Longboarding Rio Grande del Norte - The Lost Longboarder

Longboarding Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is one of our top ten longboarding experiences. And that’s saying something! Sometimes enough favorable conditions come together and create that unexpectedly awesome experience… This was one of them.

What is Rio Grande del Norte National Monument?

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is a vast area of plains, volcanic cones and rugged deep steep gorges carved out by rivers that now flow 800 feet below.

Wildlife can be seen here as well as evidence of human use dating back to prehistoric times.

There are numerous recreation opportunities in the national monument including camping (campgrounds and primitive options), fishing, hiking, white water rafting, mountain biking and longboarding!

Cost: $0 – $3; there is a fee area at the far end of the national monument that costs $3 for day use although there are some trails that can be accessed before entering the fee area.

Where is Rio Grande del Norte National Monument?

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is located in Cerro, New Mexico.

The Wild Rivers Visitor Center is located at 1120 Cerro Road in Cerro.

Directions: From Questa, take NM 522 north for about 2.6 miles and then turn left on State Road 378. Continue on State Road 378 until you see the national monument entrance sign.

Longboarding Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

There is so much beauty at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument as well as lots to explore. (Click here for a great map of the monument!) And there are super scenic smooth roads so longboarding here is a great idea!

Red Tape: There is a fee area as you get closer to the gorge and it’s $3.00 for day use, but it is worth the $3 to skate this fun loop!

We parked at the parking area at the bottom of the hill, past where you pay the fee. The first mile is an uphill kick. Then at the top of the hill, the slope mellows out and the road splits. We went right (south) to begin the loop.

As you are cruising, the road has lots of mellow downhills and curves. There are also a few straightaways and some kicking. On one of these straightaways we had to swerve to avoid a tarantula.

Part of what sets this trail apart from others that we’ve skated has to be the incredible scenery! As we were making our way through the monument we were able to experience overlooks with 800 foot cliffs, we had the beautiful Rio Grande to the west, the mountains of Carson National Forest to the east and vast desert scenery all around! We longboarded Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in the fall and there were beautiful fall colors.

Another great condition of this longboarding experience was that while we skated this loop, there was minimal traffic.

As we made our way around the loop and started heading north, the Red River Canyon began paralleling the road, allowing for a glimpse down the steep gorge walls.

The Second Half of the Loop

The second half of the loop, on the east side, was a bit faster with some downhills.

Longboarding the Rio Grande loop had some curves and fun hills, as well as some downhill straightaways that were great for practicing power slides.

As we made our way to the North end of the loop, we found ourselves at the top of the hill. The main hill is about a mile and a half long and pretty steep. You can really build up some speed by the time you get to the bottom of the hill.

The bottom of hill transitions to another uphill allowing you to turn around and ride downhill back to the parking area. All together the loop totaled around 8 miles. This loop had it all; smooth roads, mellow hills, steep hills, curves, straightaways, minimal traffic and spectacular scenery!

Thanks for Reading!

If you are interested in some of the hiking opportunities around the Rio Grande Del Norte click HERE to read our hiking article.

Or for more fun longboarding adventures, check out these articles:

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