Hike Carrizo Peak Lincoln National Forest, NM

Oct 18, 2024 — After the lengthy drive to the Capitan Mountains High Point earlier in the day, I was looking forward to a longer hike to Carrizo Peak. I stopped for a snack in the town of Capitan, but decided I didn't want to linger in a place with a massive sign larger than a school that read, "Jesus is Lord of Capitan." I took the county-maintained road through ranch land, which was in excellent condition until maintenance ended here (33.66032, -105.68470). Beyond this point, at least a Crossover SUV is necessary. I parked at the Johnnie Canyon Trailhead, marked by nothing more than a thin brown sign with the trail number (#74), my route choice. There is an alternative route to reach Carrizo Peak that requires driving north on this road, which progressively degrades and ultimately leads to the Carrizo Peak Trailhead (#72). I don’t know the quality of that trail, but I was definitely not interested in driving the lengthy road to find out. I just hoped the Johnnie Canyon Trail would be in good enough shape to be fun.

At first, the trail was tricky to follow, although well-marked with cairns. I later learned that, even though I was on a discernible trail, there might have been a slightly easier-to-follow trail just south for the first quarter mile. Soon, I found myself on a much more obvious path, which appeared to be an old roadbed that had been eroded into near-oblivion. The trail continued through a dense, scraggly forest, and I was able to hike without issue I made my way up the foothills and into Johnnie Canyon.

Once within the canyon, the trail became a bit more difficult to follow due to deadfall and overgrowth, but you can't really get lost within the dry creekbed. I considered side-hilling on the slope adjacent to the creek instead at a couple of points, but ultimately, the trail was visible enough and free of obstacles, so it just made sense to follow it and hop over the numerous fallen trees and whatnot. Farther up the canyon, I reached a split in the drainage where a cairn in a small grassy clearing indicated that the Johnnie Canyon Trail took the right fork. While initially hard to discern, the trail soon became clear as it switched back up to the saddle above.

Now out of the canyon and at the saddle, I picked up the Carrizo Peak Trail, heading west toward the summit. The trail was actually in great shape as it wrapped around a lump along the ridge, though it did degrade a bit as it reached the base of Carrizo Peak. I was surprised to find a steep, but somewhat decent, trail leading up the east slope to the pleasant grassy summit area. There is a sign marking the summit, which offers great views, especially toward Sierra Blanca Peak and the Capitan Mountains. However, the true high point is just to the north, where the views aren’t as impressive.

I backtracked along the Carrizo Peak Trail and took it up toward Peak 9180. I'm not sure if I followed the official trail, but I was on some sort of faint path leading to the brushy summit. There was a view back toward Carrizo Peak, but this add-on peak was otherwise uneventful. I then returned the way I came, happy to finally check out this remote edge of civilization.