Pajarito Trails Initiative

  Mark your calendars! On Saturday, April 25 , from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM , the Pajarito Trails Series (PTS) is officially kicking off its 2026 pilot season with a community-wide Trails Information Fair . Held at Co-op Park (1010 Central Ave), this "come-and-go" event coincides with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s National Celebrate Trails Day . Whether you are a hardcore trail runner, a weekend hiker, or a family looking for a new stroll, this is your one-stop shop for everything outdoors in Los Alamos. What is the Pajarito Trails Series? For the first time, more than 20 local stakeholder organizations are collaborating on establishing a collective identity for the six trail systems on the Pajarito Plateau and the events and activities that they host. Our first goal? To create a single, unified community trail calendar for what we are calling the Pajarito Trails Series. . No more hunting through many different websites to find out when the next group hike or trail work day ...

The Pajarito Plateau and the eastern Jemez Mountains form a world-class "mosaic" of trails spanning six different jurisdictions. While this landscape is spectacular, the digital information available to hikers, runners, and riders has often been fragmented. To solve this, Places & Spaces Los Alamos (PSLA) has launched a formal partnership with AllTrails. As the leading free app for trail discovery and navigation, AllTrails is the go-to resource for thousands of our visitors and residents. Our partnership provides us with the access and tools needed to actively manage information appearing on the AllTrails platform. We hope to continuously improve the accuracy and utility of the information available to AllTrails users. Through our Pajarito Trails Initiative, we are transforming the digital experience across the region: Auditing: We are comparing GIS trails data from across our jurisdictions—including Los Alamos County, Bandelier, Santa Fe National Forest, LANL, Pajarito ...

We are excited to share a significant milestone for the Pajarito Trails Initiative . On March 16, we had the opportunity to present the draft Rio Buckman Reach application to the Alignment Committee of the Rio Grande Trail Commission (RGTC) . Our goal was to introduce a compelling vision for connecting the Pajarito Plateau and the eastern Jemez Mountains to New Mexico’s ambitious 500-mile "recreational spine." We are thrilled to report that the idea was positively received by the committee, marking a major step forward for regional connectivity. What is the Rio-Buckman Reach? The Rio-Buckman Reach is a proposed alignment designed to bridge a critical gap in the Rio Grande Trail (RGT) corridor. By leveraging existing trail systems and historic routes near the Buckman area, this reach would: Connect the "Mosaic": Link the trail systems of Los Alamos County and the Caja del Rio (Santa Fe National Forest) directly to the statewide RGT network. Enhance Stewardship: Pr...

  The Pajarito Trails Initiative is excited to share progress on a project to bring national prestige to our local landscape. Recently, Kevin Holsapple and Craig Martin briefed the Open Space Working Group of the Los Alamos County Parks & Recreation Board (PRB) to brief them on a unique opportunity: nominating the Los Alamos County Trail System for official designation as a National Recreation Trail (NRT) . What is a National Recreation Trail? Managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, the NRT program recognizes trails of local and regional significance that contribute to the nation’s health, heritage, and economy. While our 60-mile municipal network is a daily resource for residents, it also serves as a "living museum" that perfectly meets the high-quality recreation and historical criteria required for this national honor. Why Does Los Alamos Qualify? Our trail system is far more than just paths through the woods. The nomination highlights severa...