommended for novice to advanced. Trekking poles helped with the ford

This is a beautiful hike and not difficult. Signs are posted in areas where the trail splits off in different directions. Some people hike in groups with llamas, but it is fine to hike alone or with a friend. When the camping area is open, you can drive to the end of the road and park to hike, otherwise you will have to walk from the parking area by the entrance when the gate to the camping area is closed.

The Columbine Trail, as others have already mentioned, begins at the rear of Columbine Campground within the Carson National Forest. It's only a 10-minute drive west of Red River, so it's easily accessible to anyone staying in the town. Parking is available right off the highway, so you don't have to worry about paying to get into the campground. The trail is not a loop, so you'll eventually end up turning around and heading back the way you came. The trail follows Columbine Creek, and you can always hear the water, and usually see it. It's a relatively easy hike, although most creek crossing don't have bridges. Nevertheless, there were always strategically placed rocks that made crossing easy and dry. As others have said, at one point the trail opens to a very pretty meadow. For my dog and me, this was after about an hour or so of hiking. I'd estimate, however, that we travel a bit faster than the average hiker. We turned around a little bit after that, and in total the hike lasted a little under 2.5 hours.

Peaceful moderate hike. Trailhead is about 7-8 miles from Red River toward the village of Questa, NM.