After spending a few weeks in Bloomfield, NM, we headed southeast to Los Alamos. We picked Los Alamos as it was close to several places we wanted to visit, but also because when taking a look at the city on Google Maps it seemed like there were endless hiking trails there.
That ended up being true, so we didn’t have anywhere near enough time to check them all out. One of the trails I did get to explore was the Kwage Mesa trail which I came across by accident. As Bob Ross would say, it was a happy little accident as it’s a lovely trail with beautiful mountain and mesa views throughout.
I’d taken Truffles to North Mesa Dog Park one afternoon early on in our stay and she wanted to go for a quick wander afterwards. We headed up a path towards a playground and sports court and just before turning to head back to our car I saw a small sign for the Kwage Mesa trail.
Seeing as this trail was less than 10 minutes from our Airbnb, I figured it could be a good one to check out. Truffles and I returned a few days later while Shae was working as it was a beautiful day outside. Rather than parking by the dog park, we continued up the road about 50 yards to the sports court and playground area as there was a parking lot there. Here’s a link to the parking lot on Google Maps so that you can get directions there if you’re interested in hiking the Kwage Mesa trail.
The route to the start of the trail isn’t entirely obvious, so here’s how to get there. To the left of the playground you’ll see a sign for restrooms pointing to the left – head in that direction.
There’s a dirt path that leads you through a gap in a fence…
…then you’ll see the restrooms on your left.
Rather than heading to the left though, head to the right up a dirt road alongside a barn/warehouse.
You’ll soon see a sign for the start of the Kwage Mesa trail (Kwage is pronounced kwa-hee).
Although getting to the start of the trail isn’t too obvious, the Kwage Mesa trail itself is obvious once you’re on it. The trail continues along the mesa, providing some lovely views of the mesa you’re on and the one opposite, as well as the mountains in the distance.
The trail alternates between being a flat dirt path and a deeper groove in the ground. If you’re hiking in a group, it might mean going single file at times.
I didn’t have another person with me, but I did have Truffles leading the way.
We visited Los Alamos at the end of February/beginning of March 2021, soon after there had been a snow storm. By the time we hiked the Kwage Mesa trail most of the snow had melted, but there were still patches of snow and ice along the trail.
Truffles apparently hadn’t gotten enough snow in Bloomfield, so she actively sought out every patch of snow to walk through.
The Kwage Mesa trail is an easy one to hike as it’s pretty much level throughout. There’s not much shade, so you’ll want to take plenty of water with you when it’s warmer. Even if you prefer more challenging hikes, Kwage Mesa can be worth doing simply due to the stunning views you’ll have throughout the hike.
The trail curves around the mesa and after a little while you’ll see a wooden post where the trail offers you a choice between heading left or right.
If you take a look at the sign on the other side of the post, it lets you know that you can continue along the Kwage Mesa trail in one direction or the North Kwage Mesa trail in the other direction.
Before making a decision as to which direction to head, Truffles and I walked straight ahead to the edge of the mesa to take in the views there. The view to the left faced another mesa with a canyon between, while the view to the right took in more of the canyon and the mountains in the distance.
If you’re hiking with your dog and you decide to walk to the edge of the mesa at this point, keep an eye out where you’re walking as there’s cacti low to the ground that your pup could step on. There’s no cacti on the trail itself – it’s only if you go off-piste that this could be an issue.
The Kwage Mesa trail is apparently a 4.25 mile loop trail, so we presumably could’ve headed off to the right and followed the trail back to our car. We (well, I) decided to explore in the other direction though, so Truffles and I headed off to the left up the dirt road in the direction of the North Kwage Mesa trail.
After about 50 yards, there was a path leading off to the right where the trail continued along the mesa.
We continued along that path for another mile or so, taking in the views of the mesa opposite us. There was a row of houses along the edge of that mesa, so they must all have lovely views out the back of their houses.
The North Kwage Mesa trail seemed to be taking us in the general direction of our car, but I wasn’t sure if it actually led back there. After 2.5 miles since we’d set off, I figured it would be best to head back the way we came rather than walking another few miles only to find out we weren’t going to end back at our car after all.
One of the great things about the Kwage Mesa trail is that no matter which direction you’re facing, there are picturesque views. On the way out along the trail there were snow-capped mountains, while on the way back there were more mountains we got to enjoy looking at.
I’d been using the Map My Fitness app to track how far we were walking. After we finished, I took a look at the map and it looks like the North Kwage Mesa trail might have taken us all the way back to our car if we’d continued along the trail rather than turning back after 2.5 miles.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in or near Los Alamos and looking for an easy hike with beautiful views, I can recommend checking out the Kwage Mesa trail as it fulfills both those requirements.
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