Where to ride
Where to ride in New Mexico
Official riding areas and the permits New Mexico asks for, each from the managing agency's own page, quoted and dated. Areas close for fire, weather, seasons and repairs, so check the page before you go.
- Public areas
- 5
- On the map
- 5
- Quoted facts
- 16
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-30
Areas
Public land the managing agency describes for off-highway riding. Each card quotes the place’s own page on the riding, vehicles, season, ride days, fees, camping and size; what the page does not print is named on a hatched line. The Forest Service and the BLM publish motor vehicle use maps for public land not listed here.
Show areas whose pages name
Showing all 5 areas.
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1. Aden Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area
The Area is used up to 2 times per year for an organized motorcycle race
- Riding
characterized by low mesquite or creosote-stabilized coppice dunes
- Vehicles
- In the quote above
- Size
approximately 8,700 acres of Chihuahuan Desert scrub environment
- —
- Not on the pages we checked: Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping
Aden Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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2. Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle Area
The landscape within the Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area is primarily mesquite coppice dunes that range from one meter to several meters in height.
- Riding
- In the quote above
- Vehicles
Although the trails are utilized during organized motorcycle races, other users are allowed to drive cross country if they wish.
- Ride days
Currently there is one race per year that the BLM authorizes through a Special Recreation Permit, usually in February.
- Size
There are over 100 miles of trails that have been developed by users.
- —
- Not on the pages we checked: Season, Fees, Camping
Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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3. Haystack Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area
Perched on the rugged breaks overlooking the Pecos River, Haystack Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area offers 1,920 acres of trails to ride.
- Riding
The terrain is extremely rugged, including such varied features as deep gullies with difficult hill climbs in and out of a scenic sandstone escarpment.
- Vehicles
The OHV area is designed for OHVs no wider than 50 inches, and it is ideal for motorcycles.
- Size
- In the quote above
- —
- Not on the pages we checked: Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping
Haystack Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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4. Glade Run Recreation Area
A great spot for the weekend warrior, the Glade Run Recreation Area (GRRA) is comprised of 19,000 acres of sandy arroyos, slick rock and rolling terrain.
- Riding
Challenging slick rock and wide sandy washes provide fun for off road enthusiasts in the open OHV section.
- Vehicles
Approximately 42 miles of marked trails for motorized trail bike and mountain bike riders are located in the limited OHV portion of the Glade.
- Size
The northern three-quarters of the Glade are managed for limited trail use and 3,800 acres on the south end are managed as an open OHV area.
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- Not on the pages we checked: Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping
Glade Run Recreation Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
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5. Hackberry Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Area
The Hackberry Lake Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Use Area offers over 55,000 acres of rolling stabilized dune lands and cliffs.
- Riding
rolling stabilized dune lands and cliffs
- Vehicles
The area is open for intensive use of motorcycles, sand dune buggies and other OHVs.
- Size
- In the quote above
- —
- Not on the pages we checked: Season, Ride days, Fees, Camping
Hackberry Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Area, official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Map point: Map pin on the agency page, checked 2026-09-30. Back to the map
No area here matches every filter you picked.
Permits and stickers
What the state's own pages say riders need on public land, quoted word for word. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish runs the program; its page is below. Private tracks set their own rules, entry forms and gear requirements.
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Residents
OHV registration and validation decal (through MVD)
New Mexico requires residents to register any OHV used on public lands and to display a validation decal on the OHV.
Official pagechecked 2026-09-30
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Residents
Where to register
Resident registrations can only be purchased through MVD.
Official pagechecked 2026-09-30
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Non-residents
Off-Highway Vehicle Non-Resident Permit
Non-residents who have proof of any valid OHV registration are not required to purchase a New Mexico permit.
Official pagechecked 2026-09-30
The state program
Off-Highway Vehicle Program (Ride NM), run by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
New Mexico requires residents to register any OHV used on public lands and to display a validation decal on the OHV.
Off-Highway Vehicle Program (Ride NM), official pagechecked 2026-09-30
Before you go
Each place's own page has its current status, seasons, fees and which trails take which vehicles. Rules differ between places and change with fire danger, weather and race schedules, so read it on the day. Tracks set their own gear, age and entry rules.
Near a state line? The nearest-places finder looks across every state.
Nothing on this page says anyone may ride anywhere: it points to the agencies that decide. A tag such as “Camping” means the quoted page says so, not that we have been there. Reviewed 2026-09-30.