Enjoyed this trip to Ojo Redondo this summer. If you’re cruising I40 and need a place to stop, Zuni Mountains right below that hump in the road between Grants and Gallup NM. Loads of easy forest roads to explore. I think I went around sixty miles. Ojo Redondo is a really nice forest service campground as well. Just five or six sites with a vault toilet. I was the only person there. If you look close you can spot my tent.
If you are up for a hunt or have kids in tow stop by the Grants mining museum or the Grants ranger district office and pick up a brochure for the Zuni Mountain Auto Tour. The markers have seen better days, but each stop describes the old logging railroad operations that occupied the forest years ago. The stops (most of them, at least) are marked with an iron train on a post.
GaiaGPS tracks. A few pictures of the area included.
Hike around Ojo Redondo. Most of this is forest road except for a shortcut I took. Great place to look around. Fair warning, the short road to the top of Mount Sedgwick is not trivial. Wouldn’t try it in my Subie, but an old 2wd Chevy made it to the top. Great view.
Track back to highway. There are some more accessible small campgrounds on the western end of this by McGaffey if you need something quicker from I40. Quaking Aspen and McGaffey campgrounds both looked nice, but were mostly full mid July.
No issues with either that I've noticed. I don't have an XM subscription, but recall hearing some of their promotional stuff once. I think the Subi's head unit also pulls in some data from it for road construction and weather info.
Enjoyed this trip to Ojo Redondo this summer. If you’re cruising I40 and need a place to stop, Zuni Mountains right below that hump in the road between Grants and Gallup NM. Loads of easy forest roads to explore. I think I went around sixty miles. Ojo Redondo is a really nice forest service campground as well. Just five or six sites with a vault toilet. I was the only person there. If you look close you can spot my tent.
If you are up for a hunt or have kids in tow stop by the Grants mining museum or the Grants ranger district office and pick up a brochure for the Zuni Mountain Auto Tour. The markers have seen better days, but each stop describes the old logging railroad operations that occupied the forest years ago. The stops (most of them, at least) are marked with an iron train on a post.
GaiaGPS tracks. A few pictures of the area included.
Track to Ojo Redondo
Hike around Ojo Redondo. Most of this is forest road except for a shortcut I took. Great place to look around. Fair warning, the short road to the top of Mount Sedgwick is not trivial. Wouldn’t try it in my Subie, but an old 2wd Chevy made it to the top. Great view.
Track back to highway. There are some more accessible small campgrounds on the western end of this by McGaffey if you need something quicker from I40. Quaking Aspen and McGaffey campgrounds both looked nice, but were mostly full mid July.
Great write up. Thanks for sharing this!
Great write up indeed! Which RTT is this? I’ve been looking for one that is completely above the car (as opposed to resting on the ladder to the side)
It's a James Baroud Evo. I've had it for several years and still good as new after tons of use. Really well built.
Cheers, happy trails!
Do you have issues with the tent blocking xmradio or wifi/att service?
No issues with either that I've noticed. I don't have an XM subscription, but recall hearing some of their promotional stuff once. I think the Subi's head unit also pulls in some data from it for road construction and weather info.